US 12,265,094 B2
Sample tube and method
Robin D. Grimwood, Chelford (GB); Hans Harzl, Manchester (GB); David Harding, Edgworth Bolton (GB); and David Gray, Southborough, MA (US)
Assigned to Azenta US, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed by Azenta US, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed on May 12, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/872,809.
Application 16/872,809 is a continuation of application No. 15/725,497, filed on Oct. 5, 2017, granted, now 10,677,810.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/405,714, filed on Oct. 7, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0271676 A1, Aug. 27, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 35/00 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01L 9/06 (2006.01); G01N 1/02 (2006.01); G01N 35/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/00732 (2013.01) [B01L 3/5023 (2013.01); B01L 3/54 (2013.01); B01L 3/5453 (2013.01); B01L 9/06 (2013.01); B01L 2200/147 (2013.01); B01L 2300/021 (2013.01); B01L 2300/022 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0851 (2013.01); G01N 2001/028 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00742 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00752 (2013.01); G01N 35/0099 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0401 (2013.01); G01N 2035/041 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0429 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sample tube comprising:
a sidewall that is substantially cylindrical, with a cylindrical axis, and open at one end, and non-cylindrical and closed with a bottom at the opposite end, the non-cylindrical, closed, opposite end having substantially rectangular cross-section inner and outer opposed flat wall surfaces that do not extend into the substantially cylindrical end, faces of the external wall surfaces facing radially outward with edges at the intersections of the external flat wall surfaces extending along the cylindrical axis; and
four flat slide pad surfaces formed in the substantially cylindrical end of the sidewall configured to be gripped by complementary gripper surfaces of a gripper, assuring proper orientation of the sample tube relative to the gripper, the four flat slide pad surfaces of the substantially cylindrical end extending along the cylindrical axis and along the four edges of the substantially rectangular cross-section outer wall surfaces at the bottom end of the sample tube and facing radially outward, the flat side pad surfaces being narrower than and angled relative to the faces of the rectangular cross section outer flat wall surfaces of the closed, opposite end.