Abstract: A reaction vessel for a diagnostic analyzer comprising a plurality of processing stations. The reaction vessel comprises at least one sensor configured to measure at least one physical parameter associated with at least one of the processing stations of the diagnostic analyzer when disposed at the at least one of the processing stations, a memory configured to at least temporarily store at least one measurement value indicating the physical parameter provided by the sensor, a processing unit configured to control the sensor and to output measurement data including the measurement value from the memory, an interface configured to provide communication of the processing unit with an external electronic device, a power source configured to supply electric power to the sensor, the processing unit and the memory. The reaction vessel defines an internal volume. The sensor, the processing unit, the memory and the interface are arranged within the internal volume.

Abstract: A method of quantifying the amount of at least two analytes A1 and A2 involving (a) adding at least one salt (S) to at least a portion (P1) of the sample comprising the at least two analytes A1 and A2, (b) ionizing at least a portion of the sample according to (a) thereby forming an analyte flow comprising the analytes A1 and A2 in ionized form, (c) separating the ionized analytes A1 and A2 from each other by using at least one ion mobility separator (124), wherein the analyte flow according to (b) at least partially passes through the ion mobility separator (124), and (d) quantifying the amount of the separated ionized analytes obtained according to (c), wherein A1 is a pharmaceutically active compound C or derivative thereof and A2 is a metabolite or stereoisomer of C.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining a concentration of a target analyte in a sample of bodily fluid are disclosed. The method involves providing a sample of bodily fluid including the target analyte, providing an internal standard solution including a mixture of components having a plurality of isotopes of the target analyte, wherein a concentration of each isotope is unknown, adding the internal standard solution to the sample, analyzing the sample including the internal standard solution using a mass spectrometer, creating a sample function curve based on signal intensities, wherein the signal intensities define arbitrary units, transferring an analyte signal into a corresponding arbitrary analyte unit by means of the sample function curve, and transferring the arbitrary analyte unit into the concentration of a target analyte by means of a standardization function representing a curve of concentrations depending on the arbitrary units.

Abstract: A clinical diagnostic system is presented and comprises a sample preparation station for automatically preparing samples comprising analytes of interest, a liquid chromatography (LC) separation station comprising a plurality of LC channels and a sample preparation/LC interface for inputting prepared samples into the LC channels. The system further comprises a controller to assign samples to pre-defined sample preparation workflows each comprising a pre-defined sequence of sample preparation steps and requiring a pre-defined time for completion depending on the analytes. The controller further assigns an LC channel for each prepared sample depending on the analytes and plans an LC channel input sequence for inputting the prepared samples that allows analytes from different LC channels to elute in a non-overlapping LC eluate output sequence based on expected elution times.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining a concentration of a target analyte in a sample of bodily fluid are disclosed. The method involves providing a sample of bodily fluid including the target analyte, providing an internal standard solution including a mixture of components having a plurality of isotopes of the target analyte, wherein a concentration of each isotope is unknown, adding the internal standard solution to the sample, analyzing the sample including the internal standard solution using a mass spectrometer, creating a sample function curve based on signal intensities, wherein the signal intensities define arbitrary units, transferring an analyte signal into a corresponding arbitrary analyte unit by means of the sample function curve, and transferring the arbitrary analyte unit into the concentration of a target analyte by means of a standardization function representing a curve of concentrations depending on the arbitrary units.

Abstract: A clinical diagnostic system is presented and comprises a sample preparation station for automatically preparing samples comprising analytes of interest, a liquid chromatography (LC) separation station comprising a plurality of LC channels and a sample preparation/LC interface for inputting prepared samples into the LC channels. The system further comprises a controller to assign samples to pre-defined sample preparation workflows each comprising a pre-defined sequence of sample preparation steps and requiring a pre-defined time for completion depending on the analytes. The controller further assigns an LC channel for each prepared sample depending on the analytes and plans an LC channel input sequence for inputting the prepared samples that allows analytes from different LC channels to elute in a non-overlapping LC eluate output sequence based on expected elution times.

Abstract: A method of quantifying the amount of at least two analytes A1 and A2 involving (a) adding at least one salt (S) to at least a portion (P1) of the sample comprising the at least two analytes A1 and A2, (b) ionizing at least a portion of the sample according to (a) thereby forming an analyte flow comprising the analytes A1 and A2 in ionized form, (c) separating the ionized analytes A1 and A2 from each other by using at least one ion mobility separator (124), wherein the analyte flow according to (b) at least partially passes through the ion mobility separator (124), and (d) quantifying the amount of the separated ionized analytes obtained according to (c), wherein A1 is a pharmaceutically active compound C or derivative thereof and A2 is a metabolite or stereoisomer of C.