A method of characterizing a serum or plasma portion of a specimen in a specimen container provides a fine-grained HILN index (hemolysis, icterus, lipemia, normal) of the serum or plasma portion of the specimen, wherein the H, I, and L classes may each have five to seven sub-classes. The HILN index may also have one un-centrifuged class. Pixel data of an input image of the specimen container may be processed by a deep semantic segmentation network having, in some embodiments, more than 100 layers. A small front-end container segmentation network may be used to determine a container type and boundary, which may additionally be input to the deep semantic segmentation network. A discriminative network may be used to train the deep semantic segmentation network to generate a homogeneously structured output. Quality check modules and testing apparatus configured to carry out the method are also described, as are other aspects.

A puck for removably supporting a receptacle. The puck includes a plurality of fingers arranged about a vertical axis, where each finger has a contact surface configured to be in contact with a receptacle seated in the puck. One or more springs couple the plurality of fingers, thereby biasing the fingers toward the vertical axis. The puck further includes a supporting disc having (i) a disc sidewall projecting from a base to define a pocket for seating a receptacle, (ii) a plurality of first cavities formed in the base and extending in a direction of the vertical axis, and (iii) a puck passageway extending through opposed portions of the disc sidewall in a direction transverse to and offset from the vertical axis, where each of the fingers is rotatably coupled to the supporting disc at a corresponding first cavity of the plurality of first cavities. A synchronization disc is positioned in the pocket of the supporting disc, where each of the fingers is coupled to the synchronization disc such that the contact surfaces of the fingers move toward and away from the vertical axis in a synchronous manner. The puck additionally includes a retaining ring coupling the plurality of fingers, the supporting disc, and the synchronization disc together.

The disclosure relates to a medical container including a first RFID tag on and/or within the medical container. The first RFID tag being operable in a first frequency band and being configured for storing a unique identifier of the medical container; and at least one of (i) a second RFID tag on and/or within the medical container, the second RFID tag being operable in a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band and being configured for storing the unique identifier of the medical container; and (ii) an optical mark on and/or within the medical container, the optical mark encoding the unique identifier of the medical container.

A system is disclosed for tracking and monitoring sets of assets in or on a container using RFID-RF tags associated with the assets. The system comprises a specimen holder bin or similar container and a wireless tag affixed to the specimen holder bin. The specimen bin holder is configured to hold a plurality of assets. The wireless tag comprises a radio frequency identifier (RFID) circuit, a radio frequency (RF) circuit, a processor, a memory storing an identifier (ID) associated with the RFID circuit, and an energy source electrically connected to the RFID circuit, the RF circuit, and the processor. The wireless tag is configured to broadcast the identifier associated with the RFID circuit responsive to an interrogation signal by one or more gateways associated with the system. In some embodiments, each asset of the plurality of assets additionally comprises an RFID tag.

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 method of performing a lab developed test for detecting a nucleic acid analyte on an automated analyzer. The method includes a first step of using a computer to select, define or modify one or more user-defined parameters of a protocol for performing the lab developed test on the analyzer, where each user-defined parameter of the protocol defines a step to be performed by the analyzer during the lab developed test. The method further includes a second step of performing the lab developed test with the protocol of the first step, where the analyzer stores one or more system-defined parameters for performing the lab developed test, the one or more system-defined parameters being installed on the analyzer prior to performing first step.

A receptacle delivery system that includes a rail extending between first and second locations of an instrument and a carriage configured to move on the rail between the first and second locations of the instrument. The carriage includes a bracket having opposed first and second sidewalls and a base extending between the first and second sidewalls, where the carriage is configured to support a receptacle. The carriage further includes a pair of opposed support pads, where the pair of support pads are configured to (a) move toward a receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the first location toward the second location, and (b) move away from a receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the second location toward the first location. The carriage also includes a pair of meshed cam gears rotatably coupled to the first sidewall, where each cam gear is coupled to a different one of the support pads.

A biological sample containment system and a label for a container that includes a first layer having a first readable information portion and a second layer removably attached to the first layer, the second layer having a second readable information portion, is disclosed. In one embodiment, the first layer and the second layer of the label are both formed of a thermosensitive material. In one embodiment, at least a part of the first readable information portion is identical to at least a part of the second readable information portion. The label of the present disclosure allows a portion of the label having readable information to be removed and adhered to a patient record, for example, while a portion of the label having identical readable information remains on the container.

A clinical laboratory test apparatus of a health care information system includes a reading section that reads an optically readable code array, an extraction section that extracts, from a plurality of the code arrays read by the reading section, a rule that is common between the plurality of code arrays, a storage section that stores the rule extracted by the extraction section, and a determination section that determines authenticity of each of the code arrays read by the reading section based on the rule stored in the storage section. In testing a sample, in a case where it is determined by the determination section that the code array read by the reading section is true, the test is executed, and in a case where it is determined that the code array is false, the execution of the test is suspended.

This document provides devices and methods for monitoring and maintenance of the temperature of medical reservoirs and boxes in a secure fashion that enables for documentation of a chain of custody and history of temperature while in storage or transit. For example, this document provides devices and methods for monitoring the temperature of blood in phlebotomy tubes or boxes of biological products. In some embodiments of the devices and methods, the temperature of the contents of the medical reservoirs are regulated, modulated, and/or maintained by the devices provided herein.