Abstract: A diagnostic laboratory distribution system, wherein the distribution system comprises a number of carriers adapted to carry one or more goods. The distribution system comprises a transport plane adapted to support the carriers and a drive device, wherein the drive device is adapted to move the carriers on the transport plane, and a control device to control the drive device. The distribution system comprises a cover for the transport plane, and humidity sensors connected to the control device and airflow generating devices connected to the control device. The airflow generating devices are distributed over the distribution system to generate an airflow between the cover and the transport plane. The control device is configured to start the airflow generating devices if the humidity sensors measure a humidity above a predefined threshold value.

Abstract: A method for calibration and/or error detection in an optical measurement device for biological samples having at least a first and a second measurement channel is described. The method comprises calculating an updated reference factor for the second measurement channel based on the first and second detection signals, comparing the updated reference factor with at least one current reference factors and depending on the result of the comparison, storing the updated reference factor as a current reference factor for use in a later measurement in the second measurement channel or keeping the current reference factors for use in a later measurement in the second measurement channel.

Abstract: A packaging for a needle-like component of a mass spectrometry (MS) system is provided. The packaging includes a receptacle configured for storing the needle-like component in a secured position inside the receptacle. The packaging further comprises an actuator configured to move the needle-like component from the secured position inside the receptacle to a mounting position in which the needle-like component projects out of the receptacle for mounting the needle-like component to the MS system.

Abstract: A laboratory sample distribution system is provided comprising: a number of container carriers, wherein the container carriers each comprise a magnetically active device and are adapted to carry a sample container; at least one fan being adapted to cause an airflow; and a number of transport modules, the transport modules being arrangeable adjacent to one another and respectively comprising: a transport surface being adapted to carry the container carriers; a number of heat dissipating electromagnetic actuators being stationary arranged below the transport surface, the electromagnetic actuators being adapted to move container carriers placed on top of the transport surface by applying magnetic forces to the container carriers; and an air guiding element being adapted to guide the airflow first towards an underside of the transport surface and afterwards towards the electromagnetic actuators.

Abstract: A mass spectrometry (MS) apparatus is provided. The MS apparatus includes a mass spectrometer, an ionization source coupled to the mass spectrometer, and a flow injection system (FIS) coupled to the ionization source. The ionization source is configured to provide an ionized gas flow of an analyte towards an entrance of the mass spectrometer. The ionization source is further configured to provide a second gas flow of a second gas. The MS apparatus is configured to measure a mass spectrometer (MS) signal of the analyte. The MS apparatus is further configured to analyze a dependency of the MS signal of the analyte versus a parameter of the second gas flow or a state of the second gas flow and to determine a condition of the apparatus based on the analyzed dependency.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for automatic peak integration of at least one chromatogram of at least one sample. The method comprises retrieving at least one chromatogram of the chemical related substance and at least one chromatogram of the analyte; evaluating the chromatogram of the chemical related substance, wherein the evaluating comprises determining at least one initial value for analyte retention time by determining retention time of the chemical related substance and adding the retention time of the chemical related substance with a pre-determined or pre-defined constant offset and/or multiplying the retention time of the chemical related substance with a pre-determined or pre-defined constant factor; evaluating the chromatogram of the analyte, wherein the evaluating comprises at least one position determining step; and at least one peak integration step, wherein analyte peak area and analyte peak shape are determined by applying at least one fitting analysis to the chromatogram of the analyte.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for detecting a core polypeptide of a hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a sample from a subject with the steps of (a) contacting the sample with a surfactant comprising a cationic detergent; (b) contacting the sample with a binding compound; and (c) detecting a core polypeptide of the HCV in the sample; wherein step a) is immediately followed by step b). The present disclosure further relates to a method for pre-processing a sample from a subject for detection of an HCV core polypeptide, involving (a) contacting the sample with a surfactant comprising a cationic detergent and, optionally, with an agent inducing a pH shift, immediately followed by (b) contacting the sample with a binding compound. Moreover, the present disclosure further relates to uses, devices, and analytical systems related to aforesaid methods.

