Automatic device for the automated conduct of analyses, notably medical analyses

A method of managing a set of bottles in an automatic device, the automatic device including:

• a storage zone for storing the set of bottles,
• an automated sampling system for selectively sampling contents of respective bottles among the set of bottles stored in the storage zone,
• an access opening to a loading zone,
• the loading zone being configured to introduce a new bottle that was not already stored in the automatic device into the automatic device,
• an access opening to an unloading zone,
• the unloading zone configured to enable recovery of empty bottles or bottles that are no longer to be used by the automatic device,
• a bottle conveyor and storage system, configured selectively and individually to transport the bottles among the set of bottles stored in the storage zone from a first location in the storage zone to the unloading zone and the new bottle from the loading zone to a second location in the storage zone,
• the bottle conveyor and storage system including an at least one storage module defining at least a part of the storage zone and a bottle entry/exit zone to the at least one storage module, the at least one storage module being provided with means for driving the set of bottles within the at least one storage module in a loop, to enable selective positioning of a bottle among the set of bottles in the entry/exit zone,
• the at least one storage module including a module belt, carrying separators defining between housings receiving bottles among the set of bottles,
• the method including:
• transporting a bottle among the set of bottles from the loading zone to the storage zone and disposing the bottle at a predefined location thereof, or
• transporting the bottle from the predefined location of the storage zone to the unloading zone,
• the bottle conveyor and storage system including a rear belt, the rear belt providing at least a part of the transport from the loading zone to the at least one storage mod ule to receive the new bottle,
• the method including the step consisting in combined movement of the bottles of the at least one storage module by driving the module belt in one direction, until a bottle among the set of bottles to be removed from the at least one storage module is moved onto the rear belt, then moving the module belt in the opposite direction to move away the separator that has pushed the bottle onto the rear belt and to free the bottle to allow the bottle to continue on its path by being driven by the rear belt.