The present invention provides a cartridge, a detection method, and a detection device capable of stabilizing the liquid level of a sample accommodated in a chamber in a predetermined state. A cartridge 20, that is rotated around a rotating shaft 42 for detecting a target substance, is provided with a chamber 100 in which a sample containing a target substance is stored. The chamber 100 includes a first region 110 in which a sample is stored, a second region 120 disposed at a position closer to the rotating shaft 42 than the first region 110, and a protrusion 130 protruding from a position between the first region 110 and the second region 120 to the inner side of the chamber 100.

A method for transferring beads in a fluidic chip having an internal fluid circuit through which various reactants, including beads, may be moved by use of centrifugal force includes providing beads having a density equal to, or lower than, m1 in a section of the fluid circuit, where the section includes at least a first outlet. The method includes providing a first liquid medium having a density d2 to the section, such that d2>m1, and applying a centrifugal force such that the beads migrate in an opposite direction of the centrifugal force.

A feeding system (2) for feeding disc-shaped objects such as sample cups (4) to an analyzer. The system (2) includes as infeed trade (22) angled downward from horizontal and the outfeed track (24) angled downward, plus a reject chute. The disc feeding system (2) uses two RFID readers/writers, one (32) a standalone desktop and a second (190) proximate the sample bay of the analyzer for more comprehensive track-and-trace capability. The information read from the cup (4) tag as it is scanned is also stored with the resultant spectra so that predictive processing is applied properly and without error. For post scan (after the sample scan is completed) the scan information itself may be written directly to the sample cup RFID tag including, reflection/transmission, characteristics, constituent results etc.

A nucleic acid analyzer includes a first container setting part that sets a first container including reagent storages which store reagents for nucleic acid extraction such that the reagent storages are provided along an X-axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the first container; a dispensing unit that transfers, along the-X axis from the first container, extraction liquid containing nucleic acids extracted in the first container using the reagents for nucleic acid extraction; a second container setting part that is provided along the X-axis and sets a second container, the second container including an injection port through which the extraction liquid transferred by the dispensing unit is injected, storages that store reagents for amplifying the nucleic acids in the extraction liquid, and a flow path that connects the injection port and the storages; and a detector that detects a nucleic acid amplification reaction, which occurs in the storages.

Provided herein are devices and methods of processing a sample that include, in several embodiments, rotating one or more microfluidic chips that are mounted on a support plate using a motor driven rotational chuck. By spinning one or more of the microfluidic chips about a common center of rotation in a controlled manner, high flow rates (and high shear forces) are imparted to the sample in a controlled manner. Each microfluidic chip can be rotated 180 on the support plate so that the sample can be run back-and-forth through the microfluidic devices. Because the support plate can be driven at relatively high RPMs, high flow rates are generated within the microfluidic chips. This increases the shear forces on the sample and also decreases the processing time involved as the sample can quickly pass through the shear-inducing features of the microfluidic chip(s).

Systems, methods, and devices for discretizing and analyzing fluidic samples are provided. In one aspect, a microfluidic array for discretizing a fluidic sample comprises one or more flow channels and a plurality of fluidic compartments in fluidic communication with the one or more flow channels. In another aspect, a system for discretizing and analyzing fluidic samples comprises a rotor assembly shaped to receive a microfluidic device.

This substrate for sample analysis, which transfers a sample-containing liquid by means of rotation and analyzes a specific substance in a sample, is provided with: a space which holds the sample-containing liquid in a substrate having a rotary shaft; a reaction chamber having an inlet and an outlet connected to the space; and a dried reagent disposed in the space of the reaction chamber. The space has a first end and a second end spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction. The inlet and the outlet are arranged at the first end and the second end, respectively. The space has a capillary portion, and a first non-capillary portion which is connected to the capillary portion, is located at the second end, has an opening, and extends in a radial direction. The outlet is connected to the outer peripheral side of the first non-capillary portion.

The presently disclosed technology may utilize micro-fluidic disk technology, including integrated reagent and/or control one-time use fluid packs that improve functionality and ease of use of the presently disclosed disk. In various implementations, fluids within the disk may move radially inward as well as radially outward as required to functionally achieve the methods described herein. The presently disclosed technology may also be used to distinguish an analyte of interest from the background noise of one or more metabolites thereof in a fluid sample. This may be achieved by magnetically pre-separating some or all metabolites from the analyte of interest within the fluid sample. Using the disclosed techniques, detection of the analyte of interest is not obscured by other compounds leading to false positive test results.

The present invention relates to a system for conducting the identification and quantification of micro-organisms, e.g., bacteria in biological samples. More particularly, the invention relates to a system comprising a disposable cartridge and an optical cup or cuvette having a tapered surface; an optics system including an optical reader and a thermal controller; an optical analyzer; a cooling system; and an improved spectrometer. The system may utilize the disposable cartridge in the sample processor and the optical cup or cuvette in the optical analyzer.

A rotor assembly includes a rotor plate to rotate around a first axis; a bucket rotatably attached to the rotor plate and to rotate around a second axis; and a stop plate to rotate around the first axis relative to the rotor plate between an open position and a closed position, when in the closed position, the stop plate is to engage the bucket to fix an angular position of the bucket relative to a plane of rotation of the rotor assembly.