Abstract: A laboratory sample distribution system comprising a plurality of sample container carriers, each adapted to carry one or more sample containers, each carrier comprising at least one magnetically active device and at least one electrically conductive member, a transport plane adapted to support the carriers, a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane, the actuators being adapted to move the carriers on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the carriers, a plurality of inductive sensors distributed over the transport plane, a control unit configured to control the movement of the carriers using an output signal provided by the inductive sensors by driving the actuators such that the carriers move along corresponding transport paths, and an evaluation unit configured to linearize the output signal from an inductive sensor by means of a linearization algorithm.

Abstract: A laboratory sample distribution system with a number of sample container carriers, each comprising at least one magnetically active device and adapted to carry a sample container; a transport plane adapted to support the carriers; a number of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane and adapted to move a corresponding carrier located on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the carrier; a touch panel arranged below the transport plane adapted to generate position signals (PS) depending on positions of the carriers located on top of the transport plane; a position determination unit adapted to determine the positions of the carriers located on top of the transport plane in response to the position signals (PS); and a control unit adapted to control the operation of the laboratory sample distribution system in response to the determined positions of the carriers.

Abstract: A gripper for a laboratory container sorting device includes a vacuum gripper and a mechanical gripper. The vacuum gripper includes a suction cup and is configured to move the suction cup between a pickup position and a transfer position. The suction cup is configured to pick up a laboratory container when the suction cup is in the pickup position and to transfer the laboratory container when the suction cup is in the transfer position. The mechanical gripper is configured to grip and release the laboratory container when the suction cup is in the transfer position. A laboratory container sorting device, a laboratory system, and a method of operating the laboratory system are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an angle between a longitudinal axis of a sample container inserted into an opening of a sample container carrier and a reference ray, the apparatus comprising a first accelerometer being fixable to the sample container and being adapted to generate a number of first accelerometer signals being dependent on the orientation of the sample container, and a calculation unit being coupled to the first accelerometer and being adapted to calculate the angle depending on the number of first accelerometer signals.

Abstract: A method for calibrating at least one analytic device with repeated hardware components is disclosed and comprises providing at least one calibrator sample i having a known target value of a concentration of at least one analyte; at least one measuring step, wherein the measuring step comprises conducting at least one measurement on the calibrator sample using the analytic device, wherein at least one detector signal sijk is acquired; at least one calibration step, wherein a relationship between the detector signal and the concentration of the analyte and/or between the detector signal and a theoretical signal value is determined, wherein the calibration step comprises providing at least one parametrized function; determining calibration values by conducting a calibration based on the parametrized function; and determining an analysis function on basis of an inverse of the parametrized function and the determined calibration values.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for supplementing measurement results of automated analyzers is presented. The method includes obtaining, at a computer device, a result of a measurement performed by an automated analyzer, the computer device and the automated analyzer being located within a privileged computer network, obtaining a context related algorithm associated with the result of the measurement defining one or more triggering conditions and context related information from a computer device residing outside of the privileged computer network at the computer device and processing the result of the measurement by using the context related algorithm to generate a context specific supplement to the result of the measurement at the computer device.

Abstract: An in vitro method is disclosed for detecting an antibody to p53 (anti-p53 antibody) in a sample, the method comprising: incubating a sample to be analyzed with a p53 capture antigen and a p53 detection antigen, whereby a complex comprising the p53 capture antigen, the anti-p53 antibody and the p53 detection antigen is formed, separating the complex formed from unbound detection antigen and measuring the complex obtained via the detection antigen comprised therein, thereby detecting the anti-p53 antibody comprised in the sample.

Abstract: An automatic analyzer is provided which is easier to investigate when some troubles such as data abnormality occur in a sample analysis result as compared with an automatic analyzer according to the related art. The automatic analyzer includes: analysis units that perform analysis and quality control analysis for ensuring quality of the analysis; a storage medium that stores quality control results of the quality control analysis performed by the analysis units; a monitor that displays the quality control results; and a control PC that controls an operation of the analysis units (8, 9, and 16), executes, when an arbitrary result is selected from the quality control results stored in the storage medium, based on the selected quality control result, statistical calculation of the selected result and a quality control result performed in the past, and causes the monitor to display a statistical calculation screen as a statistical calculation result.

