Specimen sample rack

• US 8,246,919 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Molecular Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Herchenbach, Stephen L., Pavlovic, E. Kim
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, In Suk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hyun, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/524,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20080075634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 422/300, 422560-562, 422/564, 211/71.01, 435/809
• US Class Current: 422/562
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50855 using modular assemblies of strips or of individual wells
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/809 Incubators or racks or holders for culture plates or containers

Abstract

A rack for a plurality of capped tubes, including a frame having a longitudinally extending bottom base member having a row of spaced open top recesses adapted to receive the capped tubes. Vertical supports at the ends of the row of recesses fix a cover member above the base member. The cover member has openings therethrough smaller than the capped tubes. A wall is along one longitudinal side between the base member and the cover member, with the other longitudinal side between the base member and the cover member being open. Support fingers extend horizontally from the wall toward the open longitudinal side and are vertically aligned between the recesses to secure capped tubes in a generally vertical direction in a longitudinally extending vertical plane. The base member and cover member are vertically spaced a distance sufficient to permit tipped capped tubes to be moved into the frame with the tipped tubes then dropped into the recesses and tipped back to an upright vertical position.

Claims

1. A rack for a plurality of capped tubes, comprising a frame having:

a longitudinally extending bottom base member having a row of spaced open top recesses, each of said recesses adapted to receive one of the capped tubes;

vertical supports at the ends of the row of recesses, said supports fixing a cover member above said base member, said cover member having openings therethrough adapted to prevent the capped tubes from passing through the openings;

a wall along one longitudinal side between said base member and said cover member, wherein another longitudinal side between said base member and said cover member is open; and

support fingers extending horizontally from said wall toward said open longitudinal side to positions vertically aligned between said recesses to secure capped tubes received by the recesses through the open longitudinal side in a generally vertical direction in a longitudinally extending vertical plane;

wherein the base member and the cover member are vertically spaced a distance to permit capped tubes having a height greater than the distance between the base member and the cover member to be moved into the frame through the open longitudinal side by tipping the capped tubes, dropping the capped tubes into the open top recesses and tipping the capped tubes back to an upright vertical position so the capped tubes may be secured by the support fingers.

2. The rack of claim 1, further comprising at least one opening in said wall aligned with each of said recesses.

3. The rack of claim 1, wherein the cover member includes a handle extending beyond one of said supports.

4. The rack of claim 1, wherein said base member includes a bottom slot adapted to receive a mounting member on a specimen testing device for securing said rack to a deck of said device.

5. The rack of claim 1, wherein said recesses have a shape and depth sufficient to support a capped tube therein in an upright vertical position.

6. A rack for a plurality of capped tubes, comprising a frame having:

a longitudinally extending bottom base member having a row of spaced open top recesses, each of said recesses adapted to receive one of the capped tubes; and

vertical supports at the ends of the row of recesses, said supports fixing a cover member above said base member by a distance X, said cover member having openings therethrough;

a wall between the base member and the cover member, the wall extending along one longitudinal side between the base member and cover member, wherein another longitudinal side between the base member and cover member is open; and

support fingers extending from the wall to positions vertically aligned between the recesses, the support fingers adapted to secure capped tubes received by the recesses through the open longitudinal side in a generally vertical direction in a longitudinally extending vertical plane;

wherein the distance X permits capped tubes having a height greater than the distance X to be moved into the frame through the open longitudinal side by tipping the capped tubes, dropping the capped tubes into the open top recesses and tipping the capped tubes back to an upright vertical position so the capped tubes may be secured by the support fingers.

7. The rack of claim 6, further comprising at least one opening in said wall aligned with each of said recesses.

8. The rack of claim 6, wherein the support fingers extend horizontally from said wall toward said open longitudinal side.

9. The rack of claim 6, wherein the cover member includes a handle extending beyond one of said supports.

10. The rack of claim 6, wherein said base member includes a bottom slot adapted to receive a mounting member on a specimen testing device for securing said rack to a deck of said device.

11. The rack of claim 6, wherein said recesses have a shape and depth sufficient to support a capped tube therein in an upright vertical position.

12. The rack of claim 6, wherein said base member, cover member and recesses are sized to define a tube minimum tilt angle of θ

from vertical, and said recesses are adapted to receive capped tubes having a height no greater than about X when tilted at said angle θ

from vertical.