Conveyor assembly

A sample processing system comprising:

• an instrument comprising a housing;
• and
• a conveyor assembly configured to transport a carrier coupled to a receptacle to a processing position located within the housing of the instrument, wherein the conveyor assembly comprises:
• a buffer conveyor subassembly for transporting the carrier coupled to the receptacle from a host conveyor assembly to a spur conveyor subassembly;
• the spur conveyor subassembly, wherein the spur conveyor subassembly comprises:
• a gripper configured to grasp the carrier coupled to the receptacle and
• a diverter defining a first recess configured to receive the carrier, the diverter being rotatable between:
• (i) a first position at which the first recess is aligned with and positioned to receive the carrier from an input section of the buffer conveyor subassembly,
• (ii) a second position at which the first recess and the carrier received into the first recess at the first position are aligned with the gripper of the spur conveyor subassembly, and
• (iii) a third position at which the first recess is aligned with and returns the carrier to an output section of the buffer conveyor assembly,
• wherein the gripper is configured to grasp the carrier at the second position outside the housing of the instrument and to move the carrier along a linear path between the second position and the processing position located within the housing of the instrument;
• and
• a cover enclosing at least a portion of the linear path between the second position and the processing position.