The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for making and using a support (e.g., a sample slide) for sample analysis. The present disclosure also provides compositions, methods, and systems for processing a sample on the support for use in nucleic acid sequence detection.

A histologic tissue sample support device includes a tissue cassette a frame, and a lid. The tissue cassette has a recess including a body with at least one side wall and a bottom wall and is formed of material that can be successfully sectioned in a microtome and is resistant to degradation from solvents and chemicals used to fix, process and stain tissue. The tissue cassette is movably coupled to the frame. The lid is separably coupled to a peripheral portion of the frame. When the lid is separated from the peripheral portion, the lid and the tissue cassette are capable of moving from a first position to a second position with respect to the frame, and in the second position the bottom wall and at least a portion of the side wall extend beyond a bottom edge of the frame for sectioning in the microtome.

The invention provides multi-function instruments for automatically and simultaneously carrying out a variety of tests including identification of targets in specimens and antimicrobial susceptibility testing thereof. Application-specific cartridges are pre-loaded with all required reagents and allow for tests to be performed in a single testing device with no specimen preparation to, for example, rapidly detect infections, identify infectious pathogens, and analyze their susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents. Instruments include various stations for carrying out test steps that can be randomly accessed in any order dictated by the computer-controlled instrument. A carousel stores and incubates cartridges and, with a mechanical conveyor arm, transfers the cartridges between the required stations to carry out the tests. A plurality of different tests may be performed on a plurality of targets within an instrument, and the plurality of targets may be disposed in a single cartridge.

In a general aspect, a sample is collected using a biological sampling apparatus. The biological sampling apparatus includes a shell having a closed end and an open end. The biological sampling apparatus also includes a harvesting tool comprising a shaft and a head. The shaft terminates in the head. The biological sampling apparatus additionally includes a translator configured to move the harvesting tool through the open end between a retracted position, where the head resides in the shell, and an extended position, where the head and at least a portion of the shaft reside outside the shell. A sealing member resides at the open end. The sealing member is configured to contact a subject surface and to create an enclosed sampling volume when collecting a specimen.

A sample analysis substrate capable of holding a plurality of liquids. The sample analysis substrate has a microchannel structure for transferring a liquid through rotary motion, the sample analysis substrate including: a substrate body having a rotation axis; a first and a second container holding a first and a second liquid therein; a first and a second accommodating section accommodating the first and the second container; and a cap having a first and second projection and movably supported on the substrate body. As the cap moves, the first drive projection and the second drive projection move the first container and the second container with staggered timing, thereby releasing the first and the second liquid accommodated therein.

A fluidic interconnect includes a first interface including a liquid port, a gas port, and a cradle; a second interface including a liquid port, a gas port, and a swing bar to engage the cradle, a weight of a container attached to one of the first or second interfaces to drive the liquid port of the first interface into connection with the liquid port of the second interface and the gas port of the first interface into connection with the gas port of the second interface.

The disclosure provides example rinse station apparatus, cartridges, and methods for flow cytometry. The rinse station apparatus includes: (a) a cartridge docking station having a base with a recessed receptacle for a cartridge, a vertical support coupled to the base's first end and a top support coupled to the vertical support and cantilevered over the base, the top support has an opening that aligns with the cartridge's opening, (b) a locking arm coupled to the base's second end, the locking arm's free end has a ridge to cooperate with a detent coupled to the cartridge's rear wall to retain the cartridge in place, (c) a spring coupled to the vertical support's front face to apply force to the cartridge's front wall to bias the cartridge toward the locking arm, and (d) a load cell coupled to the base of the cartridge docking station, the load cell measure's the cartridge's weight.

An automated analyzer includes a container installation portion in which a container, such as a reagent container, has a protrusion and an openable and closable lid. A lid opening and closing mechanism opens and closes the lid and includes an arm portion having an arm and a horizontal driving portion which moves the arm in a first horizontal direction. The arm includes a protrusion contacting portion that includes a first surface having an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees when the horizontal surface is set as 0 degrees. The lid opening and closing mechanism portion opens the lid by moving the arm in the first horizontal direction, contacting the lid protrusion on the first surface of the protrusion contacting portion, and then moving the lid protrusion along a shape of the first surface in a vertical direction, until the lid is opened.

The present invention relates to a method and a system (400) for filling a closed container (200) with a fixative solution. The system comprises a container (200) comprising a container body (230) for receiving a biological specimen, a lid (220) for selectively closing the container body (230) and a port (100) forming a unidirectional barrier in a direction from the inside (IC) to the outside (OC) of the closed container (200). The system further comprises a dispensing apparatus (500) having a filling nozzle (300) for dispensing the fixative solution. The filling nozzle (300) is relatively moveable with respect to the container (200) between a retracted position and a filling position to fill the container (200) with the fixative solution.

A Reagent container cap (116) is adapted to being mounted to a reagent container and to being adjustable, at least after an initial opening of the cap (116), between an opened state and a closed state, wherein the reagent container cap (116) defines a cap interior space (109) and has a cap opening (116o) allowing access to the cap interior space (109) from above when the cap (116) is in the opened state; and wherein, in the closed state of the cap (116), the cap interior space (109) is open only towards a bottom side (116b), wherein the reagent container cap (116) comprises a main portion (116m) and an insert portion (116i) that are fixedly connected to each other and made from different materials, wherein, when the cap (116) is in the closed state, the cap interior space (109) comprises a region (109t) which is delimited circumferentially and towards the upper side of this region completely and exclusively by surfaces of the insert portion (116i).