System and method for transferring specimen containers between detection instruments

A system for transferring specimen containers from a first automated microbial detection apparatus to a second automated microbial detection apparatus, the system comprising:

• a first automated microbial detection apparatus comprising:
• a specimen container locator device for receiving said specimen container and for moving said specimen container to one or more work stations, wherein one of the work stations is a container transfer station;
• a system transfer mechanism proximate to the container transfer station;
• and
• a first sensor configured to detect a specimen container at the container transfer station;
• and
• the second automated microbial detection apparatus comprising:
• an automated loading mechanism;
• wherein the system transfer mechanism is configured to transfer the specimen container from the container transfer station of the first automated microbial detection apparatus to the automated loading mechanism of the second automated microbial detection apparatus.