An apparatus including a receptacle including a slot for receiving a basket; a push bar disposed in the receptacle, the push bar having an end to contact an edge of a single slide of a plurality of slides in a basket, the push bar including a first position below a bottom surface of a base of a basket that is received in the slot and a second position in the slot; and a sensor focused in a direction of the slot operable to acquire information from a slide in a received basket. A method including placing a slide basket into a slot of a receptacle; individually raising one or more slides from a respective position in the basket; using a sensor, acquiring information from the raised slide in the basket; and after acquiring information, lowering the raised slide.

A method of reading machine-readable marks on a movable support and object of a sample instrument. The method includes capturing a first image of the moveable support as the moveable support moves from a first position to a second position using an image capture device; determining whether a first fiducial machine-readable mark on the moveable support is in the first image; determining, when the first fiducial machine-readable mark is in the first image, whether a first machine-readable mark on a first object coupled to the moveable support is in the first image at a predetermined position relative to the first fiducial machine-readable mark; and associating information decoded from the first machine-readable mark on the first object with a first location on the moveable support associated with the first fiducial machine-readable mark.

A diagnostic and treatment assembly, configured to diagnose and treat cellular disease. The diagnostic and treatment assembly has a radio wave generator communicatively coupled to a carrier modulator and a radio wave amplifier. An impedance matching system is electrically coupled to the radio wave amplifier. A reflected wave sensor is electrically coupled to the impedance matching system. A radiator applicator is electrically coupled to the reflected wave sensor. A vector impedance analyzer is electrically coupled to the radio wave amplifier. An information collector data network is electrically coupled to the vector impedance analyzer. A data logger is communicatively coupled to the carrier modulator, the vector impedance analyzer, and the reflected wave sensor. The diagnostic and treatment assembly operates in a low-power mode to diagnose a cellular disease and in a high-power mode to treat the cellular disease.

An organizing rack for pooled testing of test samples, as well as a kit for the same, and methods of their use are disclosed. Organizing racks may be used to assist with the creation and testing of specifically organized test sample pools which may be used to minimize the number of tests required to screen a plurality of test samples. Multiple organizing racks may be used in a matrix-based fashion to further reduce the number of tests required to screen a large number of test samples.

A specimen holder includes a body, a sleeve, and a wireless transponder. The body has distal and proximal portions, the distal portion including a surface that carries a specimen upon engagement of the body with the specimen, and the proximal portion including a first pair of parallel surfaces. The sleeve has distal and proximal portions, a side wall, and an internal cavity at least partially enclosed by the side wall. The distal portion of the sleeve includes a second pair of parallel surfaces. The wireless transponder is sized to be positioned within the internal cavity of the sleeve. The sleeve is attachable to the body by capturing one of the first and second pairs of parallel surfaces between the other of the first and second pairs of parallel surfaces.

A biological reaction apparatus for receiving at least one substrate having a sample located in a sample region, and a separate cover, such that a reaction chamber is formed between the cover and substrate over the sample region, wherein the apparatus includes a locating means to locate the substrate; a cover locating means for locating and moving the cover with respect to the substrate; a fluid dispensing means for dispensing fluid into the reaction chamber; and a draining mechanism; wherein the draining mechanism includes wicking means.

A test strip and analytical apparatus have pin connections permitting the definition of geographic regions or of particular customers. A test strip made for use in a particular region or for a particular customer will have pin connections matching features of the apparatus made for use in that region or by that customer. Insertion of the strip into the apparatus does not merely turn on the apparatus, but provides the regional or customer coding. Analog switches within the apparatus allow coding of a larger number of distinct regions or customers than would otherwise be possible, all without degrading the quality of the measurements made of the fluid being tested. Conductive paths in the strips permit testing the strips during manufacture so as to detect quality lapses regarding the printing or deposition of the paths.

A sample identification system for an automated sampling device is described. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a sample holder having a plurality of apertures configured to receive a plurality of sample vessels therein, the sample holder having one or more corresponding sample holder identifiers positioned proximate to the sample holder; and an identifier capture device configured to detect the one or more sample holder identifiers positioned proximate to the sample holder and generate a data signal in response thereto, the data signal corresponding to at least an orientation of the sample holder relative to a surface on which the sample holder is positioned.

The capillary blood pipette tip system of the present invention includes a pipette tip for collecting capillary blood including a sampling unit having a capillary tube having a first diameter so as to sample a capillary blood; a sample storage unit having a first extension end formed from a distal end of the capillary tube of the sampling unit so as to have a larger area than the sampling unit; a sealing unit closely adhered to a distal opening of the sample storage unit and broken by a quantitative syringe introduced from the outside; a shielding wall surrounding the sealing unit to prevent the sample from splashing from the sample storage unit to the outside when the sealing unit is broken by the quantitative syringe; and a handle unit which is held by a user to sample using the sampling unit; an immunoassay cartridge having at least one pipette tip mounting well having a plunger that presses a sample of a sampling unit of the pipette tip from the bottom to the top when the pipette tip is coupled to the top; and a quantitative syringe for quantitatively sampling the capillary blood collected in the upper part thereof by approaching through the upper part of the pipette tip, when the capillary blood from the sampling unit is collected in the upper part by the pressurization of the plunger during the coupling of the pipette tip to the immunoassay cartridge.

An analytic plate or other substrate having a permanent etchable, laserable, and/or developable marking surface coating (referred to herein as an “etchable coating” or as a “developable coating”) that is present on at least a portion of any side or surface thereof and is used to deposit a permanent indicium thereon, and a method of using the analytic plate or substrate.