Abstract: A reaction vessel comprises a lower chamber with a first volume, and an upper chamber with a second volume greater than the first volume. A thermocycling system for heating the reaction vessel includes a lower heating zone to heat the lower chamber, an upper heating zone to heat the upper chamber, and a lid heater to heat an opening of the upper chamber. A method comprises loading a sample into a lower chamber of a reaction vessel, thermocycling the lower chamber using a lower heating zone of the thermo cycler, combining an additive into the sample to produce a combination filling the lower chamber and at least partially filling an upper chamber of the reaction vessel, and incubating the upper and lower chambers using the lower heating zone and an upper heating zone. The lower and upper chambers can have different wall thicknesses to facilitate heat transfer.

Abstract: A laboratory workstation for preparing a sample according to a programmed protocol. The laboratory workstation may include a display device configured to display an instruction for loading a first item of labware onto a deck of the laboratory workstation at a position on the deck specified by the programmed protocol; an imaging device configured to monitor the deck of the laboratory workstation by creating one or more images of the deck; and a processor configured to recognize, in the one or more images created by the imaging device, an item of labware loaded onto the deck by an operator. In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to indicate on the display device whether the recognized item of labware loaded by the operator is arranged on the deck in accordance with the programmed protocol.

Abstract: A laboratory workstation for preparing a sample according to a programmed protocol. The laboratory workstation may include a display device configured to display an instruction for loading a first item of labware onto a deck of the laboratory workstation at a position on the deck specified by the programmed protocol; an imaging device configured to monitor the deck of the laboratory workstation by creating one or more images of the deck; and a processor configured to recognize, in the one or more images created by the imaging device, an item of labware loaded onto the deck by an operator. In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to indicate on the display device whether the recognized item of labware loaded by the operator is arranged on the deck in accordance with the programmed protocol.

Abstract: A method for automatically defragmenting pipette tips in a tip tray during the performance of a procedure defined by a protocol stored in memory of a fluid handling system, the method comprising determining locations of open receptacles in the tip tray where pipette tips are absent, determining locations of filled receptacles in the tip tray where pipette tips are present, and using the fluid handling system to move pipette tips from filled receptacles to open receptacles to complete strings of filled receptacles in the tip tray.

Abstract: A server stores a set of laboratory applications to process batches of samples. The server receives, from a first lab administrator, a selection of a subset of the laboratory applications to process the batches of samples and an admin configuration for a laboratory application in the subset. The server receives configuration(s) of batch(es) to be used for running at least a portion of the subset of laboratory applications configured according to the admin configuration. The server receives, from a first scientific device, a request to run a laboratory application form the first subset to process a batch. The server provides the laboratory application(s) that are capable of being executed using the first scientific device. The server receives, from the first scientific device, a selected laboratory application. The server transmits, to the first scientific device, a signal for executing a first part of the selected laboratory application.

Abstract: A reaction vessel comprises a lower chamber with a first volume, and an upper chamber with a second volume greater than the first volume. A thermocycling system for heating the reaction vessel includes a lower heating zone to heat the lower chamber, an upper heating zone to heat the upper chamber, and a lid heater to heat an opening of the upper chamber. A method comprises loading a sample into a lower chamber of a reaction vessel, thermocycling the lower chamber using a lower heating zone of the thermo cycler, combining an additive into the sample to produce a combination filling the lower chamber and at least partially filling an upper chamber of the reaction vessel, and incubating the upper and lower chambers using the lower heating zone and an upper heating zone. The lower and upper chambers can have different wall thicknesses to facilitate heat transfer.

Abstract: Systems and methods of identifying reagents loaded into a fluid handling system can comprise programming a protocol for preparing a sample into a controller of the fluid handling system, loading multiple reagent vessels into a carousel of the fluid handling system, imaging individual labels of the multiple reagent vessels with an imaging device to produce label images, comparing information in the label images to identification information located in a database in communication with the controller, and determining if appropriate reagents have been loaded into the carousel to perform the protocol. A fluid handling system can include a deck, a tube holder, an imaging device, a pipettor, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a processor configured to perform the method.

Abstract: A server stores a set of laboratory applications to process batches of samples. The server receives, from a first lab administrator, a selection of a subset of the laboratory applications to process the batches of samples and an admin configuration for a laboratory application in the subset. The server receives configuration(s) of batch(es) to be used for running at least a portion of the subset of laboratory applications configured according to the admin configuration. The server receives, from a first scientific device, a request to run a laboratory application form the first subset to process a batch. The server provides the laboratory application(s) that are capable of being executed using the first scientific device. The server receives, from the first scientific device, a selected laboratory application. The server transmits, to the first scientific device, a signal for executing a first part of the selected laboratory application.

Abstract: A laboratory workstation for preparing a sample according to a programmed protocol. The laboratory workstation may include a display device configured to display an instruction for loading a first item of labware onto a deck of the laboratory workstation at a position on the deck specified by the programmed protocol; an imaging device configured to monitor the deck of the laboratory workstation by creating one or more images of the deck; and a processor configured to recognize, in the one or more images created by the imaging device, an item of labware loaded onto the deck by an operator. In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to indicate on the display device whether the recognized item of labware loaded by the operator is arranged on the deck in accordance with the programmed protocol.