Method of operating a laboratory automation system and a laboratory automation system

• US 10,006,927 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Sinz, Achim, Mallikarjunaiah, Namitha, Pedain, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Wecker, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US15/153,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20160341750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/18 Transport of container or devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/023 Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/08 Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0401 Sample carriers, cuvettes or reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0406 Individual bottles or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0462 Buffers [FIFO] or stacks [LIFO] for holding carriers between operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0477 Magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0491 Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00584 Control arrangements for automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00603 Reinspection of samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

A method of operating a laboratory automation system is presented. The laboratory automation system comprises a plurality of laboratory stations and a plurality of sample container carriers. The sample container carriers carry one or more sample containers. The sample containers comprise samples to be analyzed by the laboratory stations. The system also comprises a transport plane. The transport plane supports the sample container carriers. The system also comprises a drive. The drive moves the sample container carriers on the transport plane. The method comprises, during an initialization of the laboratory automation system, logically reserving at least one buffer area on the transport plane and, after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, buffering in the at least one buffer area sample container carriers carrying sample containers comprising samples waiting for a result of an analysis. Depending on the result of the analysis, the samples are further processed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a laboratory automation system, wherein the laboratory automation system comprises a plurality of laboratory stations, a plurality of sample container carriers, wherein the sample container carriers are configured to carry one or more sample containers, wherein the sample containers comprise samples to be analyzed by the laboratory stations, a transport plane, wherein the transport plane is configured to support the sample container carriers, and a drive, wherein the drive is configured to move the sample container carriers on the transport plane, the method comprises:

during an initialization of the laboratory automation system, logically reserving at least one buffer area on the transport plane based on simulation data; and

after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, buffering in the at least one logically reserved buffer area sample container carriers carrying sample containers comprising samples waiting for a result of an analysis, wherein depending on the result of the analysis, the samples are further processed.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising,

after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, collecting operating data of the laboratory automation system;

and

during a next initialization of the laboratory automation system, setting properties of the least one buffer area depending on the collected operating data.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising,

during the initialization of the laboratory automation system, setting properties of the least one buffer area depending on a time of day, and/or a date, and/or a volume of traffic, and/or a geographical region, and/or defective laboratory stations, and/or disease scenarios.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the properties are chosen from a group comprising:

a number of the buffer areas, and/or a location of the at least one buffer area, and/or a shape of the at least one buffer area, and/or a size of the at least one buffer area.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein sample container carriers are entered into the at least one buffer area or removed from the at least one buffer area over dedicated buffer area interface locations.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transport plane comprises a plurality of analyzer interface locations, wherein the analyzer interface locations are assigned to corresponding laboratory stations.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transport plane is segmented into logical fields, wherein the at least one buffer area is logically formed from an integer number of logical fields.

8. A laboratory automation system, the laboratory automation system comprising:

a plurality of laboratory stations;

a plurality of sample container carriers, wherein the sample container carriers are configured to carry one or more sample containers, wherein the sample containers comprise samples to be analyzed by the laboratory stations;

a transport plane, wherein the transport plane is configured to support the sample container carriers;

a drive, wherein the drive is configured to move the sample container carriers on the transport plane; and

a control unit, wherein the control unit is programmed to logically reserve at least one buffer area on the transport plane during an initialization of the laboratory automation system based on simulation data, and, after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, to buffer in the at least one logically reserved buffer area sample container carriers carrying sample containers, where the sample containers comprise samples waiting for a result of an analysis, wherein depending on the result of the analysis, the samples are further processed.

9. The laboratory automation system according to claim 8, wherein the sample container carriers comprise at least one magnetically active device.

10. The laboratory automation system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one magnetically active device is a permanent magnet.

11. The laboratory automation system according to claim 9, wherein the drive comprise a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged in rows and columns below the transport plane.

12. The laboratory automation system according to claim 11, wherein the electro-magnetic actuators are configured to apply a magnetic drive force to the sample container carriers.

13. The laboratory automation system according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is programmed to activate the electromagnetic actuators such that the sample container carriers move over the transport plane.