Abstract: A method of loading a specimen carrier in an automated specimen processing system facilitates loading into or removing from a tiltable specimen carrier holder a fully loaded specimen carrier by a user with much less risk of repetitive stress injuries than is associated with prior art ways of performing those acts. The tiltable carrier holder has a receiving member and a bottom member. The receiving member is equipped with a guide. The user loads the carrier into the carrier holder by placing in the guide a guide member formed on a back of the carrier. During this action, the holder is oriented in a load position in which a front opening of the carrier faces generally upward and a back opening of the carrier faces generally downward. The carrier is then tilted so that it is supported by its base on the bottom member in an operating position with the front opening oriented for presentation of the specimens to the processing system.

Abstract: A tiltable specimen holder (48) in an apparatus (46) for performing an automated operation on a selected one of multiple specimens (12) contained in a specimen carrier (10) has a receiving member (60) that, when oriented in a load position (48C; FIG. 10), receives the carrier from, or presents the carrier to, the hand (108) of a human being (110) without substantial flexure of the human being's wrists (112). The holder also has a bottom member (62) that cooperates with the receiving member and a support member (32, 34) of the carrier to place and hold the carrier in a predetermined alignment relative to the receiving member. The receiving member has beveled edges (84, 86, 88) that cooperate with a guide member (28, 30) of the carrier to guide the carrier to self-align into grooves (90, 92) defined by the beveled edges. Rollers (94) in the grooves cooperate with the guide members to guide the carrier to the predetermined alignment.

Abstract: Specimen carrier carousels adapted to support a plurality of specimen carriers in a radial configuration and selectively position specimen carriers at associated processing stations are disclosed. Specimen carriers mounted on the carousel are automatically tilted during rotation of the carousel to properly seat the specimens in their respective carriers and to prevent specimen movement during rotation. Specimen carrier platforms are also disclosed. A scanning assembly is provided in association with a carrier platform or at least one carrier station of a carrier carousel to monitor and verify the orientation of specimens within a carrier prior to commencement of processing operations. A subtilt assembly may be provided to correct the orientation of specimens identified as mispositioned during the scanning operation and to facilitate detection of the presence and location of specimens in a carrier.