Abstract: A method for operating a laboratory system comprising laboratory instruments and a laboratory information system is presented. The method comprises grouping laboratory instruments into instrument cluster(s) and providing a cluster manager thereto. The plurality of laboratory instruments publishes their instrument resource descriptions. Each cluster manager maintains an inventory of cluster resources and publishes a list of processing capabilities of the instrument cluster. The laboratory information system assigns processing of test order(s) to instrument clusters. Each cluster manager assigns resources of the laboratory instruments corresponding to test orders from the laboratory information system in view of the inventory of cluster resources. Each laboratory instrument carries out the processing step(s) on the biological sample as instructed by the cluster manager.

Abstract: Disclosed is an immunoassay method for detecting an analyte such as an antigen or an antibody in an isolated sample suspected to contain the analyte by incubating the sample with a plurality of binding partners, one of which carries a detectable label, wherein a label-specific binding partner is added that does not carry a label but binds to the detectable label. The method is applicable for a large variety of analytes and has proven particularly useful for analyte antibodies of the IgG and IgM class present in samples due to infections by pathogens. Also disclosed is a reagent kit useful for the method comprising at least two analyte-specific binding partners one of which carries a detectable label and a label-specific binding partner that binds to said detectable label but itself does not carry a detectable label.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a polypeptide suitable for detecting antibodies against a flavivirus in an isolated biological sample having a flavivirus NS1 wing domain specific amino acid sequence, wherein no amino acid sequences from the NS1 ß-ladder domain of said flavivirus are present in the polypeptide. In an embodiment, the flavivirus is selected from Zika virus (ZIKV), West-Nile virus (WNV), Dengue virus types 1-4 (DENV1-4), tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), yellow fever virus (YFV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Also disclosed is a method for producing said flaviviral NS1 wing domain specific polypeptides, a method for detecting antibodies specific for a first flavivirus species, the use of said flaviviral NS1 wing domain specific polypeptides for detecting antibodies as well as a reagent kit for detecting said flavivirus antibodies that has a flavivirus NS1 wing domain polypeptide.

Abstract: A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) apparatus including an ionization source coupled to a mass spectrometer and a liquid chromatographic (LC) system coupled to the ionization source. The LC system comprises multiple fluidic streams alternately connectable to the ionization source, thereby assigning a detection time window to each fluidic stream from the multiple fluidic streams when connected to the ionization source. The LC-MS apparatus further comprises a controller configured to carry out steps of monitoring an ionization current of the ionization source for the multiple fluidic streams and identifying differences in flow conditions between the multiple fluidic streams based on the monitored ionization current.

Abstract: A method of operating an analytical laboratory is presented. The method comprises the steps of: setting a load limit for each laboratory instrument at maximum instrument capacity; dispatching biological samples to laboratory instrument(s) at a dispatch rate not greater than the instrument load limit; each laboratory instrument sending test order queries to the laboratory middleware upon identifying a biological sample; in response to the test order queries transmitting test orders to the laboratory instruments corresponding to the biological samples; the laboratory middleware monitoring a query rate of the plurality of laboratory instruments in order to determine an effective flow rate corresponding to each laboratory instrument; decreasing the load limit of a first laboratory instrument if its effective flow rate is lower than the dispatch rate; increasing the load limit for the first laboratory instrument if its effective flow rate is greater than or equal to the dispatch rate.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a polypeptide suitable for detecting antibodies against Zika virus in an isolated biological sample having a Zika virus NS1 wing domain specific amino acid sequence and variants thereof, wherein no further Zika virus specific amino acid sequences are present in the polypeptide. This polypeptide does not immunologically cross-react with antibodies raised against structurally related antigens from tick-borne encephalitis virus, Dengue virus 1-4, West Nile virus, yellow fever virus or Japanese encephalitis virus, but immunologically reacts with antibodies raised against full length Zika virus NS1 antigen. Also disclosed is a method of producing a soluble and immunoreactive Zika virus NS1 polypeptide as well as methods and kits for detecting antibodies specific for Zika virus in an isolated sample.

