Provided are an automatic analyzer and an analysis method for the automatic analyzer, the analyzer including a dispensing mechanism having a nozzle part for dispensing a liquid; a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the dispensing mechanism; a temperature increasing part for increasing the temperature of liquid to be supplied from the liquid supply part to the dispensing mechanism; and a control part for controlling the dispensing mechanism, the temperature increasing part, and the liquid supply part. In accordance with information relating to whether a requested analysis is continually performed, the control unit controls the liquid supply part such that, if the analysis is not continually performed, the temperature of liquid supplied from the liquid supply part is increased by the temperature increasing part, and the liquid of the increased temperature is then supplied to the nozzle part of the dispensing mechanism.

A system may include a horizontal actuator to move a tray, to which a microwell plate and a microfluidic chip may be coupled. The system may include a vertical actuator to move a support arm, to which a plurality of pipettes or pipette tips may be coupled. The system may include a rotational actuator to move an angle bracket, to which a magnet may be coupled. The system may include a heater, through which the pipettes may extend. The system may include a pump to control the flow of fluids through the pipettes. Disclosed methods include performing PCR within the described system.

The present invention relates generally to methods and materials pertaining to assays, for example immunoassays, for biomarkers in body fluids e.g. blood. The invention also relates to diagnostic or screening methods for infections, and methods of differentiating between infectious and non-infectious conditions in mammals, particularly equines, for monitoring response to anti-infective/antibiotic therapy. The invention further relates to a test fluid collection system adapted to permit dilution and analysis of the collected test fluid. The invention further relates to monitoring exertional rhabdomyolysis in equines, and assay devices for all these things.

A hand-rotatable motorized-aperture plug arrangement for use as a stopcock in articles of traditional and legacy laboratory glassware of arbitrary complexity. The hand-rotatable plug additionally comprises a longitudinally-movable gate whose gate position is changed by a stepper or D.C. electrical motor. As the gate position is changed, the amount of flow can be varied. Hand-rotation operation of the plug itself can be used to force flow turn-off. The gate position can be monitored by a sensor and can be computer-controlled for use with an article of laboratory glassware for controlling and/or directing the flow of chemical materials.

When a device is operated for the first specimen following a standby state, the reagent will be suctioned and discharged by a nozzle of a dispensing mechanism which has been cooled by external air during the standby state and is thus in a cooled state, resulting in the nozzle stealing heat from liquid of the heated reagent when the reagent passes through the nozzle. From the second specimen onwards, the nozzle will have been warmed up from the suctioning and discharging of the heated reagent during preceding analysis operations, and the amount of heat which the nozzle steals from the liquid will be smaller as compared to the first specimen. This could affect analysis results due to the difference between the temperature of discharged liquid for the first specimen, which was analyzed following the standby state of the device, and the temperature of discharged liquid for the second specimen onwards. Provided are an automatic analyzer and an analysis method for the automatic analyzer, the analyzer comprising: a dispensing mechanism having a nozzle part for dispensing a liquid; a liquid supply part for supplying the liquid to the dispensing mechanism; a temperature increasing part for increasing the temperature of liquid to be supplied from the liquid supply part to the dispensing mechanism; and a control part for controlling the dispensing mechanism, the temperature increasing part, and the liquid supply part. In accordance with information relating to whether a requested analysis is continually performed, the control unit controls the liquid supply part such that, if the analysis is not continually performed, the temperature of liquid supplied from the liquid supply part is increased by the temperature increasing part, and the liquid of the increased temperature is then supplied to the nozzle part of the dispensing mechanism.

The present invention relates to a method for developing and/or reprogramming plant cellular objects comprising the steps: providing a reservoir containing a medium with plant cellular objects: providing a first set of compartments of sample fluid embedded in carrier fluid in a microfluidic conduit, wherein the carrier fluid is immiscible with the medium, wherein the first set's compartments of sample fluid each comprise medium and at least one plant cellular object: providing one or more first state triggers to the plant cellular objects in the microfluidic conduit for inducing a first state in the plant cellular objects of the first set of compartments: incubating the plant cellular objects of the first set of compartments in the microfluidic conduit for a time span sufficient for the plant cellular objects to transfer to the first state: selecting one or more first selection parameters indicative of the first state: identifying, within the first set of compartments in the microfluidic conduit, compartments according to the one or more first selection parameters and optionally assigning the compartments with respective state identifiers.

System and method for handling dispersed microscopic objects contained in a sample fluid, the system comprising a first microfluidic device comprising a microchannel with an inlet, an outlet and an opening, the opening being located between the inlet and the outlet, a conveying device configured to pump a carrier fluid via the inlet into the microchannel with an input volumetric flow rate and to remove fluid from the microchannel via the outlet with an output volumetric flow rate, a first sensor unit for identifying positions of the dispersed objects in the sample fluid, and a positioning unit configured to position the opening at a target position proximate the position of a target object.

The present invention relates generally to methods and materials pertaining to assays, for example immunoassays, for biomarkers in body fluids e.g. blood. The invention also relates to diagnostic or screening methods for infections, and methods of differentiating between infectious and non-infectious conditions in mammals, particularly equines, for monitoring response to anti-infective/antibiotic therapy. The invention further relates to a test fluid collection system adapted to permit dilution and analysis of the collected test fluid. The invention further relates to monitoring exertional rhabdomyolysis in equines, and assay devices for all these things.

A hand-rotatable motorized-aperture plug arrangement for use as a stopcock in articles of traditional and legacy laboratory glassware of arbitrary complexity. The hand-rotatable plug additionally comprises a longitudinally-movable gate whose gate position is changed by a stepper or D.C. electrical motor. As the gate position is changed, the amount of flow can be varied. Hand-rotation operation of the plug itself can be used to force flow turn-off. The gate position can be monitored by a sensor and can be computer-controlled for use with an article of laboratory glassware for controlling and/or directing the flow of chemical materials.

An article of laboratory glassware for directing the flow of chemical materials is described. The article includes a manifold having a plurality of input ports and at least one output port, and a plurality of stopcocks. Each stopcock has an inlet port and an outlet port connected by a passageway through the plug. Each of the stopcock output ports is connected to one of the manifold input ports, and each of the stopcock input ports is connected with one end of a hollow glass tube, and the other end of the hollow glass tube is connected to a ground glass joint. The output ports of the manifold are terminated to a ground glass joint. Each stopcock is fitted with a plug comprising a longitudinally-movable gate whose position is driven by a stepper or D.C. electrical motor where the gate position can be monitored by a sensor and can be computer-controlled.