Sample carrier having sample tube blocking member

1. A sample carrier for use in holding and containing a plurality of sample tubes for access by a fluid transfer device, the sample carrier comprising:

a lower support wall;

a base joined to a bottom end of the lower support wall;

a plurality of sample tube receiving areas adjacent the lower support wall for receiving and holding a plurality of sample tubes in substantially vertical orientations; and

a sample tube blocking member that is provided to and registered with the lower support wall opposite the base, wherein the sample tube blocking member comprises a blocking wall that extends laterally over only a portion of each of the sample tube receiving areas.

2. The sample carrier of claim 1 , wherein said sample carrier further comprises one or more springs disposed within each of the sample tube receiving areas for holding a corresponding sample tube therein.

3. The sample carrier of claim 2 , wherein each of the sample tube receiving areas is defined by:

a pair of fixed partitions, each partition having a generally perpendicular or radial orientation relative to the lower support wall; and

one or more fixed retaining walls having an opposed orientation relative to the lower support wall.

4. The sample carrier of claim 3 , wherein each partition separating adjacent sample tube receiving areas and a pair of retaining walls are joined to form a Y-shaped divider.

5. The sample carrier of claim 4 , wherein the partitions which are adjacent to only one sample tube receiving area and their associated retaining walls form a pair of end walls.

6. The sample carrier of claim 3 , wherein the one or more springs comprise a leaf spring fixed by and extending outward relative to the lower support wall and into one of the sample tube receiving areas, wherein the leaf spring is configured and arranged to bias a sample tube against the one or more retaining walls associated with the corresponding sample tube receiving area.

7. The sample carrier of claim 6 , wherein the leaf spring extends outward through a slot formed in the lower support wall.

8. The sample carrier of claim 1 , wherein each sample tube receiving area comprises a slot formed in the base which is configured to receive a sample tube therein.

9. The sample carrier of claim 8 , wherein an opening extends through an outer surface of the base adjacent the slot to permit viewing of machine readable information affixed to an outer surfaces of a sample tubes held by the slot.

10. The sample carrier of claim 1 , wherein the sample tube blocking member further comprises an upper support wall depending from the blocking wall, and wherein the upper support wall is provided to the lower support wall.

11. The sample carrier of claim 10 , wherein the lower support wall and the upper support wall comprise mated first and second registration elements, respectively, for registering the sample tube blocking member with the lower support wall.

12. The sample carrier of claim 11 , wherein the first registration elements comprise a pair of pins extending upward from a top surface of the lower support wall, and wherein the second registration elements comprise a pair of corresponding through-holes in the upper support wall for receiving the pins therethrough.

13. The sample carrier of claim 1 , wherein the sample carrier includes a plurality of sample tube receiving areas adjacent opposite sides of the lower support wall.

14. The sample carrier of claim 13 , wherein the sample carrier has an arcuate shape.

15. A sample carrier for use in holding and containing a plurality of sample tubes for access by a fluid transfer device, the sample carrier comprising:

a lower support wall;

a base joined to a bottom end of the lower support wall;

a plurality of sample tube receiving areas adjacent the lower support wall for receiving and holding a plurality of sample tubes in substantially vertical orientations;

a transverse wall joined to an upper portion of the lower support wall and having a plurality of spaced-apart openings, wherein each opening is dimensioned to receive a sample tube therethrough, and wherein the openings are aligned with the sample tube receiving areas to maintain sample tubes held by the sample carrier in substantially vertical orientations; and

a sample tube blocking member that is provided to and registered with a top end of the transverse wall, and wherein the sample tube blocking member comprises a blocking wall that extends laterally over only a portion of each of the sample tube receiving areas.

16. The sample carrier of claim 15 , wherein the sample tube blocking member comprises an upper support wall depending from the blocking wall and in touching contact with the top end of the transverse wall.

17. The sample carrier of claim 15 , wherein said sample carrier further comprises one or more springs disposed within each of the sample tube receiving areas for holding a corresponding sample tube therein.

18. The sample carrier of claim 17 , wherein each of the sample tube receiving areas is defined by:

a pair of fixed partitions, each partition having a generally perpendicular or radial orientation relative to the lower support wall; and

one or more fixed retaining walls having an opposed orientation relative to the lower support wall.

19. The sample carrier of claim 18 , wherein each partition separating adjacent sample tube receiving areas and a pair of retaining walls are joined to form a Y-shaped divider.

