Disclosed are systems and methods to provide rapid and autonomous detection of analyte particles in gas and liquid samples. Disclosed are methods and devices for identifying biological aerosol analytes using MALDI-MS and chemical aerosol analytes using LDI and MALDI-MS using time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS).

In examples, a method of controlling customer access to an assay system comprises (a) receiving a system identifier; (b) identifying said system identifier; and (c) utilizing information obtained from the system identifier to perform one or more operations selected from: (i) enabling full access to said system and/or a consumable used in said system; (ii) enabling partial access to said system and/or a consumable used in said system; or (iii) denying access to said system and/or a consumable used in said system.

A quality control method for a diagnostic analyzer includes performing a quality control test or a plurality of specimen tests; determining, with a controller, that a result of the quality control test or a plurality of specimen test results is outside of a threshold; monitoring one or more mechanical devices of the diagnostic analyzer with the controller; receiving, by the controller, an error code indicating an error in a mechanical device of the one or more mechanical devices; and initiating a calibration procedure in response to the result of the quality control test or the plurality of specimen test results being outside of the threshold and receiving the error code. Other apparatus and methods are disclosed.

A modular in vitro diagnostics (IVD) vessel mover system providing redundant power management includes a plurality of modules which are configured to provide storage to one or more IVD samples. Each module comprising a power failover switch which is configured to receive internal power from an internal primary power source and transmit backup power to one or more of the plurality of modules.

The present disclosure provides an in-situ successively fixing rolling type holding device for use in a low-temperature environmental test chamber. The holding device includes a bracket, multiple holding components, and a conveying device. The bracket is fixed in the low-temperature environmental test chamber. The driving mechanism is used for driving the conveying member to rotate, thus making multiple test articles successively pass through the test position in the low-temperature environmental test chamber for the in-situ measurement. The present disclosure can reduce the times of door opening of the low-temperature environmental test chamber during the successive in-situ measurements of multiple test articles in the low-temperature environmental test chamber, thus preventing the door opening and closing of the low-temperature environmental test chamber and the transfer of test article from causing the temperature fluctuation in the temperature field where the test articles are located.

Valve assemblies and related systems are disclosed. An apparatus includes or comprises a system including or comprising an imaging system, a flow cell interface having a corresponding flow cell receptacle, a stage assembly, and a valve assembly including or comprising a valve and a valve drive assembly. The stage assembly moves the flow cell interface relative to the imaging system and the valve drive assembly is to drive the valve using shaped input signals to reduce vibration imposed on at least one of the stage assembly or another component of the apparatus based on movement of the valve.

A power off delay system and method is configured to delay termination of electrical power to a digital pathology device in a power off condition. If the apparatus includes a UPS, the power off delay system and method delays termination of electrical power when a power switch is turned off and when a catastrophic power failure occurs. During the delay of the termination of electrical power, the digital pathology device is configured to control the scanning stage system and the glass slide conveyor system and the slide rack conveyor system to place each of these systems into a known state and position all glass slides into a known position prior to the termination of electrical power to the digital pathology device. This allows the digital pathology device to resume normal operation upon power up.

The present invention relates to methods, devices and systems for associating consumable data with an assay consumable used in a biological assay. Provided are assay systems and associated consumables, wherein the assay system adjusts one or more steps of an assay protocol based on consumable data specific for that consumable. Various types of consumable data are described, as well as methods of using such information in the conduct of an assay by an assay system.

A scanning apparatus that can include (a) a scan actuator including a linear actuator and a mount for a removeable vessel, wherein the mount has a mechanical fastener that is configured to engage a complementary mechanical fastener on the removeable vessel, and wherein the linear actuator is configured to translate the mount while the mechanical fastener engages the complementary mechanical fastener on the removeable vessel; (b) a reference surface; and (c) a preload configured to urge the vessel to contact the reference surface, wherein the linear actuator is configured to slide the vessel along the reference surface while the preload urges the vessel to contact the reference surface.

An automatic analysis device has a plurality of types of photometers having different quantitative ranges, and an analysis control unit for quantifying the desired component in specimens based on measurement values of one or more photometers selected from among the plurality of types of photometers. The analysis control unit: sets a switching region in an overlap region of respective quantitative ranges of the plurality of types of photometers, said switching region having a greater width than does the variation in quantitative values of the desired component based on the measurement values of photometers having the same specimen; compares the quantitative value of a quantitative range portion that corresponds to the switching region and the quantitative values of the desired component based on the measurement values of the photometers; and selects a photometer to be used in quantitative output of the desired component from among the plurality of types of photometers.