Methods and apparatus for ascertaining specimen and/or specimen container characteristics

A method of imaging a specimen container and/or a specimen in the specimen container, comprising:

• enclosing at least a portion of the specimen container with a moveable hood;
• rotating one or more optical devices located within the moveable hood at least partially around the specimen container;
• and
• generating image data of the specimen container using the one or more optical devices;
• wherein the enclosing comprises matching a first hull of the moveable hood to a second hull of the moveable hood;
• and
• wherein the matching comprises moving the first hull to a position wherein the first hull at least partially encloses the specimen container and moving the second hull to a position wherein the second hull at least partially encloses the specimen container.

A method of imaging a specimen container and/or a specimen in the specimen container, comprising:

• enclosing at least a portion of the specimen container with a moveable hood;
• rotating one or more optical devices located within the moveable hood at least partially around the specimen container;
• and
• generating image data of the specimen container using the one or more optical devices;
• wherein the enclosing comprises matching a first hull of the moveable hood to a second hull of the moveable hood;
• and
• wherein the matching comprises moving the first hull in a first direction and moving the second hull in a second direction, the second direction being opposite the first direction.