Patent ID: 8100266

Claim:
A laboratory storage and retrieval system to store sample tubes and retrieve stored sample tubes, comprising: a rack handler section ( 12 ) and a storage section ( 14 ), the rack handler section ( 12 ) comprising a transport system and a determination unit, wherein the transport system receives and transports incoming primary racks (PR) containing sample tubes (S) to the determination unit for determining at least one given parameter of the sample tubes (S) relating to predetermined sort criteria, the sort criteria comprising the sample tube (S) diameter; wherein the transport system unloads the sample tubes from the analysed primary racks (PR) and resorts the unloaded sample tubes into appropriate storage racks (SR) depending on the sample tubes' sort criteria for storage of the storage racks in the storage section ( 14 ); the storage racks (SR) comprising a first storage rack with openings of a first diameter to receive sample tubes (S) of a first diameter and a second storage rack with openings of a second diameter to receive sample tubes (S) of a second diameter.