Systems, apparatus and methods to pick and/or place specimen containers

A system to store and/or retrieve specimen containers, the system comprising:

• a first secondary reservoir that holds a cryogenic fluid in liquid form, the first secondary reservoir located in a cryogenic storage tank and spaced relatively above an upper level of a cryogenic liquid of a main reservoir of the cryogenic liquid of the cryogenic storage tank;
• a pick and/or place head;
• at least one motor drivingly coupled to move the pick and/or place head;
• a control system controlling coupled to the at least one motor and operable to:
• cause the pick and/or place head to engage at least one of the specimen containers that is to be stored in the cryogenic storage tank;
• move the pick and/or place head to place the at least one of the specimen containers at least partially in the first secondary reservoir of the cryogenic fluid in liquid form in the cryogenic storage tank after the pick and/or place head engages the at least one of the specimen containers that is to be stored in the cryogenic storage tank;
• move the pick and/or place head to remove the at least one of the specimen containers from the first secondary reservoir of the cryogenic fluid in liquid form;
• and
• move the pick and/or place head to place the at least one of the specimen containers in a defined storage location in the cryogenic storage tank after moving the pick and/or place head to remove the at least one of the specimen containers from the first secondary reservoir of the cryogenic fluid in liquid form as part of a storage task.

A system to store and/or retrieve specimen containers, the system comprising:

• a first secondary reservoir of a cryogenic fluid in liquid form, the first secondary reservoir located in a cryogenic storage tank and spaced relatively above an upper level of a cryogenic liquid of a main reservoir of the cryogenic liquid of the cryogenic storage tank;
• a pick and/or place head;
• at least one motor drivingly coupled to move the pick and/or place head;
• a control system controlling coupled to the at least one motor and operable to:
• cause the pick and/or place head to engage at least one of the specimen containers;
• move the pick and/or place head to place the at least one of the specimen containers at least partially in the first secondary reservoir of the cryogenic fluid in liquid form;
• move the pick and/or place head to remove the at least one of the specimen containers from the first secondary reservoir of the cryogenic fluid in liquid form;
• and
• a first secondary supply line that supplies the cryogenic fluid in liquid form directly to the first secondary reservoir, independently of the cryogenic liquid to the main reservoir.

A system to store and/or retrieve specimen containers, the system comprising:

• a first secondary reservoir of a cryogenic fluid in liquid form, the first secondary reservoir located in a cryogenic storage tank and spaced relatively above an upper level of a cryogenic liquid of a main reservoir of the cryogenic liquid of the cryogenic storage tank;
• a pick and/or place head;
• at least one motor drivingly coupled to move the pick and/or place head;
• a control system controlling coupled to the at least one motor and operable to:
• cause the pick and/or place head to engage at least one of the specimen containers;
• move the pick and/or place head to place the at least one of the specimen containers at least partially in the first secondary reservoir of the cryogenic fluid in liquid form;
• move the pick and/or place head to remove the at least one of the specimen containers from the first secondary reservoir of the cryogenic fluid in liquid form;
• and
• a second secondary reservoir of a cryogenic fluid in liquid form, the second secondary reservoir located in the cryogenic storage tank and spaced relatively above the upper level of the cryogenic liquid of the main reservoir of the cryogenic liquid of the cryogenic storage tank.

A system to store and/or retrieve specimen containers, the system comprising:

• a first secondary reservoir that holds a cryogenic fluid in liquid form, the first secondary reservoir located in a cryogenic storage tank and spaced relatively above an upper level of a cryogenic liquid of a main reservoir of the cryogenic liquid of the cryogenic storage tank;
• a pick and/or place head;
• at least one motor drivingly coupled to move the pick and/or place head;
• a control system controlling coupled to the at least one motor and operable to:
• move the pick and/or place head to place the pick and/or place head at least partially into the cryogenic fluid in liquid form in the first secondary reservoir of the cryogenic fluid in liquid form to cool the pick and/or place head;
• and
• subsequently move the pick and/or place head to withdraw the pick and/or place head from the cryogenic fluid in liquid form in the first secondary reservoir of the cryogenic fluid in liquid form.