Patent ID: 9201084
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A robotic storage system for storing microplates carrying a plurality of sample tubes, the system comprising: a freezer room operated at a temperature of about −20° C., the freezer room having a plurality of freezing units for storing a plurality of microplates arranged in one or more microplate recipients; first and second processing rooms operated at a temperature of about −20° C. and arranged at opposite ends of the freezer room, each of the processing rooms comprising a processing station having at least one tube transfer module as well as a transfer robot for moving the microplates between the microplate recipients and the at least one tube transfer module, the at least one tube transfer module being a tube punching module or a tube picking module for transferring a tube from a source microplate to a destination microplate; a moving robot movable between the freezer room and the processing rooms to move the microplates therebetween, and to transfer the microplates between the freezing units of the freezer room and the processing stations of the processing rooms; and a first thermally insulating door for thermally separating the first processing room from the freezer room, and a second thermally insulating door separate from the first thermally insulating door for thermally separating the second processing room from the freezer room, the first and second thermally insulating door being configured and arranged to allow a continuous operation of the robotic storage system while one of the first and second processing rooms is heated to an elevated temperature above −20° C. for performance of maintenance work in the heated processing room.