Patent ID: 8372359

Claim:
A vial retainer system for an automated processing apparatus, the vial retainer system comprising: a sample rack platform; a panel located over the sample rack platform; a vial retainer mounted on a lower surface of the panel and positioned over and spaced from the sample rack platform, the vial retainer having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being spaced in an axial direction from the proximal end; a sample container rack configured to hold one or more sample vials in an upright orientation extending from the sample rack platform towards the vial retainer, the sample container rack further being configured to slide between the sample rack platform and the vial retainer in a first direction along the axial direction from the proximal end of the vial retainer to the distal end of the vial retainer to install the sample container rack, and in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to remove the sample container rack; wherein the vial retainer comprises one or more sloped lower surfaces that are inclined such that a distal end of each sloped surface is closer to the sample rack platform than a proximal end of each sloped surface.