Cabinet with a controlled interior environment, e.g. for the temporary storage of micro-titration plates, has inner/external transport systems to transfer sample carriers through access openings with an outer buffer store

摘要

The cabinet (1), with a controlled interior temperature, has at least one sample storage assembly, and at least one transport system to transfer samples through an access opening (4,4'). A sample buffer store (20) is outside the cabinet, in front of the access opening, together with an external sample transport system (21) which gives a sample movement link between the buffer store and the access opening so that samples can be moved from the buffer store to the transport system within the cabinet. The buffer store is a separate unit, coupled to the cabinet by a release mounting, and has at least one sample carrier cassette, and preferably a number of cassettes in a carousel. A positioning system (27) moves the sample carriers to selected access openings through the rear wall between the side walls (25) of the cabinet. A transfer station for the samples, between the external and internal transport systems, is behind the doors (11,11') of the access openings, within the cabinet.