Cartridge for storing biosample capillary tubes and use in automated data storage systems

• US 10,052,634 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Allen K., Haustein, Nils, Johnson, James W., Krause, Thorsten, Schwartz, Stephen L., Topol, Anna W., Troppens, Ulf, Winarski, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Glenn F
• Application Number:
  US15/054,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20160178653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0096 Casings for storing test samples A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; preservation of living parts of the human or animal body A01N1/02; containers for retaining a material to be analysed B01L3/50; containers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/16; swab-sampler being part of enzymology or microbiology container C12M1/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150305 Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices kits for diabetes A61M5/003; packaging in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0809 rectangular shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0812 Bands; Tapes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/065 specially adapted for capillary tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00762 magnetic code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00801 Holders for sample carriers, e.g. trays, caroussel, racks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0425 Stacks, magazines or elevators for plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/049 Cassettes for special applications not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00821 using stationary heads
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods of storing and using biosamples with a cartridge that includes slots for storing biosample capillary tubes. The methods include providing access to a holder inside an enclosure of the cartridge, the enclosure having a same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in an automated tape library. The holder is configured to receive a plurality of capillary tubes in the holder, the capillary tubes including one or more biosamples. Exemplary methods may also include receiving capillary tubes in the cartridge, withdrawing capillary tubes from the cartridge, scanning and/or analyzing the capillary tubes and/or biosamples. Exemplary methods may additionally or alternatively include retrieving the cartridge from a storage slot of the automated tape library, loading the cartridge onto a drive of the automated tape library, and/or receiving and/or exporting a cartridge to/from the automated tape library via a mail slot.

Claims

1. A method for storing biosample tubes in a cartridge, comprising:

providing access to a holder inside an enclosure of the cartridge, the enclosure having a same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in an automated tape library; and

wherein the holder is configured to receive a plurality of capillary tubes in the holder, the capillary tubes including one or more biosamples.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the cartridge is an LTO type cartridge.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the access is provided via a moveable door of the enclosure.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising retaining the capillary tubes in the holder when the cartridge is in motion using a plurality of slots in the holder.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising retrieving the cartridge from a storage slot of the automated tape library.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising loading the cartridge onto a drive of the automated tape library.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising reading a bar code on the cartridge using a bar code reader of the automated tape library.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising magnetizing one or more nanoparticles functionalized to one or more of the biosamples using a magnetic head of the automated tape library.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising withdrawing one or more of the plurality of capillary tubes from the enclosure using a drive of the automated tape library.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising exporting the cartridge from the automated tape library via an import/export mail slot of the automated tape library.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising receiving one or more of the plurality of capillary tubes in the holder.

12. A method for storing biosample tubes in a cartridge, comprising:

providing access to a holder inside an enclosure of the cartridge, the enclosure having a same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in an automated tape library, wherein the holder is configured to receive a plurality of capillary tubes in the holder, the capillary tubes including one or more biosamples; and

storing, in one or more of a plurality of memory modules coupled to the cartridge, data related to at least one of;

the biosamples, the capillary tubes and the cartridge.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the plurality of memory modules comprise a nonvolatile memory selected from the group consisting of electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory, phase-change memory, flash memory, NOR memory, and NAND memory.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, comprising one or more of sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library using a wireless communication interface coupled to one or more of the memory modules.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more of sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library the wireless communication interface comprises using radio signals for communication.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more of sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library the wireless communication interface comprises using a radio antenna selected from the group consisting of a quarter-wave antenna, a fractal antenna, and an inductor of an inductor-capacitor oscillator.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more of sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library the wireless communication interface comprises using optical lasers for communication.

18. A method for storing biosample tubes in a cartridge, comprising:

providing access to a holder inside an enclosure of the cartridge, the enclosure having a same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in an automated tape library, wherein the holder is configured to receive a plurality of capillary tubes in the holder, the capillary tubes including one or more biosamples; and

at least one of scanning and analyzing one or more of the biosamples using the automated tape library.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the at least one of scanning and analyzing one or more of the biosamples comprises using one or more of an anisotropic magneto-resistive (AMR), a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) and a tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) read element to detect a presence of one or more of target substances and micro-organisms in the bio samples.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the at least one of scanning and analyzing one or more of the biosamples comprises using one or more of an anisotropic magneto-resistive (AMR), a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) and a tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) read element to read data from the biosamples.