APPLYING COVERS TO OPENINGS OF A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of cover members (52) and an arrangement (104) for positioning the plurality of cover members on, or adjacent, openings of a plurality of containers (12). The system further includes an arrangement (106) for exerting a force substantially simultaneously on the plurality of cover members such that each of the cover members contacts a portion of its respective container adjacent the opening, the cover member becoming attached to the container and thereby acting as a cover for the container.

Description

The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/846,334 filed on Sep. 22, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to applying covers to openings of a plurality of containers.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Containers such as sample tubes are widely used in laboratory environments. The caps are removed from the sample tubes manually or, more frequently, using automated systems in order to access their contents. Afterwards, the replacement of the cap has to be performed manually in the majority of laboratories, and the original cap, or a new one, is often not replaced, or put on, immediately. This means that after a series of laboratory operations, e.g. diagnostic tests, there can be several hundred sample tubes left without caps. Preformed plastic covers, trays or other similar sized racks may be used to cover these racks temporarily until recapping, but these can easily be displaced accidentally, e.g. if the tubes or the racks are knocked over, thus causing a spillage risk of contaminated biological material. Such temporary coverings can also lead to a risk of cross-contamination between samples should material land on them and then be displaced into another sample container (unless the cover is sterilised between each use, which is unlikely in a busy laboratory). This could lead to incorrect/misleading results and possible misdiagnosis implications.

The samples have to be recapped individually as 10 to 15% will require retesting or further tests due to the results produced. The chances are that tubes in the centre of a sample tube rack will need to be re-accessed as much as those on the edges. The tubes may then be stored for 3 to 14 days in refrigerators before disposal, which again requires individual capping to stop one tube ripping the top off another and causing a biological spillage hazard. After use, the tubes are tipped into large waste containers for incineration as biological waste.

Leaving the content of sample tubes open to the environment can have health and safety implications, even if a temporary cover is used, as the staff are still exposed to aerosols from a large number of potentially dangerous samples for long periods before and/or while recapping the samples. Manual recapping also requires the operator to touch possibly contaminated tops and sample tubes that could leave residual potential hazardous material on gloves, laboratory coats or coveralls for transfer elsewhere. This exposure of the samples to environment can also affect the results of any subsequent tests involving the contents due to evaporation of the liquid portion, which increases the concentration of the constituents. This may lead to misleading results with possible misdiagnosis implications.

As mentioned above, conventionally, the sample tubes caps are replaced manually. This can be very time consuming when there are many opened sample tubes. Further, the process can be relatively costly because it takes up a large amount of unskilled staff time during normal hours and even more costly during out of hours shift periods because it takes up a large amount of the time of skilled laboratory staff. Additional health and safety issues can arise due to the continuous recapping of large numbers of samples as this has caused an increase in repetitive strain injuries in laboratory staff. Also, according to health and safety rules, the operation should be performed whilst wearing disposable gloves, but this makes it difficult due to the screw or push top type sample tubes rubbing or chaffing fingers, meaning that gloves are sometimes not used.

Robotic equipment has been developed to automate the process of individually recapping the samples using heat sealed plastic or foil. However, such equipment is only financially viable in extremely large laboratories as it expensive in terms of purchase cost maintenance and the consumable running costs. Such equipment also rarely has a backup system for downtime periods. The equipment may require processing time that will impede and reduce the throughput of other, more urgent processing functions and is, at the moment, a most mechanically difficult and fragile process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are intended to address at least some of the problems associated with the conventional methods discussed above. Some embodiments provide a cost effective, robust semi-automated procedure that is fast and maintains the quality of the sample. Embodiments can remove the need for a human operator to directly touch samples, thereby reducing the health and safety risks and can increase the efficiency of staff by freeing them for other work.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a system adapted to apply covers to openings of a plurality of containers, the system including:

a plurality of cover members;

an arrangement for positioning the plurality of cover members on, or adjacent, openings of the respective plurality of containers, and

an arrangement for exerting a force substantially simultaneously on the plurality of cover members such that each of the cover members contacts a portion of its respective container adjacent the opening, the cover member becoming attached to the container and thereby acting as a cover for the container.

The cover members may be deformable. The force exerted on the cover members may be such that the cover member becomes deformed around the opening of the container. This deformation may at least partially attach the cover member to the container. The deformable cover member may be substantially flat. The deformable member may be formed of an at least semi-resilient material such as medical devices approved (ISO 10993) PVC standard inert and non-absorbent foam, or a specialised antibacterial foam in circumstances that require it.

