A microtube assembly includes a column container, a sealing cap and a collecting tube. The column container includes a column body having a first protruding structure, and the one end of the column body has an opening and a first outer thread. The sealing cap has an inner thread matching up with the first outer thread, and the sealing cap is sealed the opening of the column container by the inner thread screwed on the first outer thread of the column body. The collecting tube includes a collecting tube body having a containing space and a matching structure corresponding to the first protruding structure. The containing space is configured for containing the column container. The matching structure leans against the first protruding structure when the sealing cap seals the column container.

A rack for a diagnostic robot with at least one support for at least one container; at least one gas-outlet to supply the at least one container with a gas at a predefined but individually adjustable pressure level; a first gas pump to generate a gas at a predefined super-atmospheric pressure level; a second gas pump to generate a gas at a pre-defined sub-atmospheric pressure level; a first tubing system attached to the first gas pump and holding the gas generated by the first gas pump; a second tubing system attached to the second gas pump and holding the gas generated by the second gas pump; and at least one tube bridge, wherein one end of the bridge connects via a first valve into the first tubing system and the other end of the bridge connects via a second valve into the second tubing system, and wherein the at least one gas-outlet is connected to the center of the bridge.

An analyzer having an inner chassis surrounded by a housing includes sample and dilution probes, a mixing housing including first and second mixing chambers, a flow cytometer including a flow cell, and sample and sheath pumps configured to perform first and second pluralities of tasks, respectively. The first plurality of tasks includes: aspirating sample into the sample probe, dispensing sample from the sample probe into the first and second mixing chambers, delivering first sample-dilution fluid mixture to the flow cell, and delivering second sample-dilution fluid mixture to the flow cell. The second plurality of tasks includes: dispensing sheath to the flow cell in cooperation with the delivery of the first sample-dilution fluid mixture to the flow cell, and dispensing sheath to the flow cell in cooperation with the delivery of the second sample-dilution fluid mixture to the flow cell.

A biological sample processing apparatus, including: a pipette block with which a plurality of pipettes for sucking or discharging a biological sample in a multi-well plate in which wells are arranged in a matrix shape along row and column directions are detachably coupled; a pipette block forward and backward transfer unit configured to move the pipette block along a forward and backward direction along a process direction; a pipette block top and bottom transfer unit configured to move the pipette block along a vertical direction; a magnetic field applying unit disposed below the multi-well plate for applying a magnetic field to a well of the multi-well plate; and a heating unit disposed below the multi-well plate so as to be spaced apart from the magnetic field applying unit, for heating a well of the multi-well plate.

Systems and methods are described for integrated sample container cover removal and sample probe positioning. In an example implementation, an autosampler system includes, but is not limited to, a z-axis support rotatable about a z-axis of an autosampler deck; a sample probe support structure coupled to the z-axis support, the sample probe support structure configured to hold a sample probe to withdraw a fluid-containing sample held within a sample container supported by the autosampler deck; and a sample cap remover coupled to the z-axis support in an orientation that is rotationally offset from the z-axis support with respect to the sample probe support structure, the sample cap remover configured to lift a cap from the sample container to provide access to an interior of the sample container by the sample probe supported by the sample probe support structure.

A reagent storage device of the present disclosure includes a shutter and a moving mechanism. The shutter is configured to open and close an opening in a reagent compartment for housing a reagent container, the reagent compartment being provided with the opening for insertion and removal of a probe used to extract a reagent from inside the reagent container housed in the reagent compartment. The moving mechanism is configured to move the shutter to an overlay position opposing the opening and separated from the opening before moving the shutter downward so as to close off the opening, and is also configured to move the shutter that is closing off the opening upward to open up the opening before withdrawing the shutter from the overlay position over the opening.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer that can reduce manual work by an operator. The present invention provides an automatic analyzer that includes a drive mechanism that is driven to use a specimen or reagent stored in a storage member, a controller that controls the drive mechanism, and a communication unit that communicates with a work support device that performs work support to support work of loading and/or unloading the storage member. The controller controls the drive mechanism to perform a preparation operation for the work and controls the communication unit to transmit an instruction signal for the work support to the work support device.

Disclosed is a reagent container rack used in a specimen analyzer configured to analyze a specimen by use of a reagent. The reagent container rack includes a holder configured to hold a reagent container that contains the reagent; and a lid configured to cover a mouth portion of the reagent container to form an airtight space between the lid and the mouth portion.

A receptacle includes an upper portion having a cylindrical portion and an open end and a lower portion depending from the upper portion, where the lower portion is tapered and has a closed bottom end. The receptacle may include a radially-extending annular ring with a flat or sloped bottom surface and disposed on an outer surface of the receptacle at a transition between the upper portion and the lower portion and/or a radially-projecting lip circumscribing the open end, which may be configured for inter-locking engagement with a mated cap inserted into the open end of the upper portion. Embodiments may include one or more longitudinally-oriented grooves formed in an inner surface of the upper portion. The receptacle may be a unitary plastic structure.