Abstract: A specimen holder includes a stick and an RFID tag. The stick is elongate along a longitudinal direction, and has a distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end with respect to the longitudinal direction. The stick includes an outer surface and a distal portion of the outer surface that is closer to the distal end than the proximal end. The stick further includes an internal cavity that extends from a first terminal end to a second terminal end. The stick includes a midplane that is normal to the longitudinal direction, and the midplane is located equidistant between the distal end and the proximal end. The first terminal end, the second terminal end and an entirety of the internal cavity are all located between the midplane and the proximal end. The RFID tag is positioned within the internal cavity.

Abstract: A specimen transporter includes a housing and a lid attached so as to enable a transition of the specimen transporter from a closed configuration, in which an internal cavity of the housing is thermally isolated from an exterior of the specimen transporter, to an open configuration, in which the internal cavity is accessible via an opening of the housing. The specimen transporter includes a thermal shunt positioned within the internal cavity so as to evenly distribute heat within the internal cavity. The specimen transporter includes a carrier to support one or more specimen containers each carrying a respective biological sample to be transported.

Abstract: A specimen holder includes a body, a sleeve, and a wireless transponder. The body has distal and proximal portions, the distal portion including a surface that carries a specimen upon engagement of the body with the specimen, and the proximal portion including a first pair of parallel surfaces. The sleeve has distal and proximal portions, a side wall, and an internal cavity at least partially enclosed by the side wall. The distal portion of the sleeve includes a second pair of parallel surfaces. The wireless transponder is sized to be positioned within the internal cavity of the sleeve. The sleeve is attachable to the body by capturing one of the first and second pairs of parallel surfaces between the other of the first and second pairs of parallel surfaces.

Abstract: An interrogation device and/or system includes a body and an antenna, the body has an aperture or elongated receiver with an opening and an internal perimeter or inner wall sized and/or shaped to receive a portion of a container therein, either with or without a cap of the container. The container may, for example, be used to store biological specimens a cryogenic temperatures. One or more alignment features of the body align wireless transponders (e.g., RFID transponders) of tagged specimen containers and/or carriers with the antenna to enhance interrogation. Alignment may be along a longitudinal or Z-axis, and/or alignment in an XY plane, perpendicular to the Z-axis. Shielding may reduce or even eliminate cross-talk with neighboring wireless tagged specimen containers and/or carriers.

Abstract: A system and method facilitates transfers of specimen containers (e.g., vials with caps) between storage cassettes and carrier cassettes. The storage cassettes are designed to be stored in cryogenic refrigerators while the carrier cassettes are designed to be temporarily stored in a portable carrier. A workstation includes a well and removable buckets positioned in the well. The buckets are sized to hold the storage cassettes and carrier cassettes. One or more arrays of antennas underlie the well to allow interrogation of wireless transponders carried by the specimen containers. Improved storage cassettes and carrier cassettes are also described.