The present invention relates to a system for performing assays on a solid phase to measure the level of analyte in a sample. Such a system may perform immunoassays using electrochemiluminescence (ECL) including a counterbalanced orbital shaking apparatus for assay consumables. The counter-balanced orbital shaking apparatus also incubates the assay consumables, and has a cooling system to maintain a preset temperature within the shaking apparatus.

A method is provided for configuring fluid in a programable fluid array which includes applying a sequence of magnetic fields to a movable fluidic network component; which includes a magnetic object to produce a force on the component. In one arrangement the fluid array includes a plurality of pre-formed channels and at least one property of at least one of said pre-formed channels is changed by the movable fluidic network component in another arrangement the fluid array comprises an injection molding system where the programmable fluid array is used to improve the speed and accuracy of the injection molding process and/or to additionally modify the shape and form of a molded object. In this arrangement the fluidic network component follows a path through the mold cavity determined at least in part by a sequence of magnetic fields and exerts a force on molding material therein.

An apparatus for processing medical instruments includes an enclosure having an entrance door and an exit door. The enclosure is arranged so that a cassette containing dirty instruments is deposited into the enclosure through the entrance door, the dirty instruments are cleaned, sterilized, and packaged inside the enclosure, and the clean, sterilized, packaged instruments are removed from the enclosure through the exit door. The enclosure includes a plurality of stations therein, such as a jet washing and drying station, a packaging station, and an autoclave station. Each station has sidewalls and a bottom surface, and includes at least one slot that is sized and shaped to hold only one cassette. Each slot in each station has a wire frame so that the cassette, when positioned in the slot, does not contact the sidewalls or bottom surface of the station. A robotic arm automatically moves the instrument cassettes between stations.

The invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for cleaning vessels. The vessel cleaning apparatus (10) has a suction lance (20) and a flushing lance (40). The flushing lance (40) is configured to receive fluid, such as cleaning liquid and/or compressed air, and to expel it against an inner wall of a vessel to be cleaned. The suction lance (20) is configured to suck off and lead off fluids present in the vessel as well as cleaning liquid supplied through the flushing lance (40) from the vessel, preferably against the direction of effect of gravity.

The invention relates to a machine that may include an inside space housing a frame which is configured to support at least one accessory to be washed. The frame is connected to a front shaft that is also configured to rotate during the washing of the accessory. The frame may include a cross-member connected to the front shaft, a base formed by two angular supports that include first branches which are coupled to the cross-member, and second branches on which the accessory to be washed rests. The two angular supports of the base have a first adjustment for varying the height thereof in a substantially vertical plane, and the angular supports of the base have a second adjustment for varying the distance between the two angular supports of the base in a substantially horizontal plane.

A method for cleaning a test sample well, provided in a diagnostic test card, using a cleaning head having a cleaning tube delivering, at its free end, a cleaning fluid, and a suction tube mounted inside the cleaning tube for aspirating the contaminated cleaning fluid from its free end located in proximity to the free end of the cleaning tube. The method provides for relative displacement between the test card and the cleaning head, so that the test card occupies a cleaning position wherein the cleaning tube delivers, at its free end, the cleaning fluid to the inside of the well to be cleaned and the suction tube aspirates the contaminated cleaning fluid.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method and/or a device for carrying out chemical, biochemical and/or immunochemical analyses of liquid samples, which are present in a sample store of an automatic analyzer, with the aid of liquid reagents which are present in at least one reagent store of the analyzer, with cuvettes for receiving the liquid samples and reagents, wherein a plurality of cuvettes is arranged as at least one stationary, linear cuvette array in the analyzer. The analyzer has movable and stationary automated components, wherein at least two automated components are designed so as to be movable in the x-direction independently of one another along or parallel to the line of movement defined by the linear cuvette array and each have access to different cuvettes or groups of cuvettes in a freely selectable sequence.

A method of sterilizing and storing laboratory consumables comprises slidably receiving a carrier holding a plurality of laboratory consumables into each of one or more of a plurality of storage compartments within an interior chamber defined in a housing, exposing the plurality of laboratory consumables to ultraviolet (UV) light from a UV lamp positioned above each respective storage compartment and from a UV lamp positioned below each respective storage compartment, determining from which of the plurality of storage compartments a carrier should be removed based on for which carrier a longest period of time has elapsed since going through a predefined sterilization procedure, and indicating to a user into which of the plurality of storage compartments a carrier should be placed or indicating to a user from which of the plurality of storage compartments a carrier should be removed.

The present disclosure provides devices, machines and methods for incubating or washing a biological sample membrane or gel automated processing of biological samples. This disclosure provides a device comprising a washing cassette, a sample holder, a poking gear and a washing basin assembly. The disclosure also provides machines comprising the device and methods using the device

The present invention relates to a centrifuge for cleaning a reaction vessel unit, comprising a rotor and a rotor chamber in which the rotor is positioned and supported in rotary fashion. The rotor chamber is delimited by a housing having a drainage channel beneath the rotor. Adjacent to the channel, the inner surface of the housing is embodied in the form of a funnel that feeds into the channel. This centrifuge does not require a suction pump for suctioning liquids from the rotor chamber. In addition, the centrifuge can be provided with an exchangeable module that delimits the rotor chamber and includes the rotor. The exchangeable module can be exchanged after a predetermined amount of use and replaced with another. It is also possible, however, for the module to be removed from the centrifuge, cleaned, and re-inserted.