Device and method for sterilizing and storage of laboratory consumables

A sterilizing and storage device comprising:

• a housing defining an interior chamber and having an opening defined in the housing to enable access to the interior chamber, the interior chamber divided into a plurality of storage compartments, each storage compartment adapted to slidably receive a carrier holding a plurality of laboratory consumables;
• a door affixed to the housing and selectively movable between a closed position closing off the opening and an open position enabling access to the interior chamber and the storage compartments;
• a plurality of ultraviolet (UV) lamps positioned such that each storage compartment receives UV light from a UV lamp;
• one or more fans to draw air into the housing;
• a plurality of carriers, each carrier adapted to hold a plurality of laboratory consumables suspended from an upper surface of the carrier such that a distal end of each of the plurality of laboratory consumables hangs down into an open interior portion of the carrier, each carrier having one or more side surface openings defined therein and one or more bottom surface openings defined therein to enable air flow and UV light to reach the distal ends of the plurality of laboratory consumables, each of the plurality of carriers includes a frame having an open bottom and openings along sides thereof enabling UV light and air flow to readily reach the laboratory consumables, each of the plurality of carriers also includes a tip rack adapter plate, the tip rack adapter plate includes a plurality of openings upon which a tip rack may be placed such that the tip rack sits on edges of the respective opening and the laboratory consumables in the tip rack protrude down through the respective opening:
• a controller for controlling operation of the storage device;
• and
• a plurality of carrier sensors in communication with the controller, each carrier sensor positioned for detecting a presence of a carrier in a respective storage compartment, wherein the controller activates only the UV lamps positioned adjacent the storage compartments in which the presence of a carrier has been detected.