Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.

Roche Diagnostics Gmbh

F. Hoffmann-la Roche Ag

Tobias Franz

Uwe Kobold

Martin Gutekunst

Hans-Joachim Polland

Roland Thiele

Peter Kupser

Claudia Schiller

A clinical diagnostic system is presented and comprises a sample preparation station for automatically preparing samples comprising analytes of interest, a liquid chromatography (LC) separation station comprising a plurality of LC channels and a sample preparation/LC interface for inputting prepared samples into the LC channels. The system further comprises a controller to assign samples to pre-defined sample preparation workflows each comprising a pre-defined sequence of sample preparation steps and requiring a pre-defined time for completion depending on the analytes. The controller further assigns an LC channel for each prepared sample depending on the analytes and plans an LC channel input sequence for inputting the prepared samples that allows analytes from different LC channels to elute in a non-overlapping LC eluate output sequence based on expected elution times. The controller further sets and initiates a start sequence that generates a prepared sample output sequence that matches the LC channel input sequence.

Automated clinical diagnostic system and method using parallel liquid chromatography channels and sample preparation workflows

An apparatus and method for detecting foam on a liquid surface in a vessel is presented. The vessel has an upper opening surrounded by a border. The vessel can be a tube-shaped. At least one image is taken from a region suspected to contain foam in the vessel by using an image sensing device that provides corresponding image data. An automatic evaluation of the image is performed on the basis of the image data by a data processing system using an image evaluation program. The at least one image is taken from the top of the vessel through the open upper opening onto the liquid surface. The image evaluation program of the data processing system identifies foam areas and non-foam areas in the image and provides information about the presence or absence of foam areas in the image as a result of the image evaluation.

Method and apparatus for detecting foam on a liquid surface in a vessel

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Munich, Germany

Tobias Franz