Provided are a liquid surface inspection device, an automated analysis device, and a liquid surface inspection method with which instances of contamination can be minimized and the accuracy of the manner in which the surface conditions, such as bubbles or the like, of a liquid substance are detected can be enhanced. The device has: a light illumination unit for illuminating a container holding a liquid substance, as well as the surface of the liquid substance, with light; an image capture unit for acquiring a video image having at least color information and brightness information of light from the container and the liquid substance which are illuminated by the light illumination unit; and a detection unit for using the color information and brightness information in the video image captured by the image capture unit to detect the condition of the liquid surface.

This invention relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for verifying dispensing of a fluid from a pipette.

Aspects of the present disclosure include a titration probe that mitigate the occurrences of titration probe clots. A bar such as segment of music wire, is extended across the tip of a titration probe and attached at both ends to the titration probe. The bar is configured to catch clots and prevent the clots from being collected along with a blood sample to be analyzed. The bar effectively reduces the cross sectional area of the titration probe tip.

A method is proposed for detecting an error state when aspirating a liquid, including: immersing a tip of an aspiration needle in the liquid, generating a negative pressure in the aspiration needle for a predefined time period to aspirate a predetermined partial volume of the liquid in the aspiration needle, continuously acquiring a sensor signal curve by means of continuous measurement of a sensor signal, which indicates a pressure in the aspiration needle, during an overall time period, which comprises the predetermined time period and furthermore a further time period following the predetermined time period, detecting the error state in the case that the sensor signal falls below a first threshold value during the predetermined time period, characterized by providing a reference signal curve, determining a deviation measure, which indicates a deviation of the sensor signal curve from the reference signal curve during the further time period, providing a predetermined second threshold value, detecting the error state as a function of the deviation measure and the second threshold value.

A method for detecting a liquid surface of a liquid sample with a pipetting tip, the method includes receiving an indication of a capacitance of the pipetting tip, and determining, based on a rate of change of the indication of the capacitance rising above a first preselected threshold, that the pipetting tip has come into contact with the liquid surface. The method also includes determining, based on the rate of change of the indication of the capacitance falling below a second preselected threshold, that the pipetting tip has lost contact with the liquid surface.

One embodiment provides a method for detecting aspiration in a clinical analyzer, including: acquiring, from a sensor, pressure measurement data; transforming the pressure measurement data into frequency domain data; generating a clean version of the frequency domain data by attenuating, using a filter, unwanted frequencies; comparing the cleaned version of the frequency domain data to one or more predetermined data points; and determining, based on the comparison, if an aspiration was properly performed. Other aspects are described and claimed herein.

An abnormality is detected with high accuracy at the time of pipetting a liquid to be subjected to abnormality detection.

The automatic analysis device according to the present disclosure includes a pipetting nozzle configured to pipette a fluid, a pressure source configured to generate pressure fluctuation for pipetting the fluid by the pipetting nozzle, a flow path connecting the pipetting nozzle and the pressure source, a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure in the flow path when the pipetting nozzle pipettes the fluid, a storage unit configured to store time-series data of the pressure measured by the pressure sensor, and a control unit configured to control the driving of the pipetting nozzle and the pressure source, in which the control unit controls the pipetting nozzle and the pressure source to aspirate first air gap, a first liquid, second air gap, and a second liquid in this order into the pipetting nozzle and determines at least one of the aspiration amount of the first air gap and the aspiration amount of the second air gap based on the aspiration amount of the first liquid.

Device (100) for attesting the operations of an in-vitro diagnostic device (50) comprising: a block (101) for capturing a plurality of frames of the tip (51); a block (102) for storing the plurality of frames; a block (103) for evaluating the right hooking of the tip (51) to the in-vitro diagnostic device (50); a block (104) for evaluating the volume of a liquid contained in the tip (51); a block (105) for carrying out verification before the operation of dispensing the liquid; a block (106) for carrying out a post-dispensing verification; blocks (107, 108) for emitting electronic signals; a block (109) for integrating a system for managing the errors; a block (110) for saving the data; a block (111) for communicating with the in-vitro diagnostic device (50).

The dispensing unit includes a disc, a cartridge, and a dispensing holder. The disc has a disc shape and includes a track region provided with recesses and projections alternately arranged in a radial direction. The cartridge includes a penetration hole, and a well is formed by the penetration hole and the track region in a state in which the cartridge is attached to the disc. The dispensing holder includes a holding part to be inserted into the penetration hole, and a guide hole penetrating the holding part. The guide hole has a truncated cone shape in which a first opening diameter on the holding part side is smaller than a second opening diameter on a side opposite to the holding part, and a center line of the guide hole is located on a line passing through the center of the disc and the center of the well.

A sample processing station includes two or more container holders on a platform that is rotatable about a central axis of rotation. Each holder is configured to rotate about a secondary axis of rotation. The station includes a capping/decapping mechanism to cap or decap a container held in one of the container holders and an elevator with a chuck guide that contact the container holder as the chuck is lowered by the elevator to position the chuck with respect to the cap of the container held in the holder and to hold jaws of the container holder in a closed position. In embodiment, the chuck guide includes a yoke with opposed arms and spindles located near distal ends of the arms that engage beveled shoulders of the container holder.