Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Roche Diagnostics Gmbh

F. Hoffmann-la Roche Ag

Dietmar Kappelhoff

Gottlieb Schacher

Yasunao Awata

Kazuhiro Nakamura

Isao Yamazaki

Stephan Sattler

Hitoshi Tokieda

Shigeki Matsubara

Masaharu Nishida

Toshihide Orihashi

Masaaki Hanawa

Yoshimitsu Takagi

Heino Eikmeier

Michael Glauser

Masaki Shiba

Hidetoshi Sugiyama

Kazuhiro Shimada

Hirokazu Iwamatsu

Satoshi Shibuya

Werner Döppen

Christoph Möllers

Youssef Khayali

A laboratory system and a method for separating interfering substances contained in test samples is presented. The laboratory system comprises separation vessels comprising solid surfaces and capturing molecules which are immobilized on the solid surfaces. The capturing molecules of the separation vessels are configured to bind interfering substances of laboratory tests of different analytical methods.

Laboratory system and method for separating interfering substances contained in test samples

A method for processing sample tubes comprising biological samples is presented. The method comprises transporting a sample tube closed by a closure to a first work cell, removing the closure with a first decapping/recapping device; withdrawing from the sample tube a sample aliquot with a pipetting unit for processing by the first work cell and/or dispensing liquid into the sample tube and/or determining a sample parameter with an analytical unit, reclosing the sample tube with a closure with the first decapping/recapping device, transporting the sample tube to a second work cell, removing the closure with a second decapping/recapping device, and withdrawing from the sample tube a sample aliquot with a pipetting unit for processing by the second work cell and/or dispensing a volume of liquid into the sample tube and/or determining a sample parameter of the sample with of an analytical unit.

System for processing closed sample tubes

A system for processing sample tubes comprising biological samples is presented. The system comprises two or more work cells for processing samples. In conjugation with at least two of the work cells, the system comprises one of the following units: a pipetting unit for withdrawing a volume of sample from a sample tube to be processed by the work cell and/or dispensing a volume of liquid into the sample tube, and an analytical unit for determining at least one sample parameter of a sample contained in a sample tube. The system further comprises a decapping/recapping device for each of the at least two work cells for removing a closure from a sample tube and for reclosing the sample tube before it is transported to another work cell.

When a problematic reagent is identified while operating an automatic analyzer, it is required to have a plurality of screens displayed, and it is difficult for inexperienced operators to identify a problematic position of a reagent. With the present invention, control information for reagents and a calibrator required for analysis with an automatic analyzer are displayed concurrently, so that all necessary information can be referred to one screen. In the automatic analyzer according to the present invention, screen switching as required in the conventional technology is not necessary, and improved operability and visibility are provided.

Automatic analyzer

An automatic analyzer includes a status table storing the status of each analysis module and reagent information identifying each reagent, the supply of which is exhausted, and allowing tracking of the status of each analysis module, etc. The automatic analyzer determines, based on the status table, whether and how it can continue current analysis, and stores the determination results in its instruction information table. The instruction information table stores analysis-unit or -module operating information and information to be supplied to the user or operator. The analysis-unit operating information includes instructions for the analysis modules to initiate an analysis in a normal manner, finish an analysis in a normal manner, omit a pre-analysis operation, omit a post-analysis operation, or stop sampling, etc. Further, the reagent information and the analysis module status are updated each time a reagent container is replaced by the operator.

An automatic analyzer is disclosed that dispenses a sample and a reagent into each of a plurality of reaction vessels to allow them to react with each other, and that measures the liquid formed as a result of the reaction. This automatic analyzer includes a first reagent storage case for storing the reagent to be used for the reaction, a second reagent storage case for storing the reagent for supplemental purpose, and a reagent conveying unit for conveying the reagent from the second reagent storage case to the first reagent storage case.

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Goldau, Switzerland

Dietmar Kappelhoff