Patent ID: 7628960

Claim:
A robot for handling biological sample containers, comprising: (a) a head for carrying out processes on biological sample containers; (b) a positioning apparatus for moving the head around the robot; (c) an attachment mechanism; and (d) a parking station for parking the head, wherein the head: (i) is connected to the positioning apparatus by the attachment mechanism which is drivable between a clamped state, in which the head is secured to the positioning apparatus, and a released state, in which the head can be detached from the positioning apparatus and deposited in the park station, and (ii) is configured with resident logic comprising head identification data; wherein the attachment mechanism includes a communication feed-through to transmit the head identification data from the head to a computer control system, and wherein the communication feed-through comprises an electrical contact pad on the head which is connected to a corresponding contact pad on the attachment mechanism to allow transmission of identification data from the resident logic located in the head to the computer control system; and, wherein the parking station functions to house the head when the head is not attached to the positioning apparatus.