Abstract: A detector assembly for analysis of light emitted form a fluorescent material, an optical alignment assembly for introducing an output beam into a detector array or demultiplexer, and methods of demultiplexing a beam of light into wavelength bands. The detector assembly generally includes an optical alignment assembly to introduce an output beam having a projected optical axis into an array of filters. The optical alignment assembly is mounted substantially orthogonally to a plane of reflective light defined by the path of the output beam through the filter array. The array includes filters arranged in two rows in parallel. Each filter transmits a particular band of the output beam and reflects the remaining bands to the next filter in the opposite row of filters. The array further includes a plurality of detectors mounted in detector ports.

Abstract: A sample container includes a cap that covers a container body holding a liquid sample containing a reagent and a test body. The cap includes an outer lid that covers the container body, an inner lid that is slidably attached to the outer lid and has an opening for dispensing the liquid sample, a shutter that is driven integrally with the inner lid and covers the opening of the inner lid so that the opening can be opened and closed, a translating unit that is attached to the outer lid and has an engaging portion which is formed obliquely descending from a center of the cap to an outer edge of the cap and to which the shutter is fitted, and a pressing member that is arranged between the outer lid and the inner lid to press the inner lid to close the shutter, wherein the translating unit translates sliding movement of the inner lid to a movement of the shutter in a direction perpendicular to the sliding movement to open and close the opening of the inner lid.

Abstract: A method is provided for characterizing a mixed sample having at least two particles with nucleic acids from different individuals, where each particle has nucleic acid from one or more individuals, in particular for the quantitative determination of the absolute and/or relative copy number of a predetermined sequence of an individual, of which nucleic acid is present in the mixed sample, having the steps: a) isolating the particles and applying at least two individual particles to a substrate, where each of the at least two particles is deposited in each case individually to a hydrophilic reaction site, surrounded by a hydrophobic zone, of the substrate in a volume of less than 10 ?l so that precisely one particle is present per reaction site, b) analysis of at least two of the particles deposited to the substrate at the reaction site of the substrate to assign each of the particles to individuals from the mixed sample by genotyping, where at least 80% of the particles analysed are to be assigned to an indi

Abstract: A linearity control system includes a series of linearity control compositions, each thereof includes white blood cell analogs and stabilized red blood cells in a suspension medium. The concentration of the white blood cell analogs in the series of control compositions increases from 0.2×103 to 800×103 analogs per microliter, and the concentration of the white blood cell analogs in at least one control composition is greater than 120×103 analogs per microliter. The stabilized red blood cells facilitate mono-dispersion of the white blood cell analogs in the suspension medium by gently mixing. The control compositions further include platelet analogs, or additionally include reticulocyte and/or nucleated red blood cell analogs. The linearity control system allows the verification of the reportable measurement range and linearity of the measurements of hematology analyzers for white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets in extended concentration ranges.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus includes a syringe which has a piston and sucks and discharges a liquid; and a storage unit which stores therein a reference driving profile indicating a reference of a driving position and a driving time at starting the piston. The apparatus also includes a position detector which detects an actual driving position of the piston; a timer which measures an actual driving time of the piston; and a driving controller which controls driving of the piston based on the reference driving profile, the driving controller creating an actual driving profile based on the actual driving position and the actual driving time of the piston, and the driving controller comparing the reference driving profile with the actual driving profile to determine based on a result of the comparing whether the dispensing is proper or not.

Abstract: An assembly suitable for use in a laboratory instrument is set forth. The assembly comprises a plurality of guide rods that are disposed generally parallel with one another and a plurality of carriage assemblies connected for movement along the plurality of guide rods. A sub-carriage assembly is disposed on at least one of the carriage assemblies and is connected to the carriage assembly for movement in a direction transverse to the plurality of guide rods. A plurality of carriage drive mechanisms are employed to move the plurality of carriage assemblies independently along said plurality of guide rods and a sub-carriage drive mechanism is provided to move the sub-carriage assembly in a direction transverse to said plurality of guide rods.

Abstract: A method of correction of particle interference to hemoglobin measurement of a blood sample on a hematology analyzer is provided. The method includes mixing an aliquot of a blood sample with a lytic reagent to lyse red blood cells and forming a sample mixture; measuring absorbance of the sample mixture at a predetermined wavelength of a hemoglobin chromogen formed in the sample mixture, and obtaining an apparent hemoglobin concentration of the blood sample using obtained absorbance; measuring concentration and size of cellular particles remaining in the sample mixture; removing contribution of the cellular particles to the apparent hemoglobin concentration using the concentration and the size of the cellular particles to obtain a corrected hemoglobin concentration of the blood sample; and reporting the corrected hemoglobin concentration of the blood sample.

Abstract: A dispensing nozzle includes a holding tube portion that holds a fluid as a dispensing target; and a discharge end face that is formed at a tip of the holding tube portion and that sucks in and discharges the fluid through an opening formed thereon. The discharge end face has a greater contact angle with the fluid than an inner face of the holding tube portion.

Abstract: Novel compositions containing (i) ligand conjugated phycobiliprotein tandem dyes and (ii) unconjugated phycobiliproteins are provided wherein the phycobiliproteins are derived from the same bacterial or eukaryotic algae species. The phycobiliproteins must be the same or different, but must contain some non-crosslinked subunits which exchange. Also provided are methods for preparing these compositions, kits containing these compositions or components of the same, and methods of using these compositions for cellular and non-cellular analysis.

