Abstract: Apparatus and method for Immunohistochemistry, including a slide holder assembly fixture, a slide holder, a slide holder frame, and a slide holder frame assembly adapted to be placed in communication with a driving force to draw fluid through the slide holder. The slide holder may include an injection port that allows consistent fluid delivery and recovery, while minimizing the introduction of air bubbles. The slide holder may include a reservoir that allows for filling, soaking, rinsing, flushing, uniform antibody coverage of the tissue and reduces handling time, space, and errors, and one or more sample chambers. The slide orientation in the slide holder allows for visualization of label information and tissue to confirm adequate antibody coverage. A multi-port frame allows multiple assays to be carried out concurrently, and is removable from a vacuum manifold and allows for easy transport from the vacuum manifold to an incubator/refrigerator and back.

Abstract: An embodiment of a reagent container includes a bottle with a pipe to reduce the effects of reagent sloshing. The bottle has an elongated base and an opposed cover connected by side walls and an end wall. A flat platform surrounded by a raised rim lies in the base opposite an opening in the cover. A ribbed pipe frictionally fits within the bottle opening and may attach to the anchor region leaving vent passages around the pipe. The pipe includes an aperture adjacent to the anchor region and oriented toward the end wall so that sloshed fluid has only a small effect on the level of reagent in the pipe during transfers. A modified blow molding process produces the anchor region by extending a pin a predetermined distance into a mold while the molded material is still plastic.

Abstract: A pierce and fill connector cap for a vial sealed by an elastomeric septum includes a vial collar and a needle holder. The vial collar body defines a collar aperture to be positioned in overlying registry with the septum of the vial, and the needle holder includes a needle holder body providing a means for holding an elongate needle in registry with the collar aperture. The needle holder body being moveable with respect to said vial collar between a first position spaced from the vial collar and a second position proximate the vial collar, such that a needle held by the needle holder will puncture through the vial septum.

Abstract: A sample preparation device comprising a first chamber containing a first movable piston separating a first volume upstream and a second volume downstream the first piston, a second chamber containing a second movable piston separating a third volume upstream and a fourth volume downstream the second piston, and an inlet to the first volume and an outlet from the first volume. The first volume is connected with the third volume by a first communication path and the second volume is connected with the fourth volume by a second communication path.

Abstract: A device for purifying and formulating a radiopharmaceutical compound includes an automated purification subsystem that automates the loading of a sample into a sample loop for downstream purification via HPLC. A column selector valve is provided to select from one of a plurality of columns. Fractions can be collected as well as the desired product. The device includes an automated formulation subsystem that first sends the product to a dilution reservoir prior to being pneumatically pushed onto a solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. Automated rinse, elution, and reconstitution are also performed with the automated formulation subsystem. The device may be directly coupled to the output of an automated radiosynthesizer.

Abstract: The invention provides a new chemical process, a new cassette configuration, and new software. The invention allows one synthesizer in one hot cell to produce sequentially two batches of [18F]-labelled PET tracer in the same day.

Abstract: A process for preparing a reactor (1), said reactor defining an opening (13) for the passage of a device for dispensing solid particles (3) suitable for charging the reactor with solid particles, the process comprising:—providing a sensor support device (2) to which a sensor is attached, said sensor being intended for collecting information on the charging of the reactor,—attaching the sensor support to a component of the reactor (5) different from the device for dispensing solid particles.

Abstract: The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.

Abstract: In one embodiment described herein, a cartridge is provided comprising a cartridge frame; a plurality of diluents each in an expandable container; a plurality of reagents each in an expandable container; and a plurality of mixing vessels comprising empty expandable containers.

Abstract: A cartridge includes an inlet portion that is connected to an assay chamber and a suction reservoir. The inlet portion is configured to allow a direct uptake of sample medium. During this uptake, air is trapped in the assay chamber, which prevents a premature entrance of the sample medium into the assay chamber. The transfer of the sample medium from the inlet portion to the assay chamber is thus controllably initiated at a later time, for example by opening a vent port connected to the assay chamber.

Abstract: A sample storage including a frame and an array of sample container holding areas disposed within the frame where a spacing between adjacent sample container holding areas is independent of a gripping area for sample containers held by the sample storage.

