Patent ID: 7141213
Filing Date: 2006-11-28
Classification: B04B,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A system for automatically processing multiple containers containing specimens, each of the containers having container identification indicia thereon, the containers being held in a holder having holder indicia thereon, the system comprising: (a) a central controller comprising (i) memory storage and (ii) a data input element for inputting processing instructions for the processing of each container according to the container identification indicia, the processing instructions being stored in memory; (b) detectors for detecting the presence of a holder in the system, the detectors having an output element for signaling the presence of a holder to the central controller memory storage; (c) an indicia reader for reading the container identification indicia and the holder identification indicia, the indicia reader having an output element for providing the container identification indicia and the holder identification indicia to the central controller memory storage, wherein the indicia reader is mounted on a vertically and horizontally rotatable robotic arm that permits scanning of both vertically and horizontally oriented indicia, wherein the indicia reader scans vertically and horizontally, wherein the robotic arm has a gripper head; and (d) a container sorting system comprising (i) a data input element in communication with the central controller for receiving instructions from the central controller for sorting containers for selective processing according to the processing instructions stored in the central controller memory storage, and (ii) a plurality of sort sites for placement of containers according to their processing instructions.