In one embodiment described herein, a cartridge is provided comprising a cartridge frame; a plurality of diluents each in an expandable container; a plurality of reagents each in an expandable container; and a plurality of mixing vessels comprising empty expandable containers.

Provided in one embodiment is a method of making paste for solar cells. The method can include forcing silver through a feed tube coupled to a hydrodynamic cavitation chamber using an air-driven piston. The method can include subjecting the silver to hydrodynamic cavitation in the hydrodynamic cavitation chamber by using a hydraulic pump to pass the silver sequentially through a primary orifice, a secondary orifice, and a final orifice within the hydrodynamic cavitation chamber to produce the paste for the solar cells. The silver can include up to three unique silver powders having a total particle size distribution from 0.1 microns to 10 microns. A first silver powder can have a first average particle size of 1.5 um, a second silver powder having a second average particle size of 0.5 um, and a third silver powder having a third average particle size of 0.2 um.

An analysis instrument may perform analytical operations on an analyte that is combined with multiple reagents prior to being introduced into a flow cell. The instrument may include a nozzle sipper that aspirates reagents from a recipient, along with an analyte. The reagents may be directed to a volume and may be repeatedly moved into and out of the volume by cycling of a pump. The reagents may be ejected into a destination recipient with the nozzle sipper promoting vorticity in the recipient to enhance mixing. The repeated aspiration and ejection through the nozzle sipper effectively mixes the reagents and the template in an automated or semi-automated fashion.

In one embodiment described herein, a cartridge is provided comprising a cartridge frame; a plurality of diluents each in an expandable container; a plurality of reagents each in an expandable container; and a plurality of mixing vessels comprising empty expandable containers.

A method using a chemical analyzer for removing a component of a liquid sample which may interfere with a test performed on a test assay includes the steps of adding the liquid sample to a sample cup, transferring a volume of the liquid sample to a mixing cup containing an IMAC (Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography) resin containing porous beads to form a sample/resin solution in the mixing cup, using a pipette of the chemical analyzer to repeatedly aspirate the sample/resin solution into a disposable pipette tip of the pipette and expelling the sample/resin solution from the pipette tip into the mixing cup to achieve a mixed sample/resin solution in the mixing cup, and allowing the mixed sample/resin solution in the mixing cup to rest undisturbed so that the interfering component of the liquid sample adheres to the porous beads and the beads settle to a bottom portion of the mixing cup, resulting in a refined liquid sample devoid of the interfering component and occupying an upper portion of the mixing cup for later dispensing on the test assay.

An analysis instrument may perform analytical operations on an analyte that is combined with multiple reagents prior to being introduced into a flow cell. The instrument may include a nozzle sipper that aspirates reagents from a recipient, along with an analyte. The reagents may be directed to a volume and may be repeatedly moved into and out of the volume by cycling of a pump. The reagents may be ejected into a destination recipient with the nozzle sipper promoting vorticity in the recipient to enhance mixing. The repeated aspiration and ejection through the nozzle sipper effectively mixes the reagents and the template in an automated or semi-automated fashion.

The invention relates to a method for processing a liquid sample situated in a receptacle, wherein an attachment device is attached to the receptacle such that at least one fluid line protrudes into the liquid sample and a fluid is directly dispensed into the liquid sample through the fluid line and/or a portion of the liquid sample is aspirated into the fluid line.

Devices and methods for preparing a slurry for coating onto a substrate. The devices and methods of the present disclosure relate to providing a slurry in a closed volume with at least one passage. The slurry includes a solvent, a powder, and a binder. The slurry can also include a dispersion agent. The slurry is forced repeatedly under high pressure through the at least one passage in a first flow direction and then back through the at least one passage in a second flow direction, opposite the first flow direction. The forcing homogenously disperses the powder and the binder within the solvent. Both sides of the substrate are then coated simultaneously with the slurry extruded from the closed volume after the forcing. Curing of the coated slurry includes freeze drying to preserve the porosity of the slurry on the substrate.

An aggregated cell mass dispersing device (100) of the present invention includes: a storage container (101) storing a liquid (L) containing an aggregated cell mass; a pipette (102) whose tip is pushed against an inner bottom surface (101a) of the storage container; and an elastic body (103) supporting an outer bottom surface of the storage container.

It is necessary to efficiently agitate a small amount of sample (such as blood) and reagent (such as diluted solution) in a short time with a dispensing probe having a constant tube inner diameter. An automatic analysis device, by a dispensing probe, executes an aspiration step of aspirating a reagent from a reagent vessel; a first dispensing and aspiration step of dispensing a first liquid amount of the aspirated reagent to a reaction vessel and aspirating, from the reaction vessel, a second liquid amount of a mixed liquid obtained by mixing the reagent and the sample in the reaction vessel; and a final dispensing step of dispensing the aspirated mixed liquid and the reagent in a predetermined dispensing amount. A first liquid amount Va is less than a predetermined dispensing amount Vdil.