Reagent and sample handling device for automatic testing system

• US 10,191,072 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Gomm, Cordell Kay, Luoma, II, Robert Paul, Arnquist, David Charles, Johnson, Ryan Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Menon, Krishnan S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gerido, Dwan A
• Application Number:
  US14/731,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20150268259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00049 for loading/unloading a carousel
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00316 Detecting door closure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00752 bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00891 Displaying information to the operator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0443 for reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0491 Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00712 Automatic status testing, e.g. at start-up or periodic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00722 Communications; Identification
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis

Abstract

A handling device for samples and reagents to be used in testing in a system. Carriers of samples and reagents are loaded on a platform which detects the presence of, and proper loading of, such carriers. The carriers are moved from the platform by a transporter to a bar code reader for identification. A reagent container is rotated during reading to facilitate identification. The transporter further moves identified reagent carriers to a carousel on which the carriers automatically secured for storage awaiting use in testing. The carousel rotates, and selected reagent containers rotate on the rotating carousel, during storage.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a loading platform of a diagnostic analyzer, the loading platform having a slot to receive a carrier;

a sensor to detect a presence of the carrier in the slot, the sensor including;

an arm pivotably coupled to the loading platform, the arm extending at least partially into the slot, the arm pivoted when the carrier is disposed in the slot and engages the arm; and

an optical detector to detect a position of the arm and determine a presence or absence of the carrier based on the position of the arm; and

a status indicator that provides a first display when the carrier is not present in the slot and provides a second display when the sensor detects the carrier in the slot.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the arm is pivotably coupled to a bottom side of the loading platform.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the arm is to be in an upward position when the carrier is not present in the slot and the arm is to be in a downward position when the carrier is in the slot.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the arm is biased in the upward position via a spring.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further including an opening defined in a bottom wall of the loading platform at the slot, wherein a knuckle of the arm is to extend through the opening into the slot in the upward position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the status indicator is located on a front side of the loading platform accessible by an operator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the status indicator includes a light.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the light is not illuminated in the first display.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light is illuminated in the second display.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the status indicator further provides a third display when the carrier has been retrieved from the slot and is being processed by the diagnostic analyzer.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light is illuminated a first color in the second display, and wherein the light is illuminated a second color different than the first color in the third display.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the status indicator includes a first light of a first color and a second light of a second color different than the first color, and the status indicator provides a third display when an error occurs with the carrier, wherein the first light and the second light are illuminated in the third display.

13. A method comprising:

detecting, via a sensor, when a carrier has been inserted into a slot of a loading platform on a diagnostic analyzer, the sensor including;

an arm pivotably coupled to the loading platform, the arm extending at least partially into the slot, the arm pivoted when the carrier is disposed in the slot and engages the arm; and

an optical detector to detect a position of the arm and determine a presence or absence of the carrier based on the position of the arm; and

changing a display of a status indicator from a first display to a second display when the carrier is detected by the sensor in the slot.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the arm is pivotally coupled to an underside of the loading platform.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the status indicator includes a light, the method further including not illuminating the light in the first display and illuminating the light in the second display.

16. The method of claim 15 further including:

retrieving, via a robot, the carrier from the slot to be used in a diagnostic analysis;

detecting, via the sensor, when the carrier has been removed from the slot; and

changing the display of the status indicator from the second display to a third display when the sensor detects the carrier is removed from the slot.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the light is to be illuminated a first color in the second display, the method further including illuminating the light a second color different than the first color in the third display.