A centrifuge for cleaning a reaction vessel unit, having a rotor for holding at least one reaction vessel unit with its opening(s) directed outwardly, a motor for rotating the rotor around a rotation axis, and a loading mechanism with a beam for loading and unloading the centrifuge with the at least one reaction vessel unit.

A centrifuge for cleaning a reaction vessel unit, having a rotor for holding at least one reaction vessel unit with its opening(s) directed outwardly, a motor for rotating the rotor around a rotation axis, a housing having a substantially cylindrical inner surface, wherein a drain is provided for discharging fluid expelled from the reaction vessel unit, wherein a gap is provided between the inner surface and the rotor so that by rotating the rotor a wind is generated which drives the expelled fluid on the inner surface to the drain wherein an aspiration pump is connected to the drain for discharging fluid.

An umbilicus-driven centrifuge includes a yoke configured to orbit a midsection of the umbilicus around a rotational axis at a first speed so as to cause a separation chamber associated with the umbilicus to rotate about the rotational axis at a second speed that is approximately double the first speed. An optical monitoring system directly monitors the separation chamber, with a light source oriented to emit light toward the separation chamber and a light detector oriented to receive at least a portion of the light after the light has passed through the separation chamber. A controller receives a plurality of signals from the light detector, then compares the period or frequency of the signals to an expected period or frequency. The controller determines that the umbilicus is experiencing an irregularity when the period or frequency is different from the expected period or frequency.

A centrifuge for cleaning a reaction vessel unit, having a rotor for holding at least one reaction vessel unit with its opening(s) directed outwardly, a motor for rotating the rotor around a rotation axis, a housing having a substantially cylindrical inner surface, wherein a drain is provided for discharging fluid expelled from the reaction vessel unit, wherein a gap is provided between the inner surface and the rotor so that by rotating the rotor a wind is generated which drives the expelled fluid on the inner surface to the drain wherein an aspiration pump is connected to the drain for discharging fluid.

A sample holder for use in a centrifuge, the sample holder being generally planar and comprising: an aperture or recess for releasably retaining a sample storage member including a sample chamber adapted to contain a volume of liquid; a centre point around which the holder will rotate during use; and one or more calibration features, wherein the calibration feature(s) comprise one or more outer edges, which lie on the side of the or each calibration feature which is furthest from the centre point, and the one or more outer edges comprise a series of radially spaced-apart outer edge portions or positions which are spaced at different distances from the centre point as a function of angular position around the centre point.

Provided is a technique for reducing false positives and false negatives in a microbial test. A centrifugal filtration cartridge of the present disclosure includes: a filter cup including a filter that captures a microorganism and a nozzle that discharges a liquid that has passed through the filter; and a contamination prevention box connectable to the filter cup and internally storing a measurement container configured to store the liquid discharged from the nozzle. The contamination prevention box includes a partition wall disposed between the filter cup and an opening surface of the measurement container. The partition wall has an opening through which the nozzle can pass. The nozzle has a length in which a tip of the nozzle is located below a lower end of the opening and enters inside of the measurement container when the contamination prevention box is connected to the filter cup.

A centrifugal separation container which is revolved around a rotation axis, includes: a separation part which includes a distal region which is disposed on a distal side than a liquid-to-be-treated supply port and a proximal region which is disposed on a proximal side than the liquid-to-be-treated supply port, with respect to the rotation axis, and in which a liquid-to-be-treated discharge port is provided in the proximal region; and a recovery part which is disposed on a distal side than the distal region with respect to the rotation axis, communicates with a distal end portion of the distal region through a communication path, and is filled with a recovery liquid for dispersing dispersoids that are to be centrifuged in a liquid to be treated.

Provided herein is a method and a system for separating suspended particles that have differing sedimentation velocities, comprising placing the particles inside a hollow device which upon rotation, spins the suspension into a thick film within which sedimentation of the particles occurs, rotating the hollow device at a speed and for a time that allows fast-sedimenting particles to sediment into a layer of more densely packed particles while some of the slow-sedimenting particles remain outside of the dense-particle-pack, and slowing the rotation of the hollow device in a manner to prevent remixing of the layer of dense-particle-pack with a layer containing some of the slow-sedimenting particles. This method may have application in many technologies including the rapid separation of bacteria from blood components.

The disclosure describes methods and devices with which to process and analyze difficult chemical, biological, environmental samples including but not limited to those containing bulk solids or particulates. The disclosure includes a cartridge which contains a separation tube as well as one or more valves and cavities for receiving raw sample materials and for directing and containing various fluids or samples. The cartridge may contain a separation fluid or density medium of defined density, and structures which direct particulates toward defined regions of the cartridge. Embodiments can include a rotational device for rotating the cartridge at defined rotational rates for defined time intervals. Embodiments allowing multiple assays from a single sample are also disclosed. In some embodiments, this device is used for direct processing and chemical analysis of food, soil, blood, stool, motor oil, semen, and other samples of interest.

A cell washer is disclosed. The cell washer includes a vessel configured to hold cells. The vessel includes an elongated body including an opening, an inner surface, and a pocket defined by a first inner surface portion of the inner surface disposed between and radially outward relative to a second inner surface portion and a third inner surface portion of the inner surface, and a cavity. The vessel also includes an actuating device capable of causing the vessel to spin about an axis.