Storage and supply for vessel holders

A method for processing vessels containing biological samples in an automated system, the method comprising:

• retrieving an empty vessel holder to a transport medium from a storage module comprising a plurality of empty vessel holders, wherein the storage module is connected to the transport medium via an empty vessel holder transfer unit comprising a vertical and lateral moving shuttle system for introducing empty vessel holders from the transport medium into the storage module or retrieving them from the storage module to the transport medium by moving vertically and laterally along the cylinder-shaped silo storage module;
• engaging a vessel comprising a biological sample to the retrieved empty vessel holder;
• transporting the vessel holder with the engaged vessel comprising a biological sample via the transport medium to a work cell;
• processing the vessel containing a biological sample within the work cell;
• disengaging the vessel comprising a biological sample from the vessel holder;
• detecting the empty vessel holder by an empty vessel holder detection unit for detecting empty vessel holders in or on the transport medium, the empty vessel holder detection unit comprising an empty vessel holder detector for discriminating between filled and empty vessel holders, and a transfer initiator configured to initiate the introduction or re-introduction of an empty vessel holder detected in or on the transport medium into the storage module by the vertical and lateral moving shuttle system of the empty vessel holder transfer unit;
• and
• re-introducing the empty vessel holder into the storage module by moving the empty vessel holder vertically and laterally into the storage module.