Patent ID: 8859289

Claim:
A method to handle laboratory sample tubes in a laboratory system, the laboratory system comprising a transfer unit for transferring incoming primary racks (PR) each configured for containing a plurality of sample tubes, an image analysing unit ( 310 ), and an identification and allocation unit as well as a gripper, the method comprising the steps of: transferring, by means of the transfer unit, an incoming primary rack (PR) containing a plurality of sample tubes to the image analysing unit ( 310 ); determining, in the image analysing unit ( 310 ), geometry parameters of at least one sample tube contained in the primary rack (PR) by means of image analysing, said determining step being conducted while the at least one sample tube remains in place within the primary rack (PR); in the identification and allocation unit, comparing for each sample tube the determined geometry parameters with predetermined geometry criteria and identifying whether the sample tube's geometry fulfils the predetermined geometry criteria; in case of fulfilment, categorising the sample tube as system conform; otherwise categorising the sample tube as non-system conform; wherein each sample tube identified as system conform is removed from the primary rack (PR) by the gripper and placed into a secondary rack for further processing, and each sample tube identified as non-system conform is not taken out of the primary rack (PR) and is entered into error processing.