Abstract: A method of operating a laboratory sample distribution system is presented. The system comprises container carriers, a transport plane, and drive elements. The container carriers carry sample containers. The transport plane supports the container carriers. The drive elements move the container carriers on the transport plane. The method comprises planning a movement path for a container carrier from a start to a goal on the transport plane modelled by nodes. The nodes are free for one time-window or reserved for one-time window. The planning comprises analyzing the reachability out of a free time-window of one node to free time-windows of a next node and an over-next node such that planned movement of the container carrier is nonstop. The method comprises reserving the planned movement path comprising a sequence of time-windows of nodes and moving the container carrier along the reserved movement path on the transport plane by a drive element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of immobilizing a cell on a support, the method comprising a) providing a compound or salt thereof comprising, preferably consisting of, one or more hydrophobic domains attached to a hydrophilic domain, wherein the one or more hydrophobic domains are covalently bound to said hydrophilic domain, and wherein the one or more hydrophobic domains each comprise a linear lipid, a steroid or a hydrophobic vitamin, and wherein the hydrophilic domain comprises a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety, and wherein the compound comprises a linking group; b) contacting a cell with the compound under conditions allowing the interaction of the compound with the membrane of the cell, thereby immobilizing the linking group on the surface of the cell; and c) contacting the linking group immobilized on the cell with a support capable of binding the linking group, thereby immobilizing the cell on the support.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for a data sharing system to share healthcare data from a healthcare data provider with a healthcare data processing application. The method includes identifying one or more healthcare data processor applications, generating and displaying selectable options of the one or more data processor applications at a healthcare data provider, obtaining a selection of the one or more data processor applications from the healthcare data provider, obtaining a data provider/application-specific encryption keyset corresponding to each selected healthcare data processor application, the keyset comprising a private key and a public key, retaining the private key of the data provider/application-specific keyset with a trusted component of the healthcare data provider, and sharing the public key of the data provider/application-specific keyset with the corresponding selected healthcare data processor application.

Abstract: The analysis apparatus includes a standby section which is provided between a dispensing operation of an analysis item B? prior to an analysis item C and the sample analysis channel introduction. The sample analysis channel introduction is arranged prior to a data collection section of an analysis item A. The operation is started earlier but after a sample dispensing operation section of the analysis item A. A sample dispensing operation section of the analysis item C can be started earlier and the analysis time of the analysis item C can be moved to immediately after a sample analysis operation section of the analysis item B?. The analysis item A in a second cycle can be started earlier by the early start time of the analysis item C in a first cycle. A total processing time Tc can be shorter than a total processing time Tb.

Abstract: The automatic analyzer includes: a sample dispensing unit that dispenses a sample into a reaction vessel; a reagent dispensing unit that dispenses a reagent into the reaction vessel; a control unit that controls the sample dispensing unit and the reagent dispensing unit; and a measurement unit that measures a mixed solution of the sample and the reagent mixed in the reaction vessel. The reagent includes three types of reagents of: a first reagent that specifically binds to an antigen in the sample; a second reagent that specifically binds to a site different from that to which the first reagent binds with respect to the antigen and has a label to be detected by the measurement unit; and a third reagent that specifically binds to a site different from the binding site of the first reagent and the antigen and contains insoluble carriers.

Abstract: The present disclosure demonstrates a method for predicting the risk of stroke of a subject and a method for improving the prediction accuracy of a clinical stroke risk score. The methods are based on the determination of the amount of Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and/or the amount of Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) in a sample from a subject. Moreover, disclose is the use of i) the biomarker Ang-2 and/or the biomarker IGFBP7, and/or ii) at least one detection agent that specifically binds to Ang-2 and/or at least one detection agent that specifically binds to IGFBP7 in a sample from a subject for predicting the risk of stroke of said subject.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of operating a diagnostic instrument such that maintenance processes do not conflict with operator activity is presented. A maintenance process conflicts with operator activity if the probability of use of the diagnostic instrument is above a usage probability threshold. The probability of use of the diagnostic instrument is determined based on detected presence and/or movement of an operator in the proximity of the diagnostic instrument and/or operation of the diagnostic instrument.

Abstract: A consumable management system comprising a consumable storage cluster with a plurality of storage compartments is presented. Each storage compartment is configured to receive one or more consumables. The consumable management system further comprises storage compartment indicators to provide guidance to a user and a detection unit for validating user action(s).

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 healthcare computer system, the computer system comprising a communications module, a string generation module, a one-way function module and an anonymised data generation module. The communications module is configured to receive one or more healthcare data packets, each healthcare data packet including: data pertaining to one or more medical analytical tests performed on a sample; a sample identifier, identifying the sample; and a timestamp, indicating when the analytical test(s) was performed. The string generation module is configured to generate a string based on the sample identifier and the timestamp. The one-way function module is configured to apply a one-way function to the generated string to generate an anonymised sample identifier. The anonymised data generation module is configured to generate an anonymised healthcare data packet including the data pertaining to the one or more medical analytical tests and the anonymised sample identifier.

Abstract: Methods and systems for displaying images of cells in a sample include obtaining a plurality of images of cells in the sample, where each image corresponds to one of the cells in the sample, determining values of at least one property for each of the cells based on the plurality of images, arranging the plurality of images to form a first image array, where the images are ordered in the first image array based on the values of the at least one property, displaying the first image array, sorting the plurality of images to form a second image array in which an ordering of the images is different from the first image array, and displaying the second image array, where the sample includes blood and the cells include red blood cells.

Abstract: A laboratory sample vessel distribution system is presented. The system comprises a cabinet, sample vessel carriers for receiving sample vessels, and a cabinet drawer for receiving a sample vessel carrier. The drawer is locatable in different positions: closed, opened, and fully opened. An actuator moves the sample vessels and the sample vessel carriers between different locations. An actuator driver drives the actuator and applies a first mode of operation with a first speed and a second mode of operation with a second reduced speed compared to the first speed. A sensor device detects between opened and closed positions and provides position signals. A control device is connected to the actuator driver and the sensor device. The control device provides control signals to the actuator driver instructing the actuator driver to apply either the first mode, if in the closed position, or the second mode, if in the opened position.