Abstract: A method of routing test samples during periods of laboratory disruption in a laboratory system is disclosed. The method comprises determining that a laboratory device is unavailable, masking a target laboratory device so that test samples are not sent to the target laboratory device and test samples cannot be retrieved from the target laboratory device, rerouting test samples from the target laboratory device to a buffer, calculating a new laboratory workflow after the laboratory device becomes available, unmasking the target laboratory device after the new laboratory workflow is calculated, and retrieving the test samples from buffer and sending the test samples to the target laboratory device.

Abstract: A method for monitoring an analyzer including a liquid chromatography device (LC) having at least two liquid chromatography (LC) streams, the method including continuously monitoring one or more parameters in measurement data of samples in each of the at least two LC streams, the one or more parameters being independent of an analyte concentration of the respective sample, determining if the one or more monitored parameters show an expected behavior and triggering a response upon detection that the one or more monitored parameters deviate from the expected behavior.

Abstract: A method for detecting an analyte involving a) contacting the analyte, a capture agent and a solid surface to form a capture complex attached to a solid surface, b) cleaving at least one covalent bond within the analyte and/or within said capture agent in the capture complex and, thereby, releasing the analyte or a fragment thereof from the capture complex, and c) detecting at least one fragment of the analyte and, thereby, detecting the analyte is disclosed herein. A kit having i) a capture agent binding to an analyte; and ii) an agent cleaving at least one covalent bond within the analyte and/or within the capture agent; and to the use of a protease for releasing fragments of an analyte for detecting the analyte, wherein the analyte is bound to a solid surface via a capture agent is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A sample input interface for inputting samples into a detecting unit of an in-vitro diagnostic analyzer. The sample input interface comprises a sample input port comprising an outer input-port side configured for plugging-in an open end of a sample container and an inner input-port side, an aspiration needle comprising an upstream end and a downstream end, where the downstream end is fluidically connected or connectable to the detecting unit and where the upstream end is configured to alternately couple to the inner input-port side and to a fluid supply port. The outer input-port side is further configured to alternately couple to a fluid supply port while the upstream end of the aspiration needle is coupled to the inner input-port side in order to rinse the sample input port with fluid aspirated by the aspiration needle from a fluid supply unit via the sample input port.

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 laboratory system for analyzing biological samples is presented. The laboratory system comprises a plurality of laboratory instruments configured to receive and identify biological samples and to query a laboratory control unit for a processing order indicative of processing steps to be carried out on the biological sample. The laboratory control unit is configured to validate sequence of queries from the plurality of laboratory instruments against a valid query sequence pattern.

Abstract: A method to provide control samples for validating a diagnostic test within a laboratory system is presented. The laboratory system comprises an aliquoting device, a storage, a transport system, at least two analyzers, and a control unit. A total number of control sample aliquots and an aliquot volume for each control sample aliquot is determined based on a validation time schedule. A provided total control sample volume is aliquoted into the determined total number of control sample aliquots with the determined aliquot volumes. The generated control sample aliquots are transported to one or more of the at least two analyzers according to the validation time schedule.

Abstract: A system for providing cyber protection to medical devices in a medical environment is presented. The system comprises a medical device comprising software services, a backend server to maintain and provide software updates to medical devices, and an interface proxy box connected to the medical device and in communication with the backend server. The interface proxy box determines the software services resident on the medical device. The interface proxy box installs the software services determined to be resident on the medical device on the interface proxy box and configures the installed software services to match the software services resident on the medical device. The interface proxy box communicates periodically with the backend server and receives and applies security updates to the software services installed and configured on the interface proxy box. The medical device utilizes the updated software services on the interface proxy box.

Abstract: The invention concerns soluble and antigenic HTLV p24 variants that can be fused to chaperones and their use in diagnostic applications such as immunoassays for detecting antibodies against HTLV-I or HTLV-II in an isolated biological sample. In particular, the invention relates to a soluble HTLV-I or HTLV-II p24 antigen comprising either the N- or the C-terminal domain of p24 and lacking the other domain. Moreover, the invention covers recombinant DNA molecules encoding these HTLV-I and -II fusion antigens as well as their recombinant production using expression vectors and host cells transformed with such expression vectors. In addition, the invention focuses on compositions of these HTLV p24 antigens with HTLV gp21 antigen and on an immunoassay method for detection of HTLV antibodies using the antigens of the invention. Also the use of HTLV p24 antigens in an in vitro diagnostic assay as well as a reagent kit for detection of anti-HTLV-antibodies comprising said HTLV antigens is encompassed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating training data to be used to train a machine learning model for generating a segmentation mask of an image containing overlapping particles. Training data is generated from sparse particle images which contain no overlaps. Generating masks for non-overlapping particles is generally not a problem if the particles can be identified clearly; in many cases simple methods such as thresholding already yield usable masks. The sparse images can then be combined to images which contain artificial overlaps. The same can be done for the masks as well which yields a large amount of training data, because of the many combinations which can be created from just a small set of images. The method is simple yet effective and can be adapted to many domains for example by adding style-transfer to the generated images or by including additional augmentation steps.

