Patent ID: 8784735

Claim:
An apparatus for automatic processing of at least one biological sample accommodated on at least one carrier member, comprising: a housing frame; a plurality of carrier members; a plurality of carrier racks within the housing, each of the carrier rack being configured for supporting at least one of the plurality of carrier members; a robotic reagent dispensing head within the housing that performs ongoing robotic processing, including dispensing of reagents; at least one sample processing section within the housing for accommodating at least one of the plurality of carrier racks; a cover for protecting said at least one sample processing section in said housing, said cover enclosing the sample processing section and defining an interior space between the housing and the cover; at least one climate control device for controlling the environment within said interior space defined by the cover; a sensor device for providing feedback signals to the climate control device; and a data processing device configured to control the at least one climate control device, wherein the data processing device comprises a processing protocol including instructions to apply a predetermined amount of reagents in a predetermined sequence on a first carrier member of the plurality of carrier members, wherein a first carrier rack is configured to permit the first carrier member supported by the first carrier rack, for which the processing is completed, to be removed from the apparatus without opening the cover or interrupting the dispensing of reagents with the robotic reagent dispensing head, and wherein a second carrier rack is configured to permit a second carrier member supported by the second carrier rack to be inserted into the apparatus without opening the cover or interrupting the dispensing of reagents onto the first carrier member, supported by the first carrier rack, with the robotic reagent dispensing head.