Additionally or alternatively, the cover members may be provided with an adhesive suitable for adhering to at least a portion of the container.

The plurality of cover members may be initially provided connected together (e.g. in a form of a sheet), with the cover members being configured to separate from each other upon the application of force. The sheet may include a plurality of cuts/tear lines such that at least an adjacent pair of the cover members are initially held together at least one point before the application of force. The sheet may divide the cover members into a formation that generally corresponds to an arrangement of the openings of the containers in a rack. For example, the cover members may be in a grid (e.g. square or rectangular) formation. The sheet may be formed of an open cell foam that has no memory.

The arrangement for positioning the cover members may include a surface including a plurality of bores or apertures. In use, the cover members may be (temporarily) connected to the surface before the means for exerting a force is activated. Each of the bores/apertures may be dimensioned (e.g. be of sufficient diameter) so as to accommodate at least a portion of one of the plurality of containers that includes its opening. The area of one of the cover members may be substantially equal to or greater than the area of the opening of the container (and the area of the bore/aperture). Thus, when the portion of the container including the opening is positioned within the bore or aperture, at least one edge of the deformable cover member can deform towards an outer surface of the container (and may bring the at least one edge into contact with the outer surface). The arrangement for exerting a force may force an inner/central portion of the deformable cover member into contact with a lip around the opening of the container (and/or an inner surface of the container).

The arrangement for exerting a force may further include a plurality of members moveable relative to the arrangement for positioning the cover members, e.g. by means of a cam arrangement. In one embodiment there are a pair of cams. One of the cams may be located at a point about one third along a length of the surface from one end and the other cam being located at a point about one third along the length of the surface from the other end. Smaller units may require a single cam in a central position. The members may be movable relative to the surface such that a portion of a said projection maintains contact with the applied cover member whilst the surface is moved away, thereby assisting with preventing the cover member from being accidentally removed from the container.

The containers may be generally cylindrical in shape. The opening of a said container may be located at an end of the container. The containers may comprise sample tubes, which may be screw top (for receiving a threaded closing member) or an open top (for receiving a plug type closing member) type of tube. The containers may be held in position by a rack, such as a precision/archive rack. The arrangement for positioning the plurality of cover members and the arrangement for exerting a force can be part of a portable device that, in use, is positioned above the rack. The portable device can include a set of legs that position the arrangement for positioning the plurality of cover members above the rack. The legs may be formed so as to engage with edges of the rack, thereby assisting with alignment of the portable device with the rack. The means for exerting a force comprises a pair of handles disposed adjacent opposite ends of the surface.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus adapted to apply covers to openings of a plurality of containers, the apparatus including:

an arrangement configured to, in use, position a plurality of cover members on, or adjacent, openings of the respective plurality of containers, and

an arrangement configured to, in use, substantially simultaneously exert a force on the plurality of cover members such that each of the cover members contacts a portion of its respective container adjacent the opening, the cover member becoming attached to the container and thereby acting as a cover for the container.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of applying covers to openings of a plurality of containers, the method including:

securing the plurality of containers in position;

positioning a respective plurality of cover members on, or adjacent, openings of the plurality of containers, and

exerting a force substantially simultaneously on the plurality of cover members such that each of the cover members contacts a portion of its respective container adjacent the opening, the cover member becoming attached to the container and thereby acting as a cover for the container.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a sheet including a plurality of container cover members substantially as described herein, wherein the container cover members of the sheet are configured to separate from each other upon application of force.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a container cover including a deformable member that, in use, is deformed by force around an opening of a container such that the deformed member acts as a cover for the container.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a kit including a rack for holding a plurality of containers and a system for applying covers to openings of a plurality of containers substantially as described herein. The kit may further include a plurality of the containers.

