LED ARRAY FOR ILLUMINATING CELL WELL PLATES AND AUTOMATED RACK SYSTEM FOR HANDLING THE SAME

摘要

An assembly (10) for promoting the growth of plant tissues that includes a plurality of plates (12) each defining an array of wells (13) wherein each o f the wells (13) contains a tissue sample. Support for the plates (12) is provided by a rack (20) having a plurality of vertically stacked shelves (23 ) that may include one or more register depressions (26) that urge the plates into predetermined positions. Light for the tissue samples is provided by a plurality of light-emitting diode arrays (30) each mounted on a circuit boar d (31). Each circuit board (31) is supported by a respective card edge connect or (24) of the rack (20) so that the light-emitting diodes (30) are in proximit y to the plates (12) supported on one of the shelves (23) therebelow. Preferably, the light-emitting diode array (30) corresponds to the well arra y supported in the registered position on the shelf (23) therebelow so that ea ch light-emitting diode (30) is centered above a respective one of the wells (1 3).