Module for an automated biology laboratory system with an interface to transfer microplates or lab-ware

A method for handling a plate or a lab-ware item with a microplate footprint (360) stored in a module (100) of an automated biological laboratory system, wherein the system comprises:

• a multi-level storage device (108), wherein each level of the storage device (108) has at least one plate slot (110) for receiving said plate or lab-ware item, a robotic handling device (160, 162) for moving said plate or lab-ware item from one of the levels to another one of the levels, wherein the robotic handling device (160, 162) is positioned in a center of the module (100), and wherein the module (100) has a transfer interface (130, 134) comprising an aperture of the housing (102) of the module (100), the method comprising:
• moving the plate or lab-ware item from one of the plate slots to a transfer slot (113), wherein the transfer slot (113) and the transfer interface (130, 134) are located a single horizontal plane;
• rotating the storage device (108) so as to align the transfer slot (113) with the transfer interface (133, 134, 234);
• and
• moving the plate or lab-ware item from the transfer slot (113) through the aperture of the transfer interface (133, 134, 234) out of the module (100).

The method for handling a plate (116, 320, 322, 324) or a container stored in a storage module (100) of an automated biological laboratory system, wherein the system comprises:

• a multi-level storage device (108), wherein each level of the storage device (108) has at least one plate slot (110) for receiving the plate or the container, wherein at least a first one of the plate slots (110) is reserved as a buffer slot, and wherein the buffer slot and a transfer interface (130, 134, 234) are located in a single horizontal plane;
• and a first robotic handling device (160, 162) for moving said plate or container from one of the levels to another one of the levels, the method comprising:
• moving the plate or container with the first robot handling device (160, 162) from the first plate slot to the buffer slot;
• temporarily storing the plate or container in the buffer slot;
• and
• moving the plate or container with a second robot handling device through said transfer interface (133, 134, 234) into an adjacent module.

A module (100, 120) for an automated biological laboratory system, comprising:

• a housing (102);
• a storage device (108, 330) located within the housing (102), the storage device having a plurality of plate slots (110) for receiving (i) plates (116, 320, 322, 324) or lab-ware with a microplate footprint (360) or (ii) containers (326, 327);
• a transfer slot (113) to transfer said plates (116, 320, 322, 324) or containers (326, 327) between an inside of the module (100, 120) and an outside of the module (100, 120);
• and
• indexing means (140, 142) to facilitate alignment of the transfer slot (113) with a transfer interface (130, 134) comprising an aperture of the housing (102),
• wherein the storage device (108, 330) comprises a plurality of levels arranged one upon another, each level having ones of the plate slots (110) radially arranged with reference to a central axis of the storage device (108, 330),
• wherein the storage device (108, 330) further comprises a first plurality of racks (310) that are arranged as vertical stands (314), the first plurality of racks (310) having rack rails (312) that extend into an area between two of said vertical stands (314), and
• wherein the first plurality of racks (210) are removable from the storage device (108) and are replaceable by a second plurality of racks (210, 310) that are preloaded with new sets of plastic ware (300) and plates (116) using a user accessible door of the housing (102) having a height equal to a height of the first or second plurality of racks (210, 310).