Thermo Electron Corporation

Thermo Clinical Labsystems Oy

Keijo Kaarakainen

Juha Sakari Korhonen

Atte Mallenius

Matti Hassinen

Ville M&auml;kel&auml;

The invention relates to a test tube carrier () for transporting test tubes in a transport system, said carrier () comprising a base () having a recess made thereto for accommodating the bottom of a test tube/vial (), and support members () adapted to the carrier base () for clamping a test tube () inserted in said recess and supporting the same. The support members () are permanently affixed to said carrier base () and comprise elongated portions with their free ends bent toward the vertical center axis of the carrier base and said upper ends providing a support surface () for making supportive contact to the test tube. The bottom of the carrier base recess for accommodating a test tube is advantageously made flat and the carrier base is provided with test tube support members whose support surfaces () extend to at least two different heights from the top level of the carrier base ().

Test tube carrier

The invention relates to an arrangement and method for transporting test tubes ( ) automatically between different processing stages and equipment in laboratories. In the method, the test tubes ( ) are placed on transport bases ( ) for transportation within the system and the identification data of the test tube ( ) is read to identify the sample, after which the transport bases ( ) can be moved within the transportation system with the aid of conveyors ( )to operation stations, for operations to be carried out on the test tube ( ) or sample. The data.required to move the transport base within the system are recorded in a memory circuit forming part of the transport base ( ) on the basis of the identification data of the sample, which can be read without physical contact by a recording device ( ), while the transport base ( ) is handled at a control station ( ), which is formed by at least one processing point together with the track ( ) and which control station includes at least a handling device ( ), in which there is a grip ( ) which grips the transport base ( ) and transfers the base ( ) in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyor track, to take the transport base ( ) to the processing point following the first processing point, and devices ( ) which prevent the next transport base ( ) from entering the control station ( ) during the transfer, the data in the recording devices of the transport base ( ) being read at the control station during handling.

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Järvenpää, Finland

Keijo Kaarakainen