Specimen processing and analyzing systems with a station for holding specimen trays during processing

A holder for storing a specimen tray with an overlying cover member, the holder comprising

• a frame including a pair of opposing vertical side walls forming an interior storage area and having a means defining an access opening, and
• a first pair of oppositely spaced support ledges on the side walls for engaging the bottom side edges of a specimen tray and supporting the specimen tray in a generally horizontal position within the storage area with a cover member overlying the specimen tray,
• a second pair of oppositely spaced support ledges on the side walls for engaging side edges of the cover member and supporting the cover member in a pivoted, generally non-horizontal position free of the specimen tray when the specimen tray is absent from the storage area, and
• means for pivoting the cover member within the storage area into its non-horizontal position in response to withdrawal of the underlying specimen tray from the storage area through the access opening and for pivoting the cover member from its non-horizontal position to a horizontal position overlying the specimen tray in response to insertion of the specimen tray to the storage area through the access opening.

A system for handling a specimen tray with a removable cover member, the system comprising:

• a member for transporting a specimen tray including means for moving the specimen tray with a removable cover member in a vertical path and a horizontal path,
• a holder for the specimen tray including a pair of opposing vertical side walls forming an interior storage area having means defining oppositely facing first and second access openings, the first opening being accessible to a user for loading a specimen tray with overlying cover member into the storage area, the second opening being accessible to the transport member, the holder including
• support means for supporting the specimen tray and the cover member within the storage area, the support means including a pair of horizontally aligned spaced tray support ledges on the side walls for engaging bottom side edges of the specimen tray, and
• means for retaining and pivoting the cover member within the storage area free of the removed specimen tray when the transport member carries the specimen tray outside the holder, the means for retaining and pivoting the cover member including:
• (a) upper cover support means located above the plane of the tray support ledges inwardly of the second access opening for receiving one end of the cover member as the transport member lifts the specimen tray from the tray support ledges to support the engaged cover member end within the storage area free of the underlying specimen tray,
• (b) lower cover support means located below the level of the upper cover member support means and inwardly of the first access opening for supporting the other end of the cover member when the underlying specimen tray is removed from the storage area free of the cover member, and
• (c) means for pivoting the cover member about the upper cover support means to direct the other cover member end into contact with the lower cover support means in response to movement of the specimen tray upon the transport member from the storage area through the second access opening.

A bifacially open specimen tray holder for both receiving at a first face thereof in a generally horizontal disposition a combined specimen tray and congruent overlying cover member which are each generally rectangular in plan view, and for discharging at a second face thereof said specimen tray alone while retaining said cover member in an inclined position of elevation at said second face preparatory to return of said specimen tray into said holder via said second face, at each side thereof said specimen tray including lower side edges and said cover member including laterally extending side edge tabs both extending between said faces of said holder, said holder comprising:

• a frame with a pair of vertically extending and laterally spaced apart substantially mirror-image wall member having substantially vertical side edges respectively defining first and second faces of said holder and defining therebetween a tray-receiving volume;
• each of said pair of wall members having a tray-supporting ledge extending generally horizontally between said holder faces and toward the other of said pair of wall members to supportingly engage lower side edges of said tray member, each of a pair of wall members also having both a tab-supporting detent spaced above said tray-supporting ledge and adjacent to said second holder face, and a tab-supporting surface lower than said tab-supporting detent, said tab-supporting detent and said tab-supporting surface cooperatively supporting a cover member in said holder in said inclined position in the absence of said specimen tray.