US 5,589,137 AGranted

Specimen carrier

AssigneeLab-Interlink, Inc.

InventorsRodney S. Markin, Michael R. Newcomb

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Abstract

A specimen carrier is designed for transporting specimen tubes throughout an automatic laboratory conveyance system. The specimen carrier includes a generally rectilinear carrier body with a forward face having an identification zone delimited thereon. An identification code is marked in the identification zone so as to permit mechanical sensing and identification of the carrier on a conveyor system. A plurality of holes of various diameters and depths are provided in the top surface of the carrier to receive specimen tubes of various types. The deepest holes are located centrally, so that the carrier is stable while retaining specimens therein. A groove is formed in the top surface of the carrier body which extends between the specimen tube holes, so as to communicate any fluid spilling from a test tube to the other empty holes in the specimen carrier, thereby retaining the fluid within the body of the carrier. A special vertical slot is provided in one of the vertical holes, utilizing a pair of opposing vertical channels, so as to retain a specimen slide in the specimen carrier.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A specimen carrier for transporting a laboratory specimen carried within a specimen tube or on a specimen slide, comprising:

a carrier body having a forward face and opposing rearward face, a top surface and opposing bottom surface, a right end wall and opposing left end wall an aperture having alternating curved portions forming a plurality of vertical cylindrical holes for receiving specimen tubes of varying diameter and depth dimensions, said aperture comprising;
a first vertical cylindrical hole formed in the top surface of the carrier body, said hole having a first diameter and depth dimensions so as to receive a first specimen tube partially therein;
and
a second vertical cylindrical hole formed in the top surface of the carrier body said second hole having a second diameter and depth dimensions different from said first hole so as to receive a second specimen tube having diameter and depth dimensions different from said first tube;
said second hole, overlapping the first hole to form a single cavity, wherein said cavity extends vertically from the lower end to an open upper end at the top surface of the carrier body and extends horizontally to include the diameter of each of said first and second holes, to retain fluid therein.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.