Importance

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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. The method allows users to manually load such carriers into, or to remove such carriers from, the carrier holder by using two hands to hold a respective one of two sides of the carrier without substantial flexure of either of the wrists. This greatly reduces the risk of repetitive stress injuries.

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First Claim