Whilst the invention has been described above, it extends to any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description. Although illustrative embodiments of the invention are described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments. As such, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. Furthermore, it is contemplated that a particular feature described either individually or as part of an embodiment can be combined with other individually described features, or parts of other embodiments, even if the other features and embodiments make no mention of the particular feature. Thus, the invention extends to such specific combinations not already described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be performed in various ways, and, by way of example only, embodiments thereof will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a system for applying covers onto a plurality of sample tubes, along with sample tubes held in a rack and a sheet including a plurality of deformable cover members;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 details part of the sheet of FIG. 1, and

FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate schematically the system in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a precision/archive rack 10 for sample tubes. Such racks are widely available commercially and in the example the rack comprises a rectangular block having an array of blind bores 11 arranged in a grid-like formation. The diameter of each bore 11 is such that a sample tube 12 can be securely held within it without significant lateral movement. In the example there are 3×17 bores, but it will be appreciated that other configurations are possible. Further, racks having other arrangements (possibly non-regular) of formations (not necessarily bores/recesses) for securely holding sample tubes in position could be used.

FIG. 1 also shows a cover-applying apparatus 100. The apparatus includes four legs/supports 102, each leg being located adjacent a corner of a generally rectangular lower member 104. Each leg 102 is L-shaped in cross section. The material used for the majority of the components of the apparatus 100 is toughened PVC, but it will be understood that any other material (e.g. plastic or metal) could be used. The apparatus 100 is relatively lightweight and can be easily positioned precisely by a human user.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the member 102 is recessed 105 with low sidewalls 201 extending along its side edges, but not across its ends. The end portions 107A, 107B of the lower member 104 extend beyond the adjacent pairs of legs. Arranged over the lower surface of the member 104 is an array of apertures 202 of circular cross-section that lead from the lower surface through to the upper surface of the member 104. The diameter of each aperture is normally set slightly larger than that of the tube. In the example, the apertures 202 are arranged in a 3×17 grid formation that corresponds with the grid of bores 11 in the sample tube rack 11, but, again, it will be understood that this arrangement is exemplary only and that other arrangements of apertures could be provided (e.g. a 6×60 grid) to correspond with any particular rack that is intended to be used in conjunction with the apparatus 100. Further, the apparatus 100 may be varied in size and configuration for use with a bespoke archive precision rack, e.g. ones configured to hold anywhere between around 50 to 150 sample tubes, or for use in conjunction with alternative types of racks produced by alternative manufacturers.

The apparatus 100 may be designed to ensure there is sufficient room for the tube to be placed in the rack easily (either manually or mechanically) such that the tube can be fully sealed without aerosol or leakage afterwards. The apparatus 100 may also be designed with the intention of maximising the rack and number of samples for optimum yield from the foam covers (described below) by minimising the spaces between the tube, thereby maximising storage refrigerated archive storage areas and increasing energy efficiency.

Returning to FIG. 1, it can be seen that a pair of the legs 102 disposed at each end of the apparatus 100 extend above the lower member 104 to form a handle portion 106. In the example, the member 104, handles 106 and legs 102 are integral, but it will be appreciated that these parts could be separate components that are fitted together.

A first rectangular vertical bar 108A is connected to a first side surface of the lower member 104, at a point around one third of the way along from the nearest end (the left hand end in the Figure). A second bar 108B is also connected to a corresponding location on the opposite side surface. A third bar 108C is connected to the first side surface, at a point around one third of the way along from the opposite end. A fourth bar 108D is connected to a corresponding location on the opposite side surface (right hand in the Figure).

Located on top of the upper surface of the lower member 104 is a rectangular plate 114. Lateral movement of the plate 114 is limited by contact with portions of the two handles and the four bars 108A-108D. The lower surface of the plate 114 is provided with a plurality of depending cylindrical projections (not visible in FIG. 1, but shown as 203 in FIGS. 2 and 4A-4C). These projections are arranged in a 3×17 grid formation so as to correspond with the array of apertures 202 in the lower member 104. The diameters of the cylindrical projections 203 are normally at least slightly less than the diameters of the apertures 202 to allow the projections to move inside the apertures. Contact between the projections 203 and the apertures 202 also limits lateral movement of the plate 114.

Extending between the corresponding pair of vertical bars 108A, 108B is a first cylinder 110A. The cylinder 110A is pivotally connected to each of the bars by means of an off-centre pivot pin 112. A rectangular handle portion 113A extends outwardly from the radial surface of the cylinder, the handle being located about halfway across the cylinder. A similar second cylinder 1108 is rotatably connected between the other pair 108C, 108D of vertical bars by means of off-centre pivot pins 112. The second cylinder 110B also includes a similar handle portion. There may be projections (not shown) on the upper surface of plate 114 to limit rotational movement of the handles 113A, 113B.

