Apparatus for loading biological material containers in a conveying system

An apparatus for loading test tubes in conveying devices included in an automatic conveyor for test tubes, comprising:

• a hopper;
• a positioning device for test tubes having a first lane and a second lane, each lane comprising two spaced, parallel walls forming an opening between the walls, and motorized belts sliding on edges of the walls, the belts located above a top edge of the walls;
• and
• a recruiting device having an elevated end, the recruiting device providing test tubes to the positioning device in a horizontal orientation, each test tube having a cap extending laterally from a sidewall of the test tube;
• wherein a distance between said walls forming the first lane is such that a test tube having a first diameter rotates from the horizontal orientation from the recruiting device to a vertical orientation,
• wherein the cap engages the belts at the edges of the walls, the belts conveying the test tube to a loading area where the test tubes are handled by a test tube handling device to a working point included in the conveyor, the conveyor adapted to automatically convey the test tubes from and to modules for preparing and analyzing biological material, and
• wherein the positioning device further comprises:
• sensors on the first lane, which are adapted to discriminate between horizontally oriented test tubes and vertically oriented test tubes;
• and
• diverters adapted to move the horizontally oriented test tubes to the second lane, the second land having a larger width than the first lane, the test tubes moved to the second lane adopting a vertical orientation in the second lane.