A pipetting device for outputting amounts of a dosing fluid of less than 1 μl including a fluid volume; a pipetting plunger that can be moved along a plunger path, wherein a displacement of the pipetting plunger brings about a first pressure change in the fluid volume; a movement drive which is force-transmittingly connected to the pipetting plunger in order to drive the pipetting plunger such that it moves along the plunger path; a sound source which is designed to generate at least one sound impulse as a second pressure change in the fluid volume; and a control device which is designed to control the movement drive and the sound source, the pipetting device having a pipetting channel which extends along a channel axis and in which both the pipetting plunger is moveably accommodated along the channel axis as the plunger path and the fluid volume is accommodated, wherein the fluid volume includes a working gas which wets a plunger surface of the pipetting plunger, wherein, in addition, the sound source is designed and arranged to generate the at least one sound impulse in the working gas.

The present invention provides devices and methods for generating a pulsatile fluid flow in a microchannel by means of external actuation of a thin flexible film. With the devices described herein, cycles of positive and negative actuation can be used to infuse or withdrawal fluid in a microchannel. Fluid can be recirculated over one or more microfluidic feature, such as a chemical or molecular receptor, biosensor, electrode, cell or biological material, chromatography feature, mixer, etc., in a way that would represent an advantage over the single-pass flow techniques common to most microfluidic devices. The devices and methods are particularly useful in vitro diagnostics (IVD), analytical chemistry, chromatography, and mixing applications in a variety of fields.

Systems and methods for probe tip heating are disclosed. An exemplary system for probe tip heating can include an enclosure enclosing a probe tip, a heating device, and a fan. The probe tip can be configured to access an internal volume of a stoppered container and to aspirate or dispense a material from or to the internal volume of the stoppered container. The heating device can be configured to heat air circulating within the enclosure. The fan can be positioned to circulate air within the enclosure to heat the tip of the probe

An automated method for detecting and/or monitoring a state of a degasser of an analyzer is provided, the degasser including a container configured to be evacuated. The method includes obtaining a time series of values indicative of pressures inside the container. The time series spans a period during which the container is evacuated or pressurized. The method further includes determining a liquid level state of the degasser which is determined by an amount of liquid present in the container based on the time series.

A fluid aspiration probe apparatus for automatic fluid testing equipment includes a pair of electrodes mounted on a distal probe tip. The electrodes are coupled to an impedance measurement apparatus via conductive pathways along the probe. The impedance measurements and probe tip height are monitored as the probe tip is lowered into a fluid sample. Boundaries between layers of fluid in the container are detected by recognizing sudden changes in the impedance measurements and heights of the boundaries are determined by tracking the position of probe tip when the sudden changes of impedance occur.

An automatic analysis device improves the uniformity of a mixed liquid by noise agitation by a dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism agitates a mixed liquid by suctioning the mixed liquid into a reaction vessel by a nozzle and then re-discharging the suctioned mixed liquid into the reaction vessel. When the mixed liquid is re-discharged into the reaction vessel, the nozzle is moved upward at a speed higher than a speed at which the liquid surface of the mixed liquid rises due to the re-discharging of the mixed liquid from the nozzle during a first period and lowers the speed of moving the nozzle upward than the speed during the first period while maintaining or reducing the speed at which the liquid surface of the mixed liquid rises due to re-discharging of the mixed liquid from the nozzle during a second period following the first period.

A method for the contact metering of liquids having the following steps: a first liquid is introduced into at least one elongate hollow body, some of the first liquid contained in the elongate hollow body is pressed out of the lower end of the elongate hollow body as a contacting volume such that the contacting volume forms a drop suspended from the lower end of the elongate hollow body, at least some of the drop is immersed in a second liquid in a target vessel and the defined metering volume consisting of the contacting volume and a residual volume contained in the elongate hollow body is dispensed into the second liquid.

A method comprises: aspirating a sample through a needle capillary into a chamber having first and second windows, the capillary and chamber both affixed to a moveable robotic arm; causing a light beam generated by a light source that is affixed to the robotic arm to pass through the sample between the windows; detecting, using a photodetector that is affixed to the robotic arm, a quantity of the light that passes through the sample and the windows; determining an optical absorbance of the sample and a concentration of an analyte in the sample from the detected quantity of light; determining a quantity of the sample to dispense into an analytical apparatus based on the determined concentration; moving the robotic arm so as to cause the needle capillary to mate with an inlet port of an analytical apparatus; and dispensing the determined quantity of the sample into the analytical apparatus.

A fluid analysis arrangement (1) comprises a particle quantifying device (4), a holder (6), a robot (3), a washing station (5) and a control unit (2). The particle quantifying device (4) has a sensor unit (42) with a sensing stick (421) to be arranged in a fluid to sense for particles in the fluid, and an evaluation unit (41). The holder (6) has a plurality of seats each configured to receive a container in which a sample fluid is arranged. The control unit (2) is connected to the particle quantifying device (4) and the robot (3). The sensor unit (42) is mounted to the robot (3). The control unit (2) is configured to control the robot (3) to arrange the sensing stick (421) in one of the sample fluids of each container received in the seats of the holder (6) after another, activate the particle quantifying device to sense for particles in the sample fluids, and control the robot (3) to arrange the sensing stick (421) in the washing station (5) after each sensing for particles in one of the sample fluids and before arranging the sensing stick (421) in a next one of the sample fluids.

The present teachings provide apparatuses and methods for automated handling of samples, e.g., biological or chemical samples. The apparatuses and the methods of the present teachings allow automated performance of various sample manipulation steps without manual intervention. In a preferred embodiment, the present teachings provide apparatuses and methods for automated enrichment of templated beads produced by PCR.