Abstract: A point of care (POC) testing system and a method for configuration of a POC testing system are disclosed that provide a workflow solution for the configuration management of POC analyzers. In some embodiments, the system and method provide for convenient assisted workflows that enable efficient management of POC analyzer operator certifications.

Abstract: A method of washing an aspiration probe of an in-vitro diagnostic system is disclosed. The aspiration probe comprises an outer surface and an inner surface forming an inner space for receiving a fluid. The method comprises dipping the aspiration probe into a first wash fluid so that the outer surface is immersed at least in part into the first wash fluid, aspirating an amount of the first wash fluid into the inner space of the aspiration probe, propagating an ultrasonic vibration to the outer surface of the aspiration probe via the first wash fluid, and rinsing the outer surface and the inner surface of the aspiration probe with a second wash fluid. Further, an in-vitro diagnostic method and an in-vitro diagnostic system are disclosed.

Abstract: A liquid chromatographic (LC) system is introduced which comprises at least one fluidic stream, the fluidic stream comprising a sample-injection valve, a trap-bypass-selection valve, a column-bypass valve, a load-elute valve and a trap-selection valve. Also, a liquid chromatographic (LC) system is introduced which comprises at least one fluidic stream. The fluidic stream comprises a first substream and a second substream. The first substream comprises a first sample-injection valve, a load-elute valve and a trap-selection valve. The second substream comprises a second sample-injection valve and a column-bypass valve. The fluidic stream further comprises a trap-LC substream transfer valve and a substream-selection valve. The LC systems provide a broad choice of chromatographic options and modes and enable to flexibly and rapidly switch between them.

Abstract: A method for determining at least one state of at least one cavity of a transport interface configured for transporting sample tubes is provided and comprises: capturing at least one image of at least a part of the transport interface by using at least one camera; categorizing the state of the cavity into at least one category by applying at least one trained model on the image by using at least one processing unit, wherein the trained model is being trained on image data of the transport interface, wherein the image data comprises a plurality of images of the transport interface with cavities in different states; and providing the determined category of at least one cavity via at least one communication interface.

Abstract: An automatic analyzer is equipped with a sterilization mechanism removably attached to an opening of a container that holds a reagent and having an ultraviolet light generation section that radiates ultraviolet light; a suction nozzle removably attached, together with the sterilization mechanism, to the opening of the container; an analysis section adding the reagent drawn in by suction from the container via the suction nozzle to the reagent, and executing an analysis operation; and a control section exercising variable control over an irradiation light intensity of the ultraviolet light generated by the ultraviolet light generation section.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining failures in laboratory equipment comprising: a) receiving a desired probability of false rejection ({hacek over (P)}fr) and a desired error detection rate ({hacek over (E)}D), such as a desired probability of error detection ({hacek over (P)}ed), relating to one or more QC levels (J) of quality control (QC) samples to be processed by the equipment; b) setting a number of runs (R) to one; c) calculating an error detection rate (ÊD) based at least partially on R; d) determining if ÊD is below {hacek over (E)}D, and if so: increase R by one, and repeat steps c) to d), and if not: define a rule for determining failures in the laboratory equipment based, at least partially, on R; e) receiving or collecting standardized QC results; f) applying the rule defined in step d) to the standardized QC results; g) determining failures in the equipment, if the standardized QC results comply with the rule.

Abstract: An analytical system including a mass spectrometer (MS) coupled to liquid chromatography (LC) via an ionization source (IS), and an automated method of maintaining the analytical system in a QC-compliant status are described. The method comprises determining a deviation of the analytical system from a QC-compliant status by determining a deviation of one or more predetermined parameters in an m/z spectrum above one or more predetermined thresholds, triggering an IS and/or MS maintenance procedure upon determining a deviation from the QC-compliant status, determining a return or a failed return to the QC-compliant status during and/or after the IS and/or MS maintenance procedure by determining a return or a failed return respectively of the one or more predetermined parameters in an m/z spectrum below the one or more predetermined thresholds, triggering another IS and/or MS maintenance procedure upon determining a failed return to the QC-compliant status.