A permanent-magnet piston subassembly (10) for a pipetting apparatus, the piston subassembly (10) extending along a piston axis (K) and comprising a plurality of permanent-magnet arrangements (14a to 14m) that are arranged one behind another along the piston axis (K) with alternatingly opposite polarization directions in such a way that for each two permanent-magnet arrangements (14i, 14j) directly successive along the piston axis, it is the case that magnetic poles located closest to one another along the piston axis (K), of different successive permanent-magnetic arrangements (14a to 14m), are like poles, is characterized in that the piston subassembly (10) encompasses a sheath tube (12), extending along the piston axis (K) constituting a tube axis (H), in which the plurality of permanent-magnet arrangements (14a to 14m) are received.

A cover assembly may include a tray assembly frame, a first cover supported by the tray assembly frame, the first cover extending in a first plane and defining one or more first openings; a second cover supported by the tray assembly frame, the second cover extending in a second plane and defining one or more second openings, wherein the first and second planes are different planes, and wherein the second cover is disposed above the first cover. The cover assembly may include one or more tray holders, each tray holder being configured to hold at least one tray in an upright orientation, wherein each tray holder is moveable between an open position and a closed position, the tray holders being accessible for loading or removing the trays in the open position, and the tray holders being positioned beneath the first and second covers in the closed position.

An electronic pipette comprising a piston actuated in a cylinder by a motor, a control system for carrying out pipette operations, and a user interface for operating the pipette, wherein the user interface comprises at least one touch screen for operating the pipetting operations of the pipette, which touch screen comprises at least one touching or pressing area for operating the pipetting operations of the pipette. The invention also relates to a method for operating an electronic pipette and a use of a touch screen as a part of a user interface of an electronic pipette for operating the pipetting operations of the pipette.

A pipette device comprises a pipette channel filled with compressible working gas, a pipette piston movable along the pipette path, a piston drive, which drives the pipette piston, a control device, a data memory connected to the control device for signal transmission, a pressure sensor which detects the pressure of the working gas and which is connected to the control device, a position sensor which detects a position of the pipette piston and which is connected to the control device. The control device is designed to determine a quality of a dispensing sequence on the basis of a target residual quantity value, which represents the target residual quantity of dosing liquid remaining in the pipette channel, of a working gas pressure and of an end position of the pipette piston, in each case after the end of the dispensing sequence, and to output the determined quality.

A multiple-antenna positioning system with a single drive element, providing reduced weight and complexity over systems that have a drive element for each antenna. In certain examples, each antenna can be coupled with a rotating spindle, with each antenna spindle being coupled with a pair of link arms. By driving a single drive spindle, each of the antenna spindles in the system can be rotated by the associated pair of link arms. The link arms can have an adjustable length, such as through a turnbuckle mechanism, to reduce backlash in the system, and in some examples can apply a preload to the system. By reducing backlash, the multiple antenna positioning system can have improved responsiveness to a rotation of the single drive element, as well as improved stability of the positioning of each antenna when the drive element is held in a fixed position.

A carrier strip having a plurality of areas for retaining anatomical pathology specimens may have a backing, a cover coupled to the backing along side regions located along opposite longitudinal edges of the carrier strip and along lateral intermediate regions positioned between each of the plurality of areas for retaining anatomical pathology specimens. The carrier strip may be configured to individually retain each of the anatomical pathology specimens in one of the plurality of areas for retaining anatomical pathology specimens between the backing and the cover. Diagnostic studies of anatomical pathology specimens may be facilitated by distributing a digital copy of an image of the specimen may be to a pathologist. A diagnosis may be received from the pathologist based on the digital image of the specimen.

A pipette for sampling an extended range of volumes of liquid includes a fixed pipette body. An operating rod is movable in translation relative to the pipette body, along a longitudinal axis of the pipette. The pipette includes a suction chamber and a set of N concentric pistons, wherein N corresponds to an integer greater than or equal to 2. Each of the pistons contributes to delimiting the suction chamber. A coupling module couples the operating rod with the set of N concentric pistons. The module is configured in such a way as to be able to be brought into N distinct configurations in which it respectively couples the operating rod with 1, 2, . . . , N pistons.

Multivolume liquid pipettes with nested plunger and vacuum chamber configurations and methods of using such pipettes are disclosed herein. These pipettes typically include a body and a fluid displacement assembly with a small plunger element slideably received within a larger plunger element, each movable within a vacuum chamber for the precise and accurate control of the displacement of fluid, such as air. In turn, this allows for a single device to aspirate and dispense a broad range of liquids in a dynamic, accurate, and precise manner. In addition, the devices disclosed herein may also include a multi-tiered spring-loaded ejection mechanism to allow the user to use and eject pipette tips of different sizes.

A tube guidance means (36) for a laboratory automation system (10) comprises a plate (40) with a guide opening (38); wherein the guide opening (38) has two partial openings (42) which are separated by a land (46) and which are connected by a slot (44); and wherein the partial openings (42) have cutouts (54) for guiding a tube (32), the cutouts (54) being located opposite each other on edges (52) which face away from each other.

A pipetting device includes a pipetting channel at least partially filled with working gas, a pipetting tip which is accessible through a pipetting opening such that the volume of dosing liquid drawn into the receiving chamber through the pipetting opening can be varied by changing the pressure of the working gas in the receiving chamber, a pipetting piston for changing the pressure of the working gas and accommodated in the pipetting channel so as to be movable along the pipetting channel, a drive for driving the pipetting piston to perform a movement along the pipetting channel, a control device for controlling the drive, and a pressure sensor for sensing the pressure of the working gas. The control device controls the drive to generate a pressure pulse in the pipetting channel based on the pressure signal output by the pressure sensor such that the pressure of the working gas during the pulse follows a predefined working gas target pressure pulse curve.