The disclosed apparatus, systems and methods relate to sample preparation and shipping technologies in a single shippable container. The shipping container contains a single use centrifuge. The centrifuge can be temperature controlled and meets all standards and regulations for the shipping and transport of biological specimens.

A device for use in a laboratory and operable as both a centrifuge and a magnetic stirrer includes a housing defining a cavity therein, a motor coupled to the housing, and a spindle driven by the motor and rotatable about a first axis. The device also includes a first rotor removably couplable to the spindle and configured to support at least one tube therein, and a second rotor removably couplable to the spindle and including at least one magnet. The device also includes a controller in communication with the motor and operable in a first mode of operation when the first rotor is coupled to the spindle and operable in a second mode of operation when the second rotor is coupled to the spindle.

A pretreatment apparatus includes a sample dispensing part 240, a reagent dispensing part 280 for dispensing a labeling reagent, a first process part 210 having a centrifuge device for performing a centrifugation process, a second process part 220, and a control part for distributing the dispensing destination of the sample to either the first sample container 217 or the second sample container 227 according to whether centrifugation process is required for the sample.

Multi-component separation devices configured to separate components of a liquid sample by centrifugation are provided. Aspects of the separation devices include a container having a distal end and a proximal end and a buoy configured to be displaced along a longitudinal axis within the container where the buoy includes one or more sealed chambers. Also provided are methods of using the subject devices to separate components of a multi-component liquid sample such as whole blood, bone marrow aspirate or stromal vascular fraction as well as systems suitable for practicing the subject methods.

An automated on-touch template bead preparation system is provided and includes a membrane-based emulsion generation subsystems, an emulsion PCR (ePCR) thermocycling plate and subsystem, and a continuous centrifugation emulsion breaking and templated bead collection subsystem. The emulsion generation subsystem provides uniformity in the preparation of an inverse emulsion and may be used to create large or small volume inverse emulsions rapidly and reproducibly. An emulsion-generating device is provided that can supply a continuous stream of an inverse emulsion to a thermocycling subsystem, in automated fashion. The ePCR subsystem can continuously thermocycle an inverse emulsion passed therethrough and includes static temperature zones and a consumable thermocycling plate. The continuous centrifugation subsystem can continuously break a thermally cycled inverse emulsion and collect template beads formed in the aqueous microreactor droplets of the inverse emulsion.

A tri-axial centrifuge apparatus for testing of petro-physical properties of a test sample includes a tri-axial sample holder located within an inner bore of a cell body. An axial pressure fluid supply line delivers an axial pressure fluid to apply an axial pressure on the test sample. A confining pressure fluid supply line delivers a confining pressure fluid to apply a biaxial confining pressure on the test sample. A test fluid holder contains test fluid and is static relative to the cell body. The axial pressure fluid, the confining pressure fluid, and the test fluid are contained in separate flow systems. A centrifuge has a window that is located on a portion of a path of the tri-axial sample holder. The tri-axial sample holder is loaded in the centrifuge and spinning with the centrifuge. An x-ray instrument is static and is aligned with the window of the centrifuge.

The present claimed invention is to facilitate cleaning work of a cell for a particle size distribution measuring device that measures a particle size distribution by means of a line start method, and comprises a cell 2 that houses a density gradient solution, a cell rotating mechanism 3 that rotates the cell 2 so that a centrifugal force is applied to the cell 2 from a smaller density gradient to a larger density gradient and a sample introducing mechanism 7 that introduces a measurement sample into the cell 2 that is rotated by the cell rotating mechanism 3, and is so configured that the cell 2 is detachable from a main body of the device.

A support structure for a rotation driving system having a ball balancer includes: a motor having a rotational shaft coupled to a rotational shaft of a rotor; the ball balancer provided on the rotor to reduce oscillating motion of the rotor; and a support part for coupling the motor to a housing, wherein the motor is coupled to the housing via an elastic member on a line in one direction (x-axis) perpendicular to an axial direction (z-axis) of the rotational shaft of the motor, and the motor is allowed to swing about the x-axis due to elastic deformation of the elastic member.

The invention provides a sequential centrifuge for centrifuging discrete samples. Methods of more efficiently centrifuging discrete samples sequentially are also provided. The apparatus and methods for sequentially centrifuging discrete samples provide improved operating efficiencies over conventional batch centrifuges. Such advantages include reducing dwell time, increasing system throughput, reducing sample processing system footprint, and improving precision of the analytical process. The sequential centrifuge further provides the capability of handling critical samples without compromising the operating efficiencies achieved in centrifuging discrete samples in a sequential manner.

The invention relates to an arrangement (10) for preparing a plurality of samples for an analytical method, comprising a carousel (14) with a solid housing (12) and moveable receiving parts (16) for the sample containers (18); a control for controlling the receiving parts (16) in the carousel (14); and a sample receiving device (24) for providing the sample to be analysed; one or more stations (24, 26, 28, 30, 32) for preparing samples are provided on the carousel (14), the receiving parts (16) for the sample containers (18) of the carousel (14) can be positioned on said stations; a centrifuge (22) with pairs of opposite lying receiving parts (42) provided for the sample containers (18), and said receiving parts (42) are arranged such that they can move on the centrifuge (22) and the movements can be controlled in such a manner that the sample holder (18) can be transferred between a receiving part (16) in the carousel (14) and a receiving part (42) in the centrifuge (22).