Abstract: An article for performing a reaction includes a reagent well having a side wall, a bottom wall and an open upper end. A lyophilized reagent is retained within the well by a non-integral retention feature that is inserted into the open upper end of the well and fixed to a side wall above the reagent. An opening in the retention feature is smaller than the diameter of the reagent, but is sized to permit a pipette tip to be inserted into the well. The retention feature may be a collar fixed to the side wall and may include fingers extending axially into the well. The well and the retention feature may be correspondingly tapered. A method for reconstituting a lyophilized reagent includes the steps of drawing into a pipette tip attached to an automated pipettor an amount of a diluent and dispensing the diluent into the reagent well to thereby reconstitute the lyophilized reagent.

Abstract: A system for the production of carbonized biomass that includes an infeed for accepting biomass feed material and an associated twin screw extruder. A water heater is connected with respect to at least one inlet along a length of the twin screw extruder and a pressure sustaining valve is connected at an outlet of the twin screw extruder.

Abstract: Provided is a gas-blowing vaporizing and drying device, which includes: a sample tube in the form of a double tube including an inner tube for a solution and an outer tube for a gas, the inner tube protruding from one end of the outer tube by length L; and a collection container including a container body and a lid provided with a protrusion sleeve tube, the protrusion sleeve tube including a coupling portion at an end to be located outside the container body and a sleeve portion of a length equal to or longer than L having an open end to be located inside the container body, the coupling portion being designed to be coupled to the aforementioned one end of the outer tube in an air-tight manner.

Abstract: A microfluidic device includes a microchannel having an interior bounded by a side wall, an inlet, a switching region, and a plurality of outlet channels downstream of the switching region. The microchannel is formed in a microfluidic chip substrate and configured to accommodate a flow of liquid through the microchannel. The microfluidic device includes a valve operatively coupled to the switching region comprising a sealed reservoir. A side passage extends between the reservoir and the interior of the microchannel via an aperture in the side wall and is configured to accommodate a volume of liquid between the interior of the microchannel and the reservoir. The microfluidic device includes an actuator integrated into the microfluidic chip and configured to increase an internal pressure of the reservoir and move at least a portion of the volume of the liquid from the side passage into the microchannel to deflect a portion of the liquid flowing through the microchannel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microplate comprised of multiwell strips connected in such a way as to permit the microplate to unfold and to pass in a linear fashion past a fraction collector and then re-fold back into a microplate configuration. Furthermore, the invention provides for the use of the microplates of the invention in a variety of different laboratory methods.

Abstract: Fluidic connection assemblies, ports, unions and other components are provided that are well-suited for use in HPLC and UHPLC, as well as in other analytical instrument systems. Such assemblies, ports, unions and components can be biocompatible.

Abstract: A collecting apparatus comprises: a housing which is long and includes a housing space capable of housing a collecting member, the housing having formed therein an inflow port and an outflow port; a gas flow generator that generates a gas flow within the housing space; and a holding portion that holds the collecting member in a position that the gas flow flows, the inflow port being formed on a more upstream side than the collecting member held by the holding portion, and the outflow port being formed on a more downstream side than the collecting member held by the holding portion, and the outflow port opening toward the downstream side such that air that has flowed out from the outflow port flows along a housing outer surface on a more downstream side than the outflow port.

Abstract: Device for receiving and draining a high quantity of biopharmaceutical fluid under pressure includes an inner bag, having an inner container for receiving the fluid and provided with a filling port, a drain port, a filling tube having a filling inlet for connection to a filling line, a drain tube having a drain outlet for connection to a drain line, an outer container in which the bag is placed, a compression chamber between the outer container and the bag, an injection port for injecting pressurized draining gas into the chamber, sealed bushings passing through the container via the filling and drain tubes, the deformation capacities of the bag and container being such that, when the draining gas is injected into the chamber, the bag is compressed and the biopharmaceutical fluid is emptied. The outer container includes a receptacle forming the outer chamber, the tubes passing therethrough via permanently fixed connections.

Abstract: An improved disposable electrochemical test sensor designed to facilitate sampling of fluid samples. It has a fluid chamber having a novel extra wide sampling entrance. The chamber provides a reservoir from which a sample fluid can be drawn into the chamber through capillary action. The novel extra wide sampling entrance of the test sensor provided by the present invention can draw blood into the chamber not only from the front of the sampling entrance as usual in convenient sensors, but also from the top, bottom, left corner and right corner of the sampling entrance. Thus it allows easy targeting the samples with small volume, picking up smeared samples and it is more tolerant to users who jam the tip of the sensor into users' finger.