US 12,146,892 B2
Sample tube rack and sample tub rack assembly
Thomas Krafczyk, Munich (DE); and Martin Müller, Schliersee-Neuhaus (DE)
Assigned to Beckman Coulter, Inc., Brea, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/258,387
Filed by Beckman Coulter, Inc., Brea, CA (US)
PCT Filed Jul. 4, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IB2019/055725
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 6, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/008413, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18182101 (EP), filed on Jul. 6, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0293839 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. B01L 9/06 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 35/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/04 (2013.01) [B01L 9/06 (2013.01); G01N 35/0099 (2013.01); B01L 2200/025 (2013.01); B01L 2200/028 (2013.01); B01L 2200/18 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0829 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0851 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0858 (2013.01); B01L 2300/123 (2013.01); G01N 2035/041 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sample tube rack for receiving at least one sample tube, the sample tube rack comprising:
a bottom surface;
a plurality of openings arranged in an array in the bottom surface and configured to receive sample tubes, and
a plurality of guiding elements on the bottom surface, wherein along a row and/or along a column of the array, the plurality of openings and the plurality of guiding elements are alternately arranged, and
wherein guiding elements of the plurality of guiding elements which are arranged between two neighboring openings in a row or between two neighboring openings in a column of the array comprise at least two restraining elements arranged on two opposite sides of the respective guiding element and are free of restraining elements on sides perpendicular to the two opposite sides;
at least two guiding elements of the plurality of guiding elements are arranged on the bottom surface adjacent to each of the plurality of openings;
wherein each of the plurality of guiding elements has a columnar shape and protrudes substantially parallel to a vertical axis of the plurality of openings from the bottom surface towards a top side of the sample tube rack;
wherein the at least two guiding elements of the plurality of guiding elements are arranged at different positions around each of the plurality of openings, such that a tube compartment for receiving a sample tube is formed by the plurality of guiding elements and the plurality of openings, each of the plurality of guiding elements comprising at least one restraining element configured for holding a sample tube in the tube compartment, and wherein at least a part of each restraining element extends from a respective guiding element towards the vertical axis of a respective opening;
wherein each of the plurality of guiding elements are spaced apart from each other along a perimeter of each of the plurality of openings, thereby forming at least two clearances between each of the plurality of guiding elements along the perimeter of each of the plurality of openings; and
wherein each clearance is configured for receiving a gripper finger of a gripper for inserting a sample tube into and/or removing a sample tube from the tube compartment.