Sample manipulation device

A sample manipulation device for removing lids from sample containers and placing lids onto sample containers, the sample manipulation device comprising:

• a sample unit;
• and
• a manipulation unit having at least one manipulation tool configured to remove and place a lid on a sample container, and configured to rotate to threadedly engage and threadedly disengage the lid from the sample container;
• wherein the sample unit and the manipulation unit are movable relative to each other along a movement direction;
• wherein the sample unit comprises a sample carrier receptacle configured to receive a sample carrier for holding one or more sample containers, said sample carrier extending in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction orthogonal to said longitudinal direction, a dimension of the sample carrier being larger in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction;
• wherein the sample unit is transferable between a first orientation in which the longitudinal direction of the sample carrier received in the sample carrier receptacle is parallel to the movement direction between the sample unit and the manipulation unit, and a second orientation in which the transverse direction of the sample carrier received in the sample carrier receptacle is parallel to the movement direction between the sample unit and the manipulation unit;
• wherein the sample unit further comprises a sample carriage that is displaceable in the movement direction, and wherein the sample carrier receptacle is rotatably supported in the sample carriage;
• and
• wherein the sample carriage comprises a sample lid carrier receptacle in which a sample lid carrier associated with and having a configuration corresponding to the sample carrier can be received, the sample lid carrier configured to receive the lid removed from the sample container, wherein the sample lid carrier receptacle is formed such that, both in the first orientation of the sample unit and in the second orientation of the sample unit, the respectively associated sample lid carrier can be received in the same orientation in relation to the sample carrier received in the sample carrier receptacle.