Provided is a container (10) including a base material (1) including a plurality of concave portions (2); a recognition unit (3) disposed on the base material and configured to recognize the base material; and a storage unit (4) disposed in a position other than a measurement region of the base material and configured to store information on biomaterials contained in the plurality of concave portions, wherein the recognition unit and the storage unit are allowed to correspond to each other.

The present disclosure relates to quality control for point-of-care medical diagnostic systems. In various embodiments, the system includes an on-board storage containing a synthetic quality control material, a plurality of sub-systems having a plurality of operating parameters and including a material analyzer, a database storing quality control results that include results of the material analyzer analyzing the synthetic quality control material over time, one or more processors, and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to, automatically without user intervention: generate a control chart based on the quality control results, determine that a parameter of the plurality of operating parameters is out-of-tolerance based on the control chart, and adjust at least one of the plurality of sub-systems without user intervention to bring the out-of-tolerance parameter to within tolerance.

Verification plates for a bacterial endotoxin reader are provided, namely a temperature verification plate (TVP) and optical verification plate (OVP). The TVP has a body configured to be placed on a spindle of said reader and rotated by said spindle. The body has a temperature verification circuit with a temperature sensor and a temperature indicator. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the body rotated by the spindle of the reader. The temperature indicator optically represents a value of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. The temperature indicator is readable by an optical bench of the reader. The OVP has a body with a plurality of apertures located along a periphery that line up with an optical bench of the reader. Light produced by a light source of the reader can pass through the aperture and an intensity measured by a photodetector of the reader.

A detection device detects a position of a leading end of a tip for executing an operation on a cell via the leading end, the tip including the leading end in a lower portion thereof. The detection device includes a light source that outputs light in a lateral direction such that the light has a width when viewed along an up-and-down direction, a movement mechanism that moves the tip, and a detector that detects the light output from the light source, wherein the light output from the light source until being detected by the detector includes first light and second light that advance in respective lateral directions that are different from each other, the movement mechanism moves the tip such that a part of the first light and a part of the second light are blocked by the leading end, and the detector detects the first light and the second light whose parts are blocked by the leading end.

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.

The method presented here is used to determine the volume dispensed by any liquid handling device (automated or manual) . A reference curve is first generated by spectroscopically reading a fixed-volume set of known, variable-concentration derivatives of a single dye. During testing the liquid handling device dispenses a yet undetermined volume of known-concentration dye into a known volume of diluent which results in a new dye concentration (resultant concentration). The absorbance of the resultant concentration is then compared to the absorbance vs concentration relationship of the earlier generated reference curve to determine the volume of dye (hence volume) dispensed by the liquid handling device. This method is an alternative to the dual dye and gravimetric volume verification methodologies. It considers and corrects for the uncertainties found in a traditional single dye approach as stated in the IWA-15 ISO standard. The system and method is distributed in bundled kits including but not limited to standardized labware, a calibrated reference pipette, a proprietary Validation Reference Plate (VRP) which automates reference curve generation, a spectrophotometer calibration plate for NIST Traceability, an environmental monitor, reference reagents, test reagents, an apparatus for quality assurance and control during manufacturing, and proprietary software for data analysis and reporting.

Systems and methods are described to determine a prioritization schedule for samples handled by a system with multiple remote sampling systems. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, an analysis system at a first location; one or more remote sampling systems at remote from the first location, the one or more remote sampling systems configured to receive a liquid segment and transfer a liquid sample to the analysis system via a transfer line; and a controller communicatively coupled with the analysis system and the one or more remote sampling systems, the controller configured to assign a priority value to a sample for analysis by the analysis system and to manage a queue of samples received from at the one or more remote sampling systems on the basis of the assigned priority value.

A method of calibrating an imaging device adapted to characterize a feature of a sample container, such as a cap color or cap type. The method includes providing a calibration tube including an imaging surface at an imaging location of a first imaging apparatus; illuminating the imaging surface with light emitted from multiple front light sources; adjusting a drive current to each of the multiple front light sources to establish a substantially uniform intensity of the imaging surface; recording drive current values for the multiple front light sources; replacing the calibration tube with a calibration tool having a calibration surface of a known reflectance; and measuring target intensity values of the calibration tool at the respective drive current values. Calibration tools, imaging apparatus, quality check modules, and health check methods are provided, as are other aspects.

A method of operating a sensor system including at least one sensor to detect a first gas analyte and a control system includes electronically interrogating the sensor to determine the operational status thereof and, based upon the results of the electronic interrogation, the control system initiating an automated maintenance procedure for the sensor.

The present disclosure provides a method for generating a solution, comprising receiving a solution order. The solution order may comprise one or more order parameters for the solution. The solution order may be inputted into a trained algorithm that outputs one or more solution parameters for the solution. The one or more solution parameters may be used to generate the solution comprising a liquid from a plurality of liquids and a solid from a plurality of solids. The solution can meet the one or more order parameters at an accuracy of at least 90%. The solution may be dispensed.