305results about "Burette/pipette supports" patented technology

An assay device, a fluid analyte sample separator device and methods for use of thereof for determining whether the integrity of a fluid analyte sample has been compromised and for contemporaneously assaying the sample for the presence or absence of multiple analytes, such as drugs of abuse. The device is composed of a housing having separate slots therein for insertion of one or more analyte test strips, one end of which protrudes from the housing, and one or more units of a sample integrity monitoring system. The device may be used in dipstick or cassette form. An analyte sample separator for division of sample and retention of uncontaminated sample for further testing is also provided. The analyte test strips and sample integrity monitoring system are replaceable, so that the panel of analytes and of sample condition parameters tested can be customized.

The present invention is directed generally to devices and methods for manipulating laboratory pipettes in a programmable manner. The present invention is directed to an apparatus and methods for allowing a user to instruct the device to perform a specific process; identifying the type, location and identity of the consumables to be used; manipulating a plurality of pipettes for performing the liquid handling; monitoring the process during and after its execution; generating a detailed report for the plurality of actions. Other aspects of this invention include optimization of the liquid dispensing performances of a pipette; monitoring and controlling individual actions by means of vision; virtualization of the protocol definition by means of a reality augmented software interface; integration of the system in a conventional laboratory environment workflow.

A container assembly for storing and stabilizing a biological sample includes a container, a closure cap and a sample holder coupled to the closure cap and removably received in the container. The sample holder can be a basket-like device coupled to an inner face of the cap and includes a central cavity for receiving the sample and immersing the sample in the reagent in the container. The closure cap includes a body member with a dimension to displace a volume of air and reduce the head space to ensure that the sample holder is completely immersed in the reagent. The sample holder has a closure member for closing the open top end of the cavity.

The present invention generally relates to a sample receiving device for releasably storing a substance. The sample receiving device includes a lid having a reservoir for retaining the substance, and a pierceable barrier sealing the substance within the reservoir; and b) a funnel for receiving a sample and configured for closure by the lid. The funnel is configured for releasable attachment to a sample receptacle such that a sample can be provided to the funnel and travel through the channel in the funnel into the sample receptacle. Further, the funnel includes one or more cutting ribs for cutting the pierceable barrier such that upon cutting of the pierceable barrier the substance is released from the reservoir, flows through the channel in the funnel and into the sample receptacle to be mixed with the sample. The present invention also provides a kit for collecting and storing biomolecules.

A device for quantitively collecting, preserving, storing and mailing a fresh and wet specimen of fecal or other biological matter for later analysis comprises a simple tubular vessel double sealed at one end by a machine manipulable plug having breakable hollow nib and cover, and that is engaged at the opposite end by a machine manipulable stopper from which a specimen carrying stick axially projects into the vessel through an internal sealable septum spanning a median section of the vessel. The cross-sectional profile of the stick is shaped to form a widened shoulder carrying a resilient washer. The shoulder matingly engages a correspondingly shaped passageway in the septum when the stopper engages the vessel which restricts the amount of specimen passing therethrough. The amount of specimen and preserving fluid are quantitatively balanced and remain so until part or all of the fluid is extracted for analysis either manually by breaking of the sealing nib or automatedly by machine removal of the plug or stopper. Collection by a patient or unskilled person is enhanced by providing the tubular vessel as part of a sample collection and return kit which further contains a disposable paper catch web which is made to be temporarily secured to a toilet droopingly spanning the seat to catch the feces for sampling. The kit also provides a sealable plastic bag and a crush resistant mailing carton. The above components of the kit are carried within a sterile bag until used.

An apparatus is disclosed that allows for separating and collecting a fraction of a sample. The apparatus, when used with a centrifuge, allows for the creation of at least three fractions in the apparatus. It also provides for a new method of extracting the buffy coat phase from a whole blood sample. A buoy system that may include a first buoy portion and a second buoy member operably interconnected may be used to form at least three fractions from a sample during a substantially single centrifugation process. Therefore, the separation of various fractions may be substantially quick and efficient.