The thickness of the plate 114 is such that it has some freedom to move in the vertical plane between the upper surface of the member 104 and the two cylinders 110A, 110B. A set of biasing devices, such as springs (not visible), bias the plate 114 upwards and away from the upper surface of member 104, unless sufficient downward force is exerted to overcome the bias. Further, the freedom of movement of the plate 114 is such that the projections 401 will not normally be able to move entirely out of the apertures 202 without at least some of the other components of the apparatus being removed. Having the first and second cylinders 110A, 110B connected to the other components of the apparatus 100 by means of off-centre pivot pins means that the cylinders can act as cams that, when rotated, apply pressure to (or remove pressure from) the upper surface of the moveable plate 114, as will be described below.

FIG. 1 also shows a sheet 50 of deformable material. In the example, the deformable material is medical standard inert foam, although it will be understood that other suitable materials, such as or an antibacterial foam could be used. The sheet in the example has a uniform thickness of around 3.5 mm, but it will be understood that material of different thickness (e.g. between 2 and 5 mm) could be used. In one specific example, the foam used is a polyethylene foam having the following characteristics: Density: 33 Kg/m³; Tensile strength: 280 Kpa lengthwise, 180 Kpa crosswise; Elongation values: 120% lengthwise, 100% crosswise; Compressive strength: 10% deflection: 13 Kpa, 25% deflection: 32 Kpa, 50% deflection: 90 Kpa; Compression set (22 h charge, 23° C., 25% deflection): 5 h after discharge=21%, 24 h after discharge=13%; Temperature range: −80-+100° C.; Water absorption: <1% volume after 7 days. The material used will normally be approved for use in medical devices, e.g. comply with ISO 10993. The thickness of the foam is chosen such that when the covers it forms are pressed around the outer surfaces of the tubes, as will be described below, it is not too thick so as to cause jamming of the tubes within the apertures 202 when they are ejected. In some embodiments, the sheet may be formed of a non-woven, open cell foam, which has no memory. It has been found that the use of this type of foam assists with sealing the sample tubes, as will be described below. An alternative would be to use an adhesive foil (e.g. tin).

A die-cast machine is used to form cuts/lines/perforations in the sheet so as to define a plurality of deformable cover members 52. The deformable members are all generally square shaped and have the same dimensions. In the example, each square is about 20 mm×18 mm, which is suitable for use with the widely used standard primary sample tubes having a diameter of between 13 mm and 16.5 mm, but it will be understood that the shape and size of the members could be selected to correspond to any set of sample tubes or other type of container that is to be used with the apparatus.

A portion of the sheet 50 is detailed in FIG. 3. Each square 52 is partially defined by four lines 301 around its perimeter. At each of the four corners of the square the line is interrupted by a small portion 302 of the sheet material so that the squares are all connected together. However, the amount of material in each portion 302 is such that each square can be readily removed from its neighbour(s) upon the application of force. It will be understood that the arrangement of FIG. 3 is only one example of how the sheet can be configured to free/separate the deformable members upon the application of force, e.g. connecting portions could be provided at other locations around the perimeter of each square.

The sheet illustrated is divided into a grid of 3×17 squares to correspond with the sample tubes 12 in the rack 10 and the apertures 202/projections 203 of the apparatus, but it will be appreciated that variations are possible. For example, all the deformable members defined by a single sheet need not be of the same size and shape if the apparatus is to be used in conjunction with a rack that is configured to hold containers of different sizes/shapes. It will be seen that at the two ends of the sheet there are rectangular portions 303. These portions are not intended to be used as covers for sample tubes, but help keep the sheet in position within the recessed lower surface of the lower member 104, between a pair of the legs 102, as will be described below.

An adhesive can be provided on at least one surface of the sheet 50. Typically a protective sheet/liner (e.g. white siliconised paper) or the like can be used to cover the adhesive until it is needed. The adhesive may be provided on the protective sheet initially. Although the adhesive should not come into contact with the contented if held upright in the rack, a synthetic, non-animal based adhesive is preferred because this is less likely to interfere with the contents of the sample tube because in the event that it does come into contact with the tube content. Animal based products may add to or interfere with the constituents under analysis such as hormonal or enzyme analysis. In one embodiment, the adhesive comprises modified acrylic.

