AUTOMATED ANALYTICAL SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES

The present disclosure relates to aspects of an automated analytical system. In particular, it relates to a method for introducing a sample rack holding a plurality of sample receptacles into a receiving bay in a housing of an automated analytical system. The method is carried out by manually moving the sample rack from a loading position towards a processing position along a lane in the receiving bay. The movement is paused when the rack reaches a focusing position between the two above-mentioned terminal positions, where a proximal stopping element provides sufficient resistance for the movement of the rack to be hindered. In this position, a reader in essentially the same horizontal plane is moved so as to focus on the lane in the receiving bay and thus the sample rack being inserted into the lane. With the reader so focused, the movement of the sample rack towards the processing position is resumed past the proximal stopping element and all the way to the processing position, while the reader detects features of the sample rack and/or the plurality of sample receptacles. The processing position is defined by a distal stopping element, marking the endpoint of the insertional movement of the sample rack. In this terminal position, the rack is positioned, detected in this position, and then locked for alignment with regard to the following processing of the content of the sample receptacles.