This invention is comprised of a system, protocol, method and apparatus for the assessment of properties that may have been, or are being, subject to clandestine drug manufacturing and/or processing activities. The invention includes a comprehensive home test kit to be used in or upon a suspect premises to detect, identify, and delineate toxic chemical hazards that may have originated from an illegal drug making operation. The test kit is designed to be conveniently equipped with all-inclusive content consisting of an assortment of user-selected sampling equipment, media, containers, materials, documentation, instruction manual, as well as an audio-visual instructional media pack. This Kit is designed to enable a person of average intelligence to conduct the sampling activities and the Kit to a designated analytical laboratory for processing and reporting of results in order to determine the risk presented by a property and damages it may have sustained.

A packaging unit (10) for the storage and/or transport and/or processing and/or support in a suspended vertical position, of objects (20), comprising a tray (30) which can retain a plurality of the objects in a vertical position, and a cover (32) which can cover the tray. According to the invention the cover (32) comprises an upper wall (34) and at least two flanks (24, 24′) which extend downwards on two opposite sides of the upper wall, and are prolonged at their lower ends by fingers which can be placed below a lower surface of the tray (30), thus rendering the tray (30) and the cover (32) integral.

A liquid sample dispenser for use with an optical analysis disc. The dispenser includes a body portion, a tip portion connected to the body portion, first and second retainer members moveably supported within the tip portion, and a sealant contained between the first and second retainer members. One of the retainer members also functions as an inlet stopper. The associated optical analysis disc includes a substrate and a channel layer associated with the substrate. The disc further includes a cover portion located so that the channel layer is positioned between the substrate and the cover portion. An inlet port formed in the cover portion is adapted to receive a test sample from the tip portion of the dispenser. The sample is loaded form the dispenser into the disc followed by the inlet stopper and sealant to seal the sample in the disc. Related methods for loading a biological sample into the analysis disc through the dispenser, and sealing the disc inlet are also provided. Kits including the disc and dispenser or the disc and one-use dispenser tips are also provided.

An apparatus that allows for separating and collecting a fraction of a sample. The apparatus, when used with a centrifuge, allows for the creation of at various fractions in the apparatus. A buoy system that may include a first buoy portion and a second buoy member operably interconnected may be used to form at least three fractions from a sample during a substantially single centrifugation process. Therefore, the separation of various fractions may be substantially quick and efficient. Also selected fractions from the sample can be applied to a patient, either alone or as part of a mixture.

A gripping apparatus is provided that includes a sensor, an actuator, a base, and a plurality of fingers extending relative to the base to grip an object that is one of a plurality of object types. A first finger includes a first support surface located a first distance relative to the base and a second support surface located a second distance relative to the base. The first distance is selected based on a first object type, and the second distance is selected based on a second object type. The second finger includes a third support surface located the first distance relative to the base and a fourth support surface located the second distance relative to the base. The first finger opposes the second finger. The actuator is operably coupled to the sensor(s) to effect movement at least one of the fingers to hold an object detected by the sensor.

According to one aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a fluid collecting device configured to receive a sample of breath; a conditioning device coupled to the fluid collecting device and configured to receive the sample of breath and condition the sample with respect to at least one of temperature, flow rate, pressure, humidity, and concentration; and a sensing device coupled to the conditioning device and configured to receive the conditioned sample, wherein the sensing device includes a nanoparticle-based sensor and further whereby the analyte interacts with the sensing device to cause a change that is sensed by the sensing device and wherein the change comprises information useful in characterizing the analyte. Preferably, the apparatus is hand-held and characterizing the analyte is useful for health monitoring.

The invention relates to a positioning device for a sample distribution apparatus, in particular a pipetting apparatus, providing a first part, at which a sample transport device can be arranged, a second part, at which a sample holder can be arranged, wherein the first part and the second part are arranged moveable in relation to each other between a first position and an adjusted target position of the first and second part for performing a positioning motion, such that a sample can be conveyed towards the sample holder by the positioning motion between the first position and the adjusted target position and is conveyable at the target position by release from the sample transport device to the sample holder, or can be conveyed in the sample transport apparatus towards the sample holder by the positioning motion between the first position and the adjusted target position and is conveyable by a motion of the sample transport device relative to the first part into a release position and is conveyable at the release position by release from the sample transport device to the sample holder, wherein an actuation motion is provided, which serves the conveyance of the sample, a positioning auxiliary device, which provides at least one means for limiting and the relative mobility of the first and the second part in the adjusted target position, which provides, preferably, at least one means for adjusting the n-th target position from a plurality of N predetermined target position as the adjusted target position, which, preferably, provides at least one means for changing of the adjusted target position from the n-th target position to an (n+1)-th target position, and which further provides at least one first means for coupling of said actuation motion and said positioning auxiliary device, or to the at least one means for changing of the same such that the actuation motion can effect the change from said n-th target position to said (n+1)-th target position via said at least one first means for coupling. The invention relates to a corresponding working method for the automatical change of a position of a first part relative to a second part and relates further to a sample distribution apparatus with such a positioning device.

