Patent ID: 8163238

Claim:
An automated micro-well plate handling device for removing a removable micro-well plate from within a vertically stacked plurality of removable micro-well plates and transferring said removable micro-well plate to a receiving area, comprising: A) a stationary transfer station, B) a vertical storage device for storing in a vertical stack a plurality of removable micro-well plates, wherein said vertical storage device creates a vertical clearance space under each of said removable micro-well plates, C) a rotatable micro-well plate handling device, comprising: 1) a shovel unit at a first end, said shovel unit for sliding into said vertical clearance space underneath said removable micro-well plate and for removing said removable micro-well plate from said vertical storage device and placing said removable micro-well plate at said stationary transfer station, and 2) a gripper unit at a second end, said gripper unit for gripping said removable micro-well plate at said stationary transfer station and transporting it to said receiving area, and D) an extendable and retractable telescopic gripper arm, wherein said rotatably attached micro-well plate handling device is rotabably mounted onto said telescopic gripper arm, wherein said shovel unit does not make contact with said stationary transfer station when depositing said micro-well plate onto said stationary transfer station or when retrieving said micro-well plate from said stationary transfer station.