A sample tube rack for receiving at least one sample tube comprises an upper part comprising an upper surface, wherein at least one upper opening for receiving the sample tube is provided in the upper surface; an intermediate part comprising an intermediate surface, wherein at least one intermediate opening for receiving the sample tube is provided in the intermediate surface; and a lower part comprising a supporting surface, wherein at least one supporting position for supporting the sample tube is provided in the supporting surface. Therein, the intermediate part is connected to both the upper part and the lower part such that the at least one upper opening is substantially aligned above the at least one intermediate opening and above the at least one supporting position for receiving the at least one sample tube. At least one gripping orifice is provided in a lateral side of the lower part.

A handling system for high throughput processing of a large volume of biological samples is provided herein. Such systems can include an array support assembly that supports multiple diagnostic assay modules in an array having at least two dimensions, a loader that loads multiple diagnostic assay cartridges within the multiple diagnostic assay modules. The array support assembly can be movable relative the loader to facilitate loading and unloading so as to provide more efficient processing.

An automatic analyzer for analyzing samples includes a lift, a part take-out station and a rack recovery station. The lift is configured to raise and lower a plurality of stacked part racks to the part take-out station and to the rack recovery station while keeping the part racks together. The part take-out station comprises a first rack separator configured to prevent the uppermost one of said stacked part racks from being lowered when the lift lowers, while allowing the other part racks to lower, so that the uppermost rack is separated from the other part racks so as to remain in the part take-out station. The rack recovery station comprises a second rack separator configured to prevent the uppermost one of said stacked part racks from being lowered when said lift lowers, while allowing the other part racks to lower, so as to remain in the rack recovery station.

A handling system for high throughput processing of a large volume of biological samples is provided herein. Such systems can include an array support assembly that supports multiple diagnostic assay modules in an array having at least two dimensions, a loader that loads multiple diagnostic assay cartridges within the multiple diagnostic assay modules. The array support assembly can be movable relative the loader to facilitate loading and unloading so as to provide more efficient processing.

The invention relates to a feeding system (10) having a feeding apparatus (30) for conveying laboratory vessels for samples, microorganisms, cell cultures or the like, and a carrier (12) having one or plural holders (16) for storing laboratory vessels, which feeding apparatus (30) has a loading area (36) and an unloading area (46) remote from the loading area (36) in which plural laboratory vessels can be stored in a vertically stacked configuration, with each receiving unit (34) being coupled to an endless conveyor unit (38) which transports the receiving unit (34) from the loading area (36) to the unloading area (46), and in which the carrier (12) can be used to introduce laboratory vessels into one or plural receiving units (34) in the loading area (36), for which purpose the carrier (12) is at least partially slid over the at least one receiving unit (34) which is to be loaded or unloaded, and for this purpose has projections (28, 32) and/or recesses that are associated with the carrier (12) and are provided in the loading area (36) of the feeding apparatus (30), which will result in positive locking of the feeding apparatus (30) and the carrier (12) when the carrier (12) has been inserted in the loading area (36). According to the invention, the carrier (12) has at least two holders (16) and the positive locking of the carrier (12) and the receiving unit (34) in the loading area (36) of the feeding apparatus (30) will allow only a single predefined orientation of the carrier (12) in the loading area (36).

Provided is a specimen processing system which can contribute to space saving. The specimen processing system includes a put-in module which puts a specimen on a put-in tray in a holder, a housing module which houses the specimen from the holder in a housing tray, and a stock module which stocks the holder, in which an empty holder which is generated because the specimen is housed is directly conveyed to the put-in module without being conveyed to the stock module and is used for putting a new specimen therein.

The invention relates to a system for automatic closure of sample vessels (PG), in particular of sample vessels (PG) with medical laboratory samples, with iii. a plurality of identically shaped, stackable closure caps (10) which have a convex outer face and a concave inner face and which are stacked in at least one closure cap stack in such a way that an upper closure cap (10) in the closure cap stack bears with its convex outer face on the concave inner face of a lower closure cap (10) lying immediately below in the closure cap stack, iv. a closure gripper (20) for gripping an uppermost closure cap (10) from the at least one closure cap stack, for transferring the gripped closure cap (10) to the sample vessel (PG) to be closed, and for introducing the gripped closure cap (10) into an opening of the sample vessel in order to tightly close the opening, wherein the closure gripper (20) has a centering piece which can be inserted into a closure cap (10) in such a way that it bears on the concave inner face of the closure cap (10). With such a system, automated closure of sample vessels is possible in a space-saving and efficient way. Furthermore, a method for automatic closure of sample vessels is also disclosed.