A sample processing station includes two or more container holders on a platform that is rotatable about a central axis of rotation. Each holder is configured to rotate about a secondary axis of rotation. The station includes a capping/decapping mechanism to cap or decap a container held in one of the container holders and a drip tray movable between a first position not under the capping/decapping mechanism and a second position under the capping/decamping mechanism.

A vacuum blood collection tube labeling machine and a conveying and labeling method for a vacuum blood collection tube. The machine includes: a loading part of a vacuum blood collection tube, including a plurality of loading slideways disposed in parallel, each of the loading slideways includes an inclined segment and a horizontal segment extending forward from a bottom end of the inclined segment; a label printing part, including a label printer and a output channel of the vacuum blood collection tube connected to the label printer; and a robotic arm, used for grabbing and lifting up a vacuum blood collection tube located on the horizontal segment and transferring the vacuum blood collection tube to the label printer. A method for grabbing the vacuum blood collection tube, moving direction and track of grabbing the vacuum blood collection tube, the robotic arm includes a grabbing mechanism and a movement control assembly for driving the grabbing mechanism.

A specimen processing apparatus includes; a first image acquisition portion configured to capture an image of a specimen container and acquire a first image of an outer peripheral surface of the specimen container; a label removal portion configured to remove at least a part of a label attached to the outer peripheral surface of the specimen container; a second image acquisition portion configured to acquire a second image of the specimen container from which the at least part of the label is removed; and a label printing portion configured to prepare a copy label based on the first image.

A test tube preparation device uses a labeling device to include a linking module to link a positioning unit, and the positioning unit can be used to place a tube body and finely adjust a position of the tube body relative to the label generating module of the surface treating device to complete the label generation, label conveyance, tube labeling and tube delivery, and provide a preparation device for effectively integrating the label and applying to the tube body before and after the labeling of the tube body, so as to improve the quality of the generation of the tube body and the label. Further, the present invention further provides a test tube preparation method.

A method of handling laboratory sample containers by a laboratory sample container handling system is presented. The method comprises providing a laboratory sample container comprising an assigned ID information to the laboratory sample container handling system, reading the assigned ID information, checking, if the read ID information is unique or not unique within the laboratory sample container handling system, and if the read ID information (2) is not unique within the laboratory sample container handling system, assigning a new ID information to the laboratory sample container. The new ID information is unique within the laboratory sample container handling system.

A sample container of patient sample material includes a sample container barcode containing patient-identifying information. The sample container barcode on the sample container is read, and a tubular reaction vessel is provided to a printer module configured to print a barcode directly onto a surface of the tubular reaction vessel. The printer module prints a barcode on the surface of the reaction vessel by a thermal printing method, and the barcode printed onto the reaction vessel is associated with the sample container barcode.

Provided is an apparatus of automatically supplying blood collection tubes for a labeling machine, includes: a holding unit including a plurality of holding grooves in which a plurality of blood collection tubes are inserted and supported; a discharge unit configured to supply the blood collection tubes to the labeling machine; a supply unit having supply pins and configured to maintain or release positions of the blood collection tubes to be transferred to the discharge unit; a standby unit having stop pins and configured to control movements of blood collection tubes positioned next to the foremost blood collection tubes held by the supply unit; an operation unit configured to select a type and the number of blood collection tubes; and a controller configured to receive signals from the operation unit and control the supply unit and the standby unit, thus to transfer the blood collection tubes to the discharge unit.

An automated pre-analytical processing method and an apparatus for pre-analytical processing of samples to be forwarded to an adjacent analyzer for analysis. Rack label information is read and communicated to a processor. From the rack label information, the processor determines where to route the rack. The pre-analytical system has a rack robot that conveys racks to discrete locations depending upon the routing information assigned to the rack by the processor. The pre-analytical system has an automated station that reads the labels of individual sample containers in the rack that are brought to the automated station on instructions from the processor. Depending on the type of sample container and the type of sample disposed therein, the samples are either prepared for analysis by the automated station or the sample containers are directly passed through the automated station. Prepared samples and passed through samples are passed individually to a batching rack.

Provided is an apparatus of automatically supplying blood collection tubes for a labeling machine, includes: a holding unit including a plurality of holding grooves in which a plurality of blood collection tubes are inserted and supported; a discharge unit configured to supply the blood collection tubes to the labeling machine; a supply unit having supply pins and configured to maintain or release positions of the blood collection tubes to be transferred to the discharge unit; a standby unit having stop pins and configured to control movements of blood collection tubes positioned next to the foremost blood collection tubes held by the supply unit; an operation unit configured to select a type and the number of blood collection tubes; and a controller configured to receive signals from the operation unit and control the supply unit and the standby unit, thus to transfer the blood collection tubes to the discharge unit.

A kit comprises one or more sample containers adapted to receive a sample and an embedding substance solidifiable to embed items in the sample container. A liquid embedding substance is adapted to be received in an inner cavity of the sample container. An identification label adapted to be received in an inner cavity of the sample container and configured to have data identifying the sample in the sample container, the label being resistant to chemicals of the embedding substance. The kit may be assembled into the sample container, solidified embedding substance in an inner cavity of the sample container, a sample embedded in the solidified embedding substance, and an identification label embedded in the solidified embedding substance, the identification label having data identifying the sample.