Abstract: Herein is reported a cultivation system for cultivating a pool of ovine B-cells or single deposited ovine B-cells in the presence of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA).

Abstract: A gripping device for handling sample containers is presented. The sample containers are closed by caps of a given cap type or are not closed by caps. The gripping device comprises a number of fingers configured to collectively cause gripping of a sample container, a tactile sensor device arranged at at least one of the fingers and configured to sample a longitudinal profile of the sample container and of the cap, if any, being gripped, and a control device coupled to the tactile sensor device. The control device determines if the sample container is closed by a cap or not closed by a cap based on the sampled longitudinal profile.

Abstract: A method for operating a transport device in a laboratory sample distribution system, comprising: providing a transport device in a laboratory sample distribution system, the transport device having an arrangement of transport modules, wherein each transport module is provided with a transport surface; a drive device configured to move sample vessel carriers on the transport surface; a module control device configured to control operation of the drive device; and a module network interface connected to the module control device and configured for data communication in a control network; a transport plane; and a controller device connected to the control network through a controller network interface; and assigning a network address to each of the transport modules in the control network; for each transport module, in the module control device storing its own network address and the network address of neighboring transport modules located adjacent to the transport module.

Abstract: An automatic analyzer for analyzing samples comprising an immersion tube configured to retrieve a reagent stored in a reagent vessel and a lifting device configured to lift and lower the immersion tube. The lifting device comprises a guide rail on which the immersion tube is moveable between a lowered position, in which the immersion tube is immersed into the reagent vessel, and a lifted position, in which the immersion tube is retracted from the reagent vessel, and at least one biasing member configured to bias the immersion tube towards the lowered position with a predetermined biasing force. The analyzer further comprises a detector configured to detect an identity of the reagent, and a locking device configured to lock the immersion tube in the lifted position and so the immersion tube is moved towards the lowered position only if the reagent identity detected by the detector corresponds to a target identity.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for identifying at least one peak in a mass spectrometry response curve is provided comprising: a) providing at least one mass spectrometry response curve by using at least one mass spectrometry device; b) evaluating the mass spectrometry response curve by using at least one trained model thereby identifying a start point and an end point of at least one peak of the mass spectrometry response curve, wherein the model was trained using a deep learning regression architecture.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for determining a carry over of an analyte from a previous sample into a sample of interest on a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (LC-MS) device, the method comprising the following steps: (a) determining at least one chromatogram of said sample of interest on said LC-MS device; (b) determining a background height of the chromatogram; and (c) determining the carry over of the analyte from said previous sample into the sample of interest based on the background height. The present disclosure also relates to methods, systems, and computer program products related to the aforesaid method.

Abstract: A method for identifying and/or verifying at least one analyte peak in a chromatogram of a sample for said analyte from a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer device, said method comprising: a) determining a chromatogram of the sample by acquiring a plurality of data points for quantifier signal intensities and/or qualifier signal intensities, over time; and, in case the sample comprises an internal standard, optionally acquiring a plurality of data points for internal standard quantifier signal intensities and/or internal standard qualifier signal intensities, over time; b) determining for at least a fraction of the data points acquired in step a), a ratio type; c) comparing the ratios determined in step b) to a reference; and d) identifying and/or verifying at least one analyte peak in a chromatogram based on comparison step c).

Abstract: The present disclosure provides the sequence of a Paenibacillus polymyxa preproenzyme which is the precursor of a neutral protease, expression thereof in a transformed host organism, and methods for production of the neutral protease, by recombinant means. Further, use of the recombinantly produced neutral protease is disclosed in the field of cell biology, particularly for the purpose of tissue dissociation. The disclosure also includes blends with other proteases. Further disclosed are nucleotide sequences encoding the neutral protease.

Abstract: A system for providing clinical decision support to a user is presented. The system comprises a Point-of-Care (POC) testing device comprising an integrated clinical decision support module. The POC testing device and the clinical decision support module are connected via a testing module-clinical decision support module interface. The system comprises a testing module between the user and the POC testing device. The testing module requests tests from the user to the POC testing device and sends completed test results from the POC testing device to the user and to the clinical decision support module via the internal interface. The system comprises outside data sources to provide external data via a communication connection to the clinical decision support module of the POC testing device. The clinical decision support module uses the external data and the completed test results to determine and provide clinical decision support information specifically tailored to the user.

Abstract: An automated method for detecting and/or monitoring a state of a degasser of an analyzer is provided, the degasser including a container configured to be evacuated. The method includes obtaining a time series of values indicative of pressures inside the container. The time series spans a period during which the container is evacuated or pressurized. The method further includes determining a liquid level state of the degasser which is determined by an amount of liquid present in the container based on the time series.