The present disclosure relates to a medical diagnostic system. In various embodiments, the system includes a housing, a first receptacle in the housing for receiving a reagent container, a second receptacle in the housing for receiving a working fluid and waste container, where the second receptacle is larger than the first receptacle, two reagent access needles positioned and fixed within the first receptacle with each of the two reagent access needles being substantially horizontal to horizontally access the reagent container, and a working fluid access needle and a waste access needle positioned and fixed within the second receptacle with the working fluid access needle and the waste access needle being substantially horizontal to horizontally access the working fluid and waste container.

A system and method of fluid delivery for providing a surface fluid pattern. The system includes a fluid delivery head for fluid flow therethrough. The fluid delivery head includes a fluid delivery surface having surface openings defined therein and arranged across the fluid delivery surface as a two-dimensional display. Some of the surface openings are grouped as a surface opening unit. The surface opening unit includes at least one aspiration opening through which fluid can be provided to the fluid delivery surface and at least one injection opening through which fluid can be moved away from the fluid delivery surface. The surface opening unit includes at least three surface openings positioned as a two-dimensional display and outwardly of at least one other surface opening.

The invention relates to a method for dispensing a liquid sample by means of a dispensing apparatus in which it is determined whether a particle condition is satisfied, wherein the determination comprises checking whether at least one target particle present in a liquid of the liquid sample is contained in a monitoring region of the dispensing apparatus, wherein the monitoring region comprises a discharge region and a buffer region, wherein the buffer region is a region from which the at least one target particle is movable into the discharge region during a time delay between the determination of whether the particle condition is satisfied and an output operation of the dispensing apparatus. The method is characterised in that it is determined that the particle condition is satisfied when the at least one target particle is arranged in the buffer region and no target particle is arranged in the discharge region, and that the liquid sample is dispensed onto a target particle carrier if the particle condition is satisfied.

A device (100) having a proximal end (20) and end a distal end (40) for withdrawal of a liquid sample, fractionation, and separation of one or more fractions comprising: a piston assembly (300) comprising a piston (302) dismountably attached at its proximal end (20) to an actuating rod (350); a container (200) having a body (202) disposed with a cylindrical chamber (204) for slidable movement of the piston (302) therein; wherein the cylindrical chamber (204) is provided at the distal end (40) with a resealable septum (410) for co-operation with a puncture needle assembly (600) for withdrawal of the liquid sample, an at the proximal end (20) with a stop member (206), which stop member (206) limits movement of the piston (300) in a proximal direction, wherein the container body (202) is dimensioned to fit inside a centrifuge rotor, and is configured for breakability into two parts at a temperature of 0 deg C. or lower at a breakable zone (210).

A method for mixing liquids using an automated liquid handling system includes: aspirating liquid volumes of a first liquid and a second liquid from alternating ones of a first liquid supply and a second liquid supply into a mixing volume such that the aspirated liquid volumes form a liquid stack including a series of alternating, interfacing layers of the first and second liquids in the mixing volume; permitting the interfacing layers of the first and second liquids to mix with one another by diffusion in the mixing volume to form a mixture liquid; and dispensing the mixture liquid from the mixing volume.

A method and apparatus for controlling and visually, audibly, and tactilely communicating the administration of discrete unit doses of material dispensed from a dropper through use of a modified plunger having a geometric profile corresponding to a unit dose. This profile engages with the dropper interior in a manner that creates audio, visual, and tactile cues as each unit dose is administered. The profile may take the form of peaks and valleys or teeth. Alternatively, the plunger profile may be threaded and may include a channel along the plunger's longitudinal axis.

A fluidic device (10) is described. The fluidic device (10) comprises the first part (110) and the second part (120). The first part (110) comprises a first inlet (111) and a first outlet (112), mutually spaced apart. The second part (120) comprises a first chamber (121) arranged to contain a predetermined first amount A1 of a first fluid F1 therein and a first wall portion (122) arranged to contain, at least in part, the first fluid F1 in the first chamber (121). The fluidic device (10) is arrangeable in a first configuration, wherein the first part (110) is fluidically isolated from the first chamber (121). The fluidic device (10) is arrangeable in a second configuration, wherein the first inlet (111) and the first outlet (112) are fluidically coupled via the first chamber (121), whereby increasing a first pressure P1 in the first chamber (121) via the first inlet (111) urges at least a part of the predetermined first amount A1 of the first fluid F1 through the first outlet (112).

A liquid discharging device to be used with a liquid dispensing apparatus includes a discharging portion configured to discharge a liquid based on a control signal from the liquid dispensing apparatus on which the liquid discharging device is mounted, and a sheet material having a characteristic configured to be changed by the liquid dispensing apparatus after a discharge of the liquid by the discharging portion.

A mobile phase supply device, for supplying a mobile phase for a sample separation apparatus for separating a fluidic sample, includes a fluidically normally closed cap device configured to be mounted on a mobile phase container containing a mobile phase, and a fluidically normally closed port device configured for being mechanically connected with the cap device in such a way that, upon establishing a mechanical connection between the port device and the cap device, both the port device and the cap device are converted into a fluidically opened configuration.

An automatic liquid transfer optimization pipetting apparatus and method is disclosed. Namely, a liquid handling apparatus includes a pump supplying a nozzle (i.e., a pipette tip) via a conduit, one or more pressure sensors, and an electronic controller, and wherein the pipette tip is submerged in a liquid. Further, a method of automatic liquid transfer optimization pipetting includes the steps of actuating the pump to move a designated volume of liquid and then allowing the system to settle to a steady state after completion of pump actuation.