An apparatus and method for providing visual signals relating to a plurality of laboratory sample carriers

An apparatus for providing visual signals relating to a plurality of laboratory sample carriers, the apparatus comprising:

• a tray for holding a plurality of laboratory sample carriers wherein each sample carrier displays an identification code, the tray having a plurality of carrier bays wherein each carrier bay is arranged to receive one laboratory sample carrier;
• a visual signal emitting device for emitting a visual signal for each carrier bay;
• a data input device for inputting data associated with each identification code;
• and
• a processing device operatively connected to the data input device and to the visual signal emitting device, the processing device configured to process the data associated with the laboratory sample carrier identification codes, the processing device being configured to activate the visual signal emitting device to emit a visual signal for a said carrier bay to indicate the carrier bay that is to receive the laboratory sample carrier associated with the data input for the identification code for that laboratory sample carrier.

A method for providing visual signals relating to a plurality of laboratory sample carriers, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing laboratory sample carriers on corresponding carrier bays of a tray wherein each sample carrier displays an identification code;
• taking a digital image of at least part of the tray with a digital camera;
• processing the digital image with a processing device to read the laboratory sample carrier identification codes in the image;
• and
• activating a visual signal emitting device to emit at least one visual signal for each occupied carrier bay included in the image wherein the visual signal emitted for each said carrier bay is determined by the sample carrier identification code read by the processing device from a corresponding carrier bay part of the processed image.

A method for monitoring a tray of laboratory sample carriers, the method comprising the steps of:

• placing laboratory sample carriers on corresponding carrier bays of a tray wherein each sample carrier has an identification code;
• on a first occasion taking a first digital image of at least part of the tray with a digital camera;
• processing the first digital image with a processing device to read the laboratory sample carrier identification codes in the first image;
• on a second occasion taking a second digital image of the at least part of the tray with the digital camera;
• processing the second digital image with the processing device to read the laboratory sample carrier identification codes in the second image;
• and
• comparing for each carrier bay that appears in both the first and second images the identification code for the laboratory sample carrier at that carrier bay from the first image with the identification code for the laboratory sample carrier at that carrier bay from the second image, identifying any differences, and providing an output identifying such differences.

A method for providing visual signals relating to a plurality of laboratory sample carriers, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a tray for holding a plurality of laboratory sample carriers wherein each sample carrier displays an identification code, the tray having a plurality of carrier bays wherein each carrier bay is arranged to receive one laboratory sample carrier;
• (b) providing a visual signal emitting device for emitting a visual signal for each carrier bay-;
• (c) inputting data associated with each identification code with a data input device;
• and
• (d) processing the data associated with the laboratory sample carrier identification codes with a processing device operatively connected to the data input device and to the visual signal emitting device-f, and activating the visual signal emitting device to emit a visual signal for a said carrier bay to indicate the carrier bay that is to receive the laboratory sample carrier associated with the data input for the identification code for that laboratory sample carrier.