Beckman Coulter, Inc.

Martin Mueller

Charles W Johns

Michael Eberhardt

Stephen L Otts

Sebastian Wiessner

Thomas Moix

Guillaume Ding

Jurjen Zoethout

Joseph F Quint

Chi S Chen

Andreas Weihs

Gerhard Gunzer

Sophia Lauterbach

Lukas Bearden

Samuel H Rizotte

The invention concerns a laboratory product transport element for a laboratory transport system with an energy receiver and/or energy accumulator to provide drive power, at least one signal receiver to receive control signals, a control unit to generate drive signals as a function of at least one control signal obtained from the at least one signal receiver, movement devices for independent movement of the laboratory product transport element on a transfer path as a function of the drive signals of the control unit, in which the drive devices are driven by the drive power and at least one holder to hold a laboratory product being transported. The invention also concerns a laboratory transport system with at least one laboratory product transport element according to an embodiment of the invention and a transfer path arrangement. The invention also concerns methods for operation of laboratory transport systems according to an embodiment of the invention.

Laboratory product transport element and path arrangement

System and method including laboratory product transport element

Systems and methods for gripper finger release assemblies for specimen gripper units are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention include release elements to enable replacement of gripper fingers without the need of tools or without the need to demount and mount the entire gripper unit for exchange of gripper fingers. A release element may comprise a first sliding element and a second sliding element coupled to a plate such that pressing the second sliding element enables the first sliding element to release a gripper finger coupled to the first sliding element.

Removable specimen gripper fingers

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for a chute arrangement comprising an element for objects, such as, test tubes, caps, etc. released by a gripper unit such that the released objects may be collected in a container. The element may comprise a plurality of slots for a plurality of gripper fingers in the gripper unit to pass through. The element may be configured to restrain the object as the plurality of gripper fingers release the object.

Chute arrangement with strip-off feature

Growing community of inventors

Schliersee-Neuhaus, Germany

Martin Mueller