Patent ID: 9702887
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: G01N,Y10T

Claim:
1. A storage system for storing a plurality of samples in a plurality of trays, the system comprising: a cold storage compartment having a plurality of vertical tray support racks, the storage compartment having an access side; a tray shuttle compartment having a first side and sealed second side wall opposite the first side, the first side being adjacent the storage compartment access side; a tray shuttle disposed within the tray shuttle compartment, the tray shuttle comprising a transport configured for translating horizontally and/or vertically within the tray shuttle compartment and accessing at least one module for transferring a tray of interest to the at least one module disposed exterior to and abutting the sealed second side wall of the tray shuttle compartment, where the tray shuttle compartment is sized and shaped so that each tray support rack of the cold storage compartment is independently accessible by the tray shuttle in the tray shuttle compartment, wherein the sealed second side wall has a small sealed opening configured based on the size and shape of a single one of the tray shuttle so that there are minimum gaps surrounding the single one of the tray shuttle with the single one of the tray shuttle protruding through the opening; an input-output module for transferring a tray for storage to or from the cold storage compartment; and a system controller directing operation of the cold storage compartment, the tray shuttle and the input-output module.