A specimen processing system, comprising: a slide ejector assembly including a carrier handler configured to receive and hold a slide carrier holding a plurality of slides; a slide staging device including a standby platform, and a slide alignment device configured to move a slide at the standby platform from a misaligned position to an aligned position; an actuator assembly including a slide ejector positioned to move relative to the slide carrier to transfer individual slides from the slide carrier to the standby platform; at least one specimen processing station; and a transfer head configured to transport slides from the standby platform to the specimen processing station, the transfer head having a head alignment feature (490, 492) receivable by at least one of a complementary alignment feature (500, 502) of the slide staging device and/or a complementary alignment feature (510, 512) of the specimen processing station; characterized in that the head alignment feature (490, 492) includes a first alignment pin and a second alignment pin, the alignment feature (500, 502) of the slide staging device includes a first opening and a second opening, and the first opening and the second opening are positioned to receive the first alignment pin and the second alignment pin, respectively. a slide ejector assembly including a carrier handler configured to receive and hold a slide carrier holding a plurality of slides; a slide staging device including a standby platform, and a slide alignment device configured to move a slide at the standby platform from a misaligned position to an aligned position; an actuator assembly including a slide ejector positioned to move relative to the slide carrier to transfer individual slides from the slide carrier to the standby platform; at least one specimen processing station; and a transfer head configured to transport slides from the standby platform to the specimen processing station, the transfer head having a head alignment feature (490, 492) receivable by at least one of a complementary alignment feature (500, 502) of the slide staging device and/or a complementary alignment feature (510, 512) of the specimen processing station; a carrier handler configured to receive and hold a slide carrier holding a plurality of slides; a slide staging device including a standby platform, and a slide alignment device configured to move a slide at the standby platform from a misaligned position to an aligned position; a standby platform, and a slide alignment device configured to move a slide at the standby platform from a misaligned position to an aligned position; an actuator assembly including a slide ejector positioned to move relative to the slide carrier to transfer individual slides from the slide carrier to the standby platform; at least one specimen processing station; and a transfer head configured to transport slides from the standby platform to the specimen processing station, the transfer head having a head alignment feature (490, 492) receivable by at least one of a complementary alignment feature (500, 502) of the slide staging device and/or a complementary alignment feature (510, 512) of the specimen processing station; characterized in that the head alignment feature (490, 492) includes a first alignment pin and a second alignment pin, the alignment feature (500, 502) of the slide staging device includes a first opening and a second opening, and the first opening and the second opening are positioned to receive the first alignment pin and the second alignment pin, respectively.