The design of the apparatus is normally determined by the dimension(s) of the sample tubes (which will usually all be of substantially uniform height) and the number of tubes that are to be used in conjunction with it. This number will usually be between 50 (the number at which recapping manually is considered to become excessive) and 150 (the number of tubes that is thought to be the maximum that can easily be handled by the example apparatus being described). A reverse engineering process may be used to design the apparatus where a sample tube rack is designed first with the intention of maximising and optimising its area to include the greatest number of tubes possible without compromising the following criteria:

• • The clearance between the tubes is sufficient for the manual/robotic loading of the racks and manual recapping if it is found necessary to retest samples if they have to be replaced in the original rack for tracking purposes.
  • The spacing between the tubes should be sufficient such that, during operation of the apparatus, there will be a sufficient amount of the foam 50 (or similar material) that can wrap around onto the outer surface of a sample tube to ensure substantially complete resealing to avoid spillage risk, as will be described below.

A die cast cutter can then be used to produce sheet 50/cover members 52 of appropriate dimensions and the apparatus 100 can again be reverse engineered to ensure that its application is successful.

The design process can also accommodate proprietary or ready-made racks already used in laboratories (although such racks may require larger areas of refrigerator space and therefore be more costly/inefficient). The racks will normally be ones that are able to hold the tubes steady vertically and have sufficient clearance for the foam to seal around the opening of the sample tube as will be described below. Such racks may require larger amounts of foam to be used.

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional drawing through portions of the rack 10, sample tubes 12, sheet 50 and apparatus 100. In the Figure, the sheet 50 has been located on the lower surface of the lower member 104. This is typically achieved by turning the apparatus 100 upside down and placing the sheet onto the surface. At this point, any protective sheet can be removed to expose the adhesive on the sheet 50. A temporary fixing means, such as clips attached to the ends of the sheet 50 and member 104, may be used to keep the sheet in place whilst the apparatus is turned back upright. As can be seen, the handles 113A, 113B are positioned so that the biasing devices (not shown) can push the moveable plate 114 upwards, leaving a gap between the lower surface of the plate 114 and the upper surface of the member 104. The bottom surfaces of the projections 203 are substantially aligned with the tops of the apertures 202.

The apparatus 100 with the attached sheet 50 is then positioned over the rack 10 containing the sample tubes 12. The L-shaped legs 102 of the apparatus can help with aligning the apparatus with the rack as they are designed to slidably engage with the corners of the rack. The apparatus is then lowered so that the upper, open ends of the sample tubes can come into contact with the exposed surface of the sheet 50. This position is illustrated in FIG. 4B. Pressing the apparatus down by applying pressure to handles 106 leads to the upper portions of the sample tubes becoming accommodated within the apertures 202 of the lower member 104. This insertion of a sample tube can cause the corresponding foam square 52 to be pushed upwards towards the lower surfaces of the projection 203. Contact between the square and the inner surface of member 104 that forms the aperture 202 can fold the edges of the square downwards, ideally bringing the edges into contact with the outer surface of the sample tube and may secure the items together. Such contact can close the foam square around the open end of the sample tube. This movement can also at least partially separate the square from the rest of the sheet 50 by breaking portions 302.

In practice, there can be some slight difference in timing between when the various foam squares are forced onto the sample tubes, but to the user it will appear that the force is being exerted on all the cover members/containers simultaneously. This application of pressure normally fully separates the squares from each other and brings the lower adhesive-containing/coated surface of the squares into firm contact with the rims of the open ends of the sample tubes. The contact with the adhesive helps securely fix the squares around the sample tubes. The deformation of the square may be such that a central portion 401 of the square is pressed inside the sample tube. It will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments the squares may be formed of a more rigid material and are not deformed, with the adhesive alone acting to attach the square to the sample tube. In another version the material used for the cover member is appropriately formed as a stopper that partially fits inside the tube, or is sufficiently deformable so that the adhesive is not necessary.

Next, downward pressure on handles 106 ceases to be applied and the cylinder handles 113A, 113B are rotated to the positions shown in FIG. 4C. This causes the cylinders 110A, 110B to press down on the upper surface of plate 114 so that bottom portions of the projections 203 extend into/through the apertures 202 (as the lower surface of plate 114 contacts the upper surface of member 104). Also, the apparatus, including member 104, can now be moved upwards and away from the squares 52, which are attached to the tubes 12. The projections 203 can continue to maintain contact with the tubes 12 in the rack 10 whilst the member 104 moves upwards to help prevent upward travel of the tubes (which could happen due to adherence between the foam and the inner surfaces of member 104 that form apertures 202), thereby reducing or eliminating spillage.

