Patent ID: 7264432

Claim:
A liquid handling work platform comprising: a) an essentially horizontal work field with a lengthwise dimension in the X direction and a transverse dimension, running in the Y direction, essentially perpendicularly thereto; b) at least one device for transferring objects, this device including at least one rail extending parallel to the X direction and a displacement unit, which is movable back and forth in the X direction on this rail using drives, and a motorized gripping mechanism for grasping an object; c) a barcode reader positioned on the displacement unit and implemented to read identification marks or flags of specimen carriers essentially vertically from the rear of the work field in a first passage and to identify the actual content of objects on these specimen carriers or in a specimen container in a second passage, in that the barcode reader is rotatable/tiltable around one or more axes; and d) a processor for controlling the movements of the displacement unit, the actions of the gripping mechanism and the identity of the samples and/or the objects as well as their X/Y positions, wherein the displacement unit includes a carrying device, movable together therewith along the rail, for transferring objects or specimen carriers in the X direction, this carrying device being implemented as a plate for carrying objects moved onto this carrying plate using the gripping mechanism.