A loading apparatus and system is adapted to load unprocessed sample containers in a centrifuge and provide improved balance thereof. The apparatus has a staging platform containing at least two bucket inserts, a weight scale operable to determine a combined weight of each of the bucket inserts, a centrifuge configured to receive the bucket inserts as pairs, a robot operable to insert an unprocessed sample container into the bucket inserts, and a controller operable to command the robot to carry out placement of the unprocessed sample container into a highest priority empty receptacle of a lowest combined weight bucket insert. Methods of operating the system are provided.

A loading and unloading system loads/unloads a sample processor (e.g., a centrifuge). The system includes a staging area containing inserts, at least one being a common insert, the sample processor having locations receiving inserts containing unprocessed sample containers, one or more robots operable to move unprocessed and processed sample containers to and from the common insert as well as move the inserts between the staging area and the sample processor, and a controller commanding the one or more robots to carry out a sample container movement sequence to load and unload unprocessed and processed sample containers to and from the common insert at the staging area, wherein the common bucket insert contains both processed and unprocessed sample containers at a same time. Methods of operating the system are provided.

A system for obtaining plasma enriched in platelets is disclosed which is closed to the atmosphere. The system includes: a collection tube containing an anticoagulant portion and a separation gel; a first collection syringe adapted to collect a portion of fluid relatively depleted in platelets from said collection tube after centrifugation; and a second collection syringe adapted to collect plasma enriched in platelets from said collection tube after centrifugation, said second collection syringe further comprising a filter unit adapted to filter cells included in said plasma enriched in platelets.

A method is directed to separating contaminants from mammalian cells in an aqueous multiphase system, and includes loading a container with a liquid having a top liquid phase and a bottom liquid phase. A cover medium is inserted in the container with a mixture of cultured mammalian cells and contaminants. The container is incubated and centrifuged for respective periods of time. In response to the centrifuging, the cells are separated from the contaminants in accordance with the respective density of the cells, the contaminants, and each liquid phase, resulting in the cells being located at a liquid-to-liquid interface between the top liquid phase and the bottom liquid phase and the contaminants being located at the bottom of the container.

Provided herein are materials and methods relating to cell-free DNA. In particular, the technology relates to methods and materials for the preparation and handling of blood samples for future use in applications involving cell-free DNA.

A centrifuge includes a bucket and a swing rotor. The swing rotor includes a through hole penetrating from an upper to a lower side in an axial direction of the swing rotor and a notch formed in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the through hole and formed on a radial outer side of the swing rotor. The bucket includes a container. A flange having a seating surface seated in the notch during swinging is formed near the opening of the container, chamfering is performed in parallel on opposing outer surfaces of the container on a bottom side of the container with respect to the seating surface, a cross-section shape of the holding hole inside the container is formed to be elliptical, and a short axis direction of the cross section is arranged parallel to a swing rotation axis direction.

The invention relates to a system and method for obtaining a cellular fraction enriched with defined cells effective in promoting a defined cellular response from an in vivo cellular sample. The system is closable to the atmosphere, and includes a cell suspension collection tube containing gel and anticoagulant, adapted such that, when containing cell suspension and centrifuged after treatment the collection tube yields separation fractions, a first fraction comprising cellular fluid, a second fraction comprising gel layer, a third fraction comprising enriched cellular portion on top of the gel layer and a fourth fraction comprising a cell poor portion. The cell poor portion may be extracted and discarded prior to extracting the enriched cellular portion.

Adapter for inserting a sample container in a centrifuge bucket, comprising a bucket-like base body, which delimits a cavity for accommodating the sample container and has a bottom region and an adjoining side wall region, the top edge of which defines an opening edge of the cavity, and an insertion opening, through which the sample container can be inserted in the cavity and which is delimited by the opening edge, at least one separation joint being present in the side wall region of the base body, which separation joint extends from the opening edge in the direction towards the bottom region and which allows for expanding the side wall region from a starting position (P1) to an expanded position (P2) by applying a force in such a way that the opening edge has a larger circumference as compared to the starting position (P1). The side wall area has two edge regions separated from each other by the separation joint, which at least in the starting position (P1) lie one above the other radially and overlap in the circumferential direction (U), thus forming an overlap region.

A centrifuge (1) includes: a motor (4) having a rotor (3); an imaging system (2) torsionally connected to the rotor; a sample holder torsionally connected to the imaging system; and a light source (7) for illuminating the sample holder. The imaging system includes: a image sensor in optical communication with the sample holder; and a data link for transmitting image data. A centrifuge test includes: spinning a reservoir core sample in a sample holder of a rotor, wherein an imaging system is torsionally connected to the rotor; and collecting image data of the sample holder with the imaging system while spinning.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of centrifuging a mixture using a syringe which has a nozzle at one end, comprises the steps of taking the mixture in the syringe, first centrifuging the mixture in the syringe, discharging one part of the mixture which is adjacent to the nozzle after the first centrifuging, second centrifuging the mixture in the syringe after reversing the syringe, and discharging another part of the mixture which is adjacent to the nozzle after the second centrifuging.