The apparatus 100 can then be raised fully away from the sample tubes/rack, as shown in FIG. 4D. Most laboratories will utilise every space in the rack, especially if it is robotically loaded, but any squares that were located above a position in the rack not containing a sample tube may either be still attached to the apparatus (if contact with the portions of the sheet connected to the edges of the lower member 104 is maintained), or may have simply fallen onto the side of one of the adjacent sample tubes and can be easily removed. The tubes in the rack to which foam squares have been applied by the apparatus are effectively stopped and can be safely removed for further use, storage or disposal.

The apparatus described herein allows covers to be rapidly applied to several sample tubes substantially simultaneously using a simple series of operations and is much quicker than the conventional method of manually capping one sample tube at a time. The apparatus can be formed of inexpensive and widely available materials and does not require complex mechanical components that are liable to break down. It will be understood that the apparatus could be adapted for use with containers other than sample tubes. Although several circular components (e.g. the cylindrical projections 203) are shown in the example, it will be understood that the shapes of such components need not necessarily correspond to the shape of the openings of the containers to be stopped. It is also possible that a single component could be forced down onto a plurality of containers instead of having one projection 203 per container 12 as in the illustrated example. Also, mechanisms other than a cam can be used to force a component of the apparatus onto the deformable members, e.g. a spring-bound mechanism that is activated by hand-pressure. Although a benefit of the apparatus detailed above is that it is easy/inexpensive to manufacture, the skilled person will understand that a mechanically driven or more automated version of the apparatus is envisaged if required by a laboratory and that mechanical/motorised components could be incorporated, e.g. for applying pressure to the deformable members.

Claims

1. A system adapted to apply covers to openings of a plurality of containers, the system including:

a plurality of cover members;

an arrangement for positioning the plurality of cover members on, or adjacent, openings of the respective plurality of containers, and

an arrangement for exerting a force substantially simultaneously on the plurality of cover members such that each of the cover members contacts a portion of its respective container adjacent the opening, the cover member becoming attached to the container and thereby acting as a cover for the container.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the cover members are deformable, the force exerted on the cover members being such that a said cover member becomes deformed around the opening of the container.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is substantially flat and formed of an open cell foam that has no memory.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the cover members are provided with an adhesive suitable for adhering to at least a portion of the container.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cover members are initially provided connected together in a form of a sheet, with the cover members being configured to separate from each other upon application of force.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the sheet includes a plurality of cuts/tear lines such that at least an adjacent pair of the cover members are initially held together at least one point before the application of force.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein the cover members on the sheet are divided into a formation that generally corresponds to an arrangement of the openings of the containers in a rack.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the cover members are in a grid formation.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement for positioning the cover members includes a surface including a plurality of bores or apertures.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein an area of one of the cover members is substantially equal to or greater than the area of the opening of the container and the area of the bore/aperture, such that when the portion of the container including the opening is positioned within the bore/aperture, at least one edge of the cover member deforms towards an outer surface of the container.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein at least one surface of the cover members includes an adhesive and the at least one edge of the cover member is deformed to adhere against an outer surface of the container.

12. A system according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement for exerting a force forces an inner/central portion of the deformable cover member into contact with a lip around the opening of the container.

13. A system according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement for exerting a force forces an inner/central portion of the deformable cover member into contact with an inner surface of the container.

14. A system according to claim 9, wherein the arrangement for exerting a force includes a plurality of members moveable relative to the arrangement for positioning the cover members.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the members are movable relative to the surface such that a portion of a said member maintains contact with a said cover member after it has been applied to the container whilst the surface is moved away, thereby assisting with preventing the cover member from being accidentally removed from the container.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein the containers comprise sample tubes.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement for positioning the plurality of cover members and the arrangement for exerting a force are part of a manually portable device that, in use, is positioned above a precision/archive rack.

18. Apparatus adapted to apply covers to openings of a plurality of containers, the apparatus including:

an arrangement configured to, in use, position a plurality of cover members on, or adjacent, openings of the respective plurality of containers, and

an arrangement configured to, in use, substantially simultaneously exert a force on the plurality of cover members such that each of the cover members contacts a portion of its respective container adjacent the opening, the cover member becoming attached to the container and thereby acting as a cover for the container.

19. A sheet including a plurality of container cover members, the cover members configured to separate from each other upon application of force by apparatus according to claim 18.