Patent ID: 7028831

Claim:
A magnetic transport system for transporting magnetically-attractive racks of specimen-containers along selected mutually perpendicular linear paths atop a non-magnetic support plate in a specimen-transport instrument, said magnetic transport system comprising: first and second independent, bi-directional, linear drive mechanisms, said first linear drive mechanism serving to support said second linear drive mechanism for movement along a first linear path and for selectively advancing said second linear drive mechanism along said first linear path in either direction, said second linear drive mechanism serving to support a magnetic field-producing device for movement along a second linear path extending perpendicular to said first linear path, said second linear path being closely spaced from a bottom side of said non-magnetic support plate, said second linear drive mechanism further serving to selectively advance said magnetic field-producing device in either direction along said second linear path, said magnetic field-producing device being effective to produce a magnetic field atop said non-magnetic support plate that is sufficiently strong to engage a magnetically-attractive specimen-container rack positioned atop said non-magnetic support plate and to advance said rack along said mutually perpendicular paths atop said non-magnetic support plate as said magnetic field-producing device is advanced along said second linear path, and as said second linear drive mechanism is advanced along said first linear path, said second linear drive mechanism comprising (i) a rectilinear rail that slidably supports said magnetic field-producing device, said rail extending parallel to said second linear path, and (ii) second drive means for selectively advancing said magnetic field-producing device along said rail in either direction.