Abstract: Assay methods are disclosed involving specific binding reactions which are simplified compared to known methods. A compound capable of producing chemiluminescence is immobilized on a solid support as is a member of a specific binding pair for capturing an analyte from a sample. An activator compound that activates the chemiluminescent compound and is conjugated to a specific binding pair member is added in excess along with the sample to the solid support. Addition of a trigger solution causes a chemiluminescent reaction at the sites where the activator conjugate has been specifically bound. The assay methods are termed non-separation assays because they do not require removal or separation of excess detection label (activator conjugate) prior to the detection step. The methods are applicable to various types of assays including immunoassays, receptor-ligand assays and nucleic acid hybridization assays.

Abstract: A stirring determining device that determines whether stirring by a stirrer, which stirs liquid contained in a vessel using sound wave generated by a sound-wave generating unit that is attached to the vessel, is successful or unsuccessful. The stirring determining device includes a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the liquid; and a determining unit that determines whether stirring of the liquid contained in the vessel is successful or unsuccessful depending on the temperature of the liquid measured at least before and after the stirring by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: A cleaning device that cleans inside of a vessel. The cleaning device includes a suction nozzle configured to be inserted into the vessel to suck liquid contained in the vessel; and a supply nozzle configured to be inserted into the vessel to supply cleaning liquid into the vessel. At least one of the suction nozzle and the supply nozzle is formed such that a wall cross-sectional area thereof is larger than an inner-diameter cross-sectional area thereof.

Abstract: An automatic analyzer that stirs a plurality of different liquids to induce a reaction and measures an optical characteristic of a reaction liquid, thereby analyzing the reaction liquid. The automatic analyzer includes a stirring unit that includes a vibrator that is arranged on a vessel that contains a specimen including a sedimented component or a rack on which the vessel is arranged; and an electrode that is arranged on a transfer path for transferring the rack to a dispensing position and feeds electric power to the vibrator. The stirring unit feeds the electric power from the electrode to the vibrator while the rack is being transferred to the dispensing position along the transfer path and stirs the specimen including the sedimented component contained in the vessel.

Abstract: The present invention include a method of determining an agglutination pattern type of a pattern formed in a reaction vessel, comprising setting a reference space based on one or a plurality of types of typical reaction images setting one or a plurality of types of unit regions in each of the reference spaces and determining a Mahalanobis distance for each unit region setting a threshold value from each of the Mahalanobis distances obtained setting one or a plurality of unit regions for a reaction image as an object image and determining the Mahalanobis distance, and (E) determining a pattern type for the object image by comparing the threshold value with the distances.

Abstract: Described herein are high sensitivity parameters useful for the detection of vitamin B12 and/or folate deficiencies. Methods of determining susceptibility for vitamin B12 and/or folate deficiency in a subject are also provided. Methods of determining the progress and assessment of treatment of these deficiencies are provided.

Abstract: A microtiter plate transport device is configured to grip a microtiter plate in a first location. The microtiter plate transport device is configured to make a vertical approach to the microtiter plate and grip the microtiter plate in either a portrait orientation or a landscape orientation along either the opposing longer sides or the opposing shorter sides of the microtiter plate. The device comprises a Cartesian coordinate robot including a first gripping member and a second gripping member opposed to the first gripping member. The first gripping member and the second gripping member are supported by an arm configured to move along a vertical axis which extends between the first gripping member and the second gripping member. The first gripping member and the second gripping member are configured to rotate about the vertical axis.

Abstract: A dispensing device includes a probe that suctions and discharges liquid contained in a vessel; a probe control unit that moves the probe downward in a stepwise fashion by a predetermined amount by controlling a lowering operation of the probe to an inside of the vessel and controls a suction operation and a discharge operation of the probe in each step; a pressure detecting unit that detects a pressure in the probe; a suction-and-discharge-state judging unit that judges a suction state or a discharge state of the liquid by the probe based on a detection result by the pressure detecting unit; and a liquid-surface detecting unit that detects a liquid surface position of the liquid based on a lowering amount of the probe when the suction-and-discharge-state judging unit judges that the probe suctions the liquid or the probe discharges the liquid.

Abstract: An analyzer includes plural stirrers that have plural sound-wave generating units, which are provided on respective vessels holding liquid and generate sound wave toward the liquid, and drive units, which drive the plurality of sound-wave generating units, and that stir the liquid using sound wave generated by the sound-wave generating units; a power detecting unit that detects traveling-wave power output from the drive unit and reflected-wave power reflected from the sound-wave generating unit; and a control unit that determines whether an abnormality occurs in each of the stirrers on the sound-wave generating unit side or on the drive unit side in each of the stirrers based on a reflectivity of the power, and controls continuation or suspension of an analytical work based on a result of the determination.

Abstract: An apparatus for introducing a specimen into a flow cytometer comprises: a syringe having a hollow barrel containing the specimen, a plunger partially within the barrel and a needle that extends into a volume of a nozzle of the flow cytometer; a one-way port in the nozzle forming a seal against the needle; a mounting platform coupled to both the syringe and to the flow cytometer; and a syringe pump coupled to the plunger, the syringe pump comprising a motor, a drive mechanism coupled to the motor; and a clamping mechanism coupled to the drive mechanism, wherein the motor operates the drive mechanism so as to cause the clamping mechanism to depress the plunger into the barrel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multidimensional particle analysis data cluster mapping and reconstruction are provided. In one embodiment, a method for reconstructing multidimensional particle analysis data clusters is provided. The method includes obtaining a set of segmented two-dimensional projections corresponding to multidimensional particle analysis data associated with a biological sample of particles. Each segmented two-dimensional projection has two-dimensional clusters associated with particle populations in the biological sample. The method also includes reconstructing one or more multidimensional clusters based on the two-dimensional clusters in the segmented two-dimensional projections.