AUTOMATED APPARATUS

• Main Authors: SAGONA PETER JOSEPH, CONSTABLE KEVIN N, O BRYAN DAVID P, VAN DYKE BINGHAM H. JR
• Format: Patent
• Language: Czech; English
• Published: 13.01.1999
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; CONVEYING; COUNTING; DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS OR METHODS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORYOR FORECASTING PURPOSES; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE,COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORY OR FORECASTINGPURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TESTING; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

This invention relates to an automated apparatus for subjecting samples (9) to one or more selected test procedures (45) at one or more test stations (27, 28). A conveyor system (1) transports uniquely labeled containers (8), said line (1) having at least two lanes (2, 3) for routing said containers (8) to one or more selectable test stations (27, 28). At least one of said lanes (2, 3) being a transport lane and the other being a queue lane. A container interface device (37) reads the labels (12) on the containers (8) and routes them as instructed by the information encoded on the labels (12).