A laboratory system including a plurality of lab workstations distributed in a lab where each of the plurality of lab workstations is configured to run jobs of a work process, at least one auto-navigating robot processing vehicle that holds a sample holder, and a controller connected to the plurality of lab workstations and the at least one auto-navigating robot processing vehicle. The controller is configured to receive operational job data characterizing each of a number of different jobs that define the work process, receive system data from one or more of the plurality of lab workstations and the at least one auto-navigating robot processing vehicle, and based on the operational job data and the system data, schedule and coordinate each of the number of different jobs that define the work process.

A conveyor system including a conveyor unit including a carriage guide element defining a conveyor track, and a self-propelled conveyor carriage movable along the conveyor track and configured to move a container holder along a travel path; and a plurality of receiving locations arranged along the travel path. The self-propelled conveyor carriage includes two gripping arms mounted movable between a gripping position in which the gripping arms are configured to grip and lift a container holder arranged in one of the receiving locations, and a release position in which the gripping arms are configured to release the container holder and deposit the container holder in one of the receiving locations.

A laboratory sample distribution system and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are presented. The laboratory sample distribution system comprises a number of sample container carriers adapted to move autonomously and to communicate with each other and with a central control unit.

A detector for a laboratory liquid distribution system is presented. A detector system for a laboratory liquid distribution system comprising such a detector, a laboratory liquid distribution system comprising such a detector and/or such a detector system, a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory liquid distribution system and a use of such a detector are also presented.

A sample container carrier, a laboratory sample distribution system comprising such a sample container carrier and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are presented.

A sample container carrier, a laboratory sample distribution system comprising such a sample container carrier and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are presented.

A method of rotating a sample container carrier on a transport plane of a laboratory sample distribution system is presented. The sample container carrier is rotated by using a movement relative to a number of rotator elements. A laboratory sample distribution system being able to perform such a method and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are also presented.

A method of operating a laboratory sample distribution system is presented. The system comprises container carriers, a gateway having a network interface, and transport modules. Each module comprises a transport surface and are adjacent in a row-direction and column-direction to form a transport surface. The module comprises a driver arranged below the transport surface to move container carriers on the transport surface and left, right, upper and lower network interfaces. The left and right network interfaces connect modules in rows and the upper and lower network interfaces connect modules in columns. The network interface of the gateway is connected to a network interface of a first module. The method comprises sending an explore command from the gateway to the first module, propagating an initialization command from the first module to the remaining modules, storing addresses within the modules, and using the addresses by the gateway to address the modules.

A system and method for automatic closure of sample vessels such as vessels with medical laboratory samples, having a plurality of identically shaped, stackable closure caps with a convex outer face and concave inner face that are stacked in a closure cap stack such that an upper closure cap in the stack bears with its convex outer face on the concave inner face of a lower closure cap lying immediately below in the stack. The system includes a closure gripper for gripping an uppermost closure cap from the stack, for transferring the gripped closure cap to the sample vessel to be closed, and for introducing the gripped closure cap into an opening of the sample vessel in order to tightly close the opening. The closure gripper has a centering piece insertable into a closure cap such that it bears on the concave inner face of the closure cap.

A laboratory sample distribution system comprising a transport plane and a cleaning device for cleaning the transport plane is presented. The cleaning device is adapted to automatically clean the transport plane similar to sample container carriers moving also on the transport plane. A laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system is also presented.