Provided herein are methods for preliminary analysis of suspect samples, which can be used in triaging possible contaminated sites (e.g., sites contaminated or thought to be contaminated by biowarfare agents). In some embodiments, the methods involve testing for the presence of protein in the suspect sample; optionally, the sample can also be tested for the presence of sugar, and/or for pH determination. Specific embodiment methods are carried out in tubes or other reaction vessels, others are carried out in a pad format, and still others are carried out in a test strip format. Kits for carrying out the described methods are also provided.

The present invention relates to a medical container useful upon transportation of plural syringe barrels. The medical container includes at least a container main body and a holding member arranged inside the container main body. The holding member is provided at least with a plurality of cylindrical holding portions for holding syringe barrels. The container main body has at least a peripheral rim arranged on and along an outer periphery of an opening and a shoulder-shaped portion arranged on an inner wall of the container to arrange the holding member. The shoulder-shaped portion has at least three ribs for supporting the holding member, and has a structure that enables to arrange via the ribs the holding member in a horizontal position relative to a bottom wall of the container main body. According to the present invention, there is provided a medical container of a construction that can be promptly brought into a sterilized state by various methods, can be readily brought into a state capable of maintaining the sterilized state, and during transportation, can fixedly secure, without rattling, syringe barrels held upright by holders.

A sample carrier system (1) with spatially adjustable configuration provides variable positioning as to the relative location of a plurality of sample containment elements (1). In a preferred embodiment, a slidably reconfigurable sampling system in which a matrix type, row-by-row arrangement of receptacles or sample retention elements (1) for specimen carriers such as cuvettes, test tubes and beakers, or the like (40), or for samples (41), may be reconfigured into a substantially linear arrangement of individual specimen carriers along with the entrained material contents, providing more accurate testing processes and more reliable test results.

A method and apparatus for measuring and calibrating the measurement of small volumes of liquids. The small volumes of liquid are typically dispensed from liquid delivery devices, the delivery device often having multiple channels to analyze many samples at once. The liquid samples are delivered to one or more cells, typically in a multi-well plate, and positioned in a spectrophotometer for determining an absorbance of a chromophore in the liquid sample. Based upon an absorbance measurement and the concentration of the chromophore, a path length of the liquid sample is determined, from which a volume of the sample may be calculated. The method and apparatus provide various means for correcting for differences in the dimensions and/or other factors causing a non-linear deviation from the Beer-Lambert law. A system or kit may be provided including sets of sample solutions of varying dilution ranges for calibrating different liquid volumes. The kit may further include software code for storing and analyzing the various sample solutions.

Handheld solid powder sampling and dispensing devices and methods thereof are disclosed. The handheld device has an ergonomically contoured outer surface to be held by a user. Actuation of an outer member of the device causes a predetermined quantity of a powder to be loaded within the device. Actuation of a plunger mechanism causes the predetermined quantity of powder to be dispensed. The outer member and the plunger mechanism are independently operable. Advantageously, the target delivery quantity of powder can be varied by a device adjustment mechanism.

A parts supply device for supplying disposable part selected from a cuvette and pipette chip, comprising: a storage section for storing a plurality of disposable parts; a sort section for sorting the disposable parts supplied from the storage section, the sort section including a push-up plate to be capable of pushing up the disposable part in the supplied parts and a wall section arranged at the downstream side of the push-up plate so as to be adjacent to the push-up plate, wherein the push-up plate is configured to vertically move along the wall section between a first position and a second position that is above the first position; and a transfer section for transferring one by one the disposable part supplied by the push-up plate over the wall section.