20. The sample carrier of claim 19 , wherein the partitions which are adjacent to only one sample tube receiving area and their associated retaining walls form a pair of end walls.

21. The sample carrier of claim 18 , wherein the one or more springs comprise a leaf spring fixed by and extending outward relative to the lower support wall and into one of the sample tube receiving areas, wherein the leaf spring is configured and arranged to bias a sample tube against the one or more retaining walls associated with the corresponding sample tube receiving area.

22. The sample carrier of claim 21 , wherein the leaf spring extends outward through a slot formed in the lower support wall.

23. The sample carrier of claim 15 , wherein:

the lower support wall comprises upper and lower portions; and

the sample tube receiving areas comprise a laterally extending wall positioned between and joined to the upper and lower portions of the lower support wall, wherein the laterally extending wall comprises a plurality of spaced-apart openings substantially axially aligned with the openings in the transverse wall, each opening in the laterally extending wall being sized to receive a sample tube therethrough, and wherein a set of finger springs depends from a bottom surface of the laterally extending wall about the periphery of each opening, each set of finger springs being configured and arranged to hold a sample tube within the corresponding opening.

24. The sample carrier of claim 23 , wherein the lower support wall and the laterally extending wall form an integral piece.

25. The sample carrier of claim 23 , wherein each set of finger springs includes four finger springs.

26. The sample carrier of claim 23 , wherein each finger spring includes a distal node to facilitate removal of the sample tubes from the sample tube holding receiving areas.

27. The sample carrier of claim 15 , wherein the transverse wall and the sampled tube blocking member comprise mated first and second registration elements, respectively, for registering the sample tube blocking member with the transverse wall.

28. The sample carrier of claim 27 , wherein the first registration elements comprise a pair pins extending upward from a top surface of the transverse wall, and wherein the second registration elements comprise a pair of corresponding through-holes in the sample tube blocking member for receiving the pins therethrough.

29. The sample carrier of claim 15 , wherein a top surface of the transverse wall is chamfered about the periphery of each opening.

30. The sample carrier of claim 15 further comprising one or more sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, wherein a cap component associated with each sample tube is at least partially contained within the corresponding opening between top and bottom surfaces of the transverse wall.

31. The sample carrier of claim 30 , wherein each cap includes a seal capable of being penetrated by a plastic pipette tip..

32. The sample carrier of claim 30 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the cap component associated with each sample tube is no more than about 0.125 inches from the longitudinal axis of the corresponding opening in the transverse wall.

33. The sample carrier of claim 15 , wherein the sample carrier includes a plurality of sample tube receiving areas adjacent opposite sides of the lower support wall.

34. The sample carrier of claim 33 , wherein the sample carrier has an arcuate shape.

35. The sample carrier of claim 1 further comprising one or more sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, wherein the blocking wall extends over only a portion of each of the sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, thereby limiting vertical movement of the sample tubes held by the sample carrier without obstructing access to the contents of the sample tubes by a fluid transfer device.

36. The sample carrier of claim 3 further comprising one or more sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, wherein the blocking wall extends over only a portion of each of the sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, thereby limiting vertical movement of the sample tubes held by the sample carrier without obstructing access to the contents of the sample tubes by a fluid transfer device.

37. The sample carrier of claim 8 further comprising one or more sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, wherein the blocking wall extends over only a portion of each of the sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, thereby limiting vertical movement of the sample tubes held by the sample carrier with out obstructing access to the contents of the sample tubes by a fluid transfer device.

38. The sampler carrier of claim 15 further comprising one or more sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, wherein the blocking wall extends over only a portion of each of the sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, thereby limiting vertical movement of the sample tubes held by the sample carrier without obstructing access to the contents of the sample tubes by a fluid transfer device.

39. The sample carrier of claim 18 further comprising one or more sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, wherein the blocking wall extends over only a portion of each of the sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, thereby limiting vertical movement of the sample tubes held by the sample carrier without obstructing access to the contents of the sample tubes by a fluid transfer device.

40. The sample carrier of claim 21 further comprising one or more sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, whererin the blocking wall extends over only a portion of each of the sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, thereby limiting vertical movement of the sample tubes held by the sample carrier without obstructing access to the contents of the sample tubes by a fluid transfer device.

41. The sample carrier of claim 23 further comprising one or more sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, wherein the blocking wall extends over only a portion of each of the sample tubes held by the sample tube receiving areas, thereby limiting vertical movement of the sample tubes held by the sample carrier witout obstructing access to the contents of the sample tubes by a fluid transfer device.