Disclosed herein are a sonic homogenizing module (100, 200, 300) and a biological sample preparation system (500) containing the same. The sonic homogenizing module (100, 200, 300) comprises a rod made of a magnetic material (120, 220, 320); a piezoelectric conductor (130, 230,330); a driver (140, 340); and a sleeve-coupling member (110, 210, 310) having a first portion defining a space (112, 212, 312) for coupling with a gripper module of a biological sample preparation system, and for accommodating the piezoelectric conductor and the driver therein; and a second portion having a conduit (114, 214, 314) for receiving the rod therethrough; wherein the driver (140, 340) is electrically coupled with the piezoelectric conductor (130, 230,330) and is configured to drive the piezoelectric conductor (130, 230, 330) to generate a sonic vibration at a frequency of 100 KHz-1 MHz.

The invention relates to a device for the collection, pre-analytic treatment, transport and grinding of solid samples, comprising a flask (1) having an opening (11) closed by a removable stopper (2), for receiving a solid sample. Said flask contains a pre-analytic medium (4), a plurality of balls (3) consisting of a solid material, and a means for holding the balls in place, that is designed to lose its effect when the flask is mechanically shaken or closed by the stopper, in such a way that, when the flask is mechanically shaken, the impact of the balls causes the grinding of the solid sample and the mixing thereof with the pre-analytic medium.

A low-cost drug compounding system that can practically fit inside of a fume hood or the like is provided. The system can use a single pump operable in forward and reverse directions (or multiple pumps) to compound complex mixtures particularly including those requiring the creation of solutions from dry or powdered ingredients. A wireless link allows operation of the system remotely. In one embodiment, the system uses a disposable mixing tube set that can be discarded after mixing while still attached to the base ingredient containers used for the compounding thereby minimize the chance of personnel exposure.

Provided herein are methods and devices for identifying and/or distinguishing UCA formulations and specifically activating such formulations to produce UCA suitable for in vivo use.

An automated transfer and mixing device receives an injection device, a lyophilized drug vial and a diluent vial and transfers diluent from the diluent vial to the lyophilized drug vial and shakes or vibrates the lyophilized drug vial to reconstitute the drug. The device then transfers the reconstituted drug from the lyophilized drug vial to the injection device.

The present technology discloses a cost-effective, single use bag or container for storing biological substances that incorporates on its inner wall an electronic device that is configured to measure physiological and/or physical parameters of the enclosed biological substances, such as source history, identification, demographics, time stamping, temperature, pH, conductivity, glucose, O.sub.2, CO.sub.2 levels etc. The electronic device of the disclosed bag comprises a sensor configured to measure physiological and/or physical parameters of the biological substances enclosed within the bag, and a radio-frequency (RF) device communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to: (a) acquire from the sensor data associated with the measured parameters, (b) store the acquired sensor data in nonvolatile memory, and (c) communicate the stored data wirelessly to a RF reader.

A microscope slide holder comprising a slide support member and at least one acoustic source for introducing acoustic waves to a microscope slide in communication with the slide support member such that one or more fluids present on the surface of the microscope slide are contactlessly mixed.

A method and an apparatus for thermal processing of nucleic acid in a thermal profile. The method employs at least a first bath and a second bath, the method further employing a reactor holder for holding reactor(s) accommodating reaction material containing the nucleic acid. The method includes maintaining bath mediums in the baths at two different temperatures; and alternately allowing the reactor(s) to be in the two baths in a plurality of thermal cycles to alternately attain a predetermined high target temperature T.sub.HT, and a predetermined low target temperature T.sub.LT, wherein the bath medium in at least one of the baths is a high thermal conductivity powder.

A container system for separately storing and mixing two or more substances. The container system comprises a mixing container having a main container that stores one or more first substances. The main container has a first upper opening. The container system also includes a storage repository coupled to main container, and which stores one or more second substances. The storage repository includes a lip defining a second upper opening, which has an outside diameter smaller than the diameter of the first upper opening. Additionally, the container system includes a mixing blade having an outside diameter smaller than the diameter of the first upper opening. The mixing blade also has a plurality of openings. The container system includes a releasable liner placed over the storage repository's lip, and the storage repository's lip forms a seal with a lower surface of the releasable liner.