Apparatus to neutralize static electricity present on the surface of containers (100; 10′) and/or of nests (200; 300) comprising a plurality of seatings (212; 312) according to a positioning matrix (M1) and able to receive, resting on them, an ordered group of said containers (100; 100), wherein the apparatus comprises an extraction member (15) configured to engage at least one part of said ordered group of containers (100; 100′), in order to perform at least one relative lifting movement with respect to the nest (200; 300) so as to at least partly extract the containers (100; 100′) engaged from the respective seatings (212; 312), and at least one ionizing device (19) configured to be relatively mobile with respect to the extracted containers and/or with respect to the nest (200; 300), while said group of containers (100; 100′) extracted is in said raised condition, along a path that develops in the proximity of the containers (100; 100′) extracted and/or in the proximity of said nest (200; 300), so as to ionize the surrounding space and neutralize static electricity present on the surface of the containers (100; 100′) in the raised condition and/or of the nest (200; 300).

A storage box for plastic pipette tips that has a frame part with two longitudinal walls and two transverse walls that enclose an interior space laterally. The storage box has a support plate arranged on the upper side of the frame part with a large number of bearing openings that plastic pipette tips can be inserted. The storage box also includes a pipette tip contact piece on the underside of the frame part for contacting a plastic pipette tip inserted into one of the bearing openings.

A sample support has an absorbent membrane layer which is based on a nonwoven polyolefin and which has at least one take-up region with dried blood constituents. It moreover has a film layer based on a plastic, where the film layer has received antistatic pretreatment. The membrane layer and the film layer have been connected to one another mechanically in one subregion of the sample support. but the layers have moreover not been connected to one another mechanically in the take-up region. It is preferable that, when the sample support is placed onto a uniformly level surface the membrane layer covers the film layer at least in the take-up region.

Apparatus to neutralize static electricity present on the surface of containers (100; 10) and/or of nests (200; 300) comprising a plurality of seatings (212; 312) according to a positioning matrix (M1) and able to receive, resting on them, an ordered group of said containers (100; 100), wherein the apparatus comprises an extraction member (15) configured to engage at least one part of said ordered group of containers (100; 100), in order to perform at least one relative lifting movement with respect to the nest (200; 300) so as to at least partly extract the containers (100; 100) engaged from the respective seatings (212; 312), and at least one ionizing device (19) configured to be relatively mobile with respect to the extracted containers and/or with respect to the nest (200; 300), while said group of containers (100; 100) extracted is in said raised condition, along a path that develops in the proximity of the containers (100; 100) extracted and/or in the proximity of said nest (200; 300), so as to ionize the surrounding space and neutralize static electricity present on the surface of the containers (100; 100) in the raised condition and/or of the nest (200; 300).

A storage box for plastic pipette tips that has a frame part with two longitudinal walls and two transverse walls that enclose an interior space laterally. The storage box has a support plate arranged on the upper side of the frame part with a large number of bearing openings that plastic pipette tips can be inserted. The storage box also includes a pipette tip contact piece on the underside of the frame part for contacting a plastic pipette tip inserted into one of the bearing openings.

Packaging for electronic components includes provisions to short selected electrodes of the components together. A plastic base portion with a plurality of component receiving cavities carries a flexible, carbonized shorting element which extends between cavities. The cavities include a recess which is adjacent to the shorting element. Components can be inserted into respective cavities, and some of the electrodes will contact the shorting element. Other electrodes will extend into the recess and not be shorted.