Sample container with radiofrequency identifier tag

• US 20040100415A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (Glaxosmithkline Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (Glaxosmithkline Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Veitch, Jeffrey Douglas, Biddlecombe, Robert Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,091,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/850
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00283 Reactor vessels with top opening
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00315 Microtiter plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00344 Caps
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00547 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00567 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 70/00 Tags or labels specially adapted for combinatorial chemistry or libraries, e.g. fluorescent tags or bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag

Abstract

There is provided a sample container comprising a retainer for retaining a sample; and a radiofrequency identifier comprising an antenna for transmitting or receiving radiofrequency energy; an integrated circuit chip connecting with said antenna; and a carrier for the radiofrequency identifier; wherein the radiofrequency identifier is on the carrier and the carrier connects to the retainer.

Claims

1. A sample container comprising a retainer for retaining a sample;

and a radiofrequency identifier comprising

an antenna for transmitting or receiving radiofrequency energy;

an integrated circuit chip connecting with said antenna; and

a carrier for said radiofrequency identifier;

wherein the radiofrequency identifier is on said carrier and the carrier connects to said retainer.

2. A sample container according to claim 1, wherein the retainer is selected from the group consisting of tube, vial, well and microscope slide.

3. A sample container according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the retainer is sealable with a cap.

4. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the retainer comprises material selected from the group consisting of glass, organic polymer and metal.

5. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said antenna is capable of transmitting or receiving radiofrequency energy having a frequency of 50 KHz to 2.5 GHz.

6. A sample container according to claim 5, wherein the antenna is adapted to transmit or receive radiofrequency energy having a frequency of 125 KHz.

7. A sample container according to claim 5, wherein the antenna is adapted to transmit or receive radiofrequency energy having a frequency of 13.56 MHz.

8. A sample container according to claim 5, wherein the antenna is adapted to transmit or receive radiofrequency energy having a frequency of 2.4 GHz.

9. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein said carrier is adhesively mountable on the sample container.

10. A sample container according to claim 9, wherein the carrier is a rigid disc.

11. A sample container according to claim 9, wherein the carrier is a flexible label.

12. A sample container according to claim 9, wherein the carrier is a ring.

13. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the carrier is mouldable to the retainer or said cap.

14. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the carrier bears a barcode thereon.

15. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the carrier encases the radiofrequency identifier.

16. A sample container according to claim 15, wherein the carrier forms a hermetic seal for the radiofrequency identifier.

17. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the carrier comprises an insulating material.

18. A sample container according to claim 17, wherein said insulating material comprises a glass material.

19. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 18, wherein said integrated circuit chip has a read only memory area.

20. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 19, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a write only memory area.

21. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 20, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a read/write memory area.

22. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 21, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a one-time programmable memory area.

23. A sample container according to claim 22, wherein said one time programmable memory area has a unique serial number.

24. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 23, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a pre-set, non-read or writeable memory area.

25. A sample container according to any of claims 19 to 24, wherein the integrated circuit chip has plural memory areas thereon.

26. A sample container according to any of claims 19 to 25, wherein any memory area contains data in encrypted form.

27. A sample container according to any of claims 19 to 26, wherein any memory area is password protected.

28. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 27, wherein the integrated circuit chip has plural memory areas thereon including

a) a read only memory area containing a unique serial number

b) a read/write memory area which can be made read only;

and

c) a password protected memory area containing data in encrypted form.

29. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 28, wherein the sample container retains a biological sample.

30. A sample container according to claim 29, wherein said biological sample is for use in studies selected from the group consisting of clinical trials, metabolism studies, pharmacokinetic studies, toxicity studies and environmental fate studies.

31. A sample container according to either of claims 29 or 30, wherein the biological sample is derived from material selected from the group consisting of water, soil, prion, virus, fungus, alga, bacterium, insect, nematode, fish, reptile, plant, bird, mammal and human.

32. A sample container according to any of claims 29 to 31, wherein the biological sample is selected from the group consisting of blood, plasma, urine, cerebral spinal fluid, faeces, cell and tissue.

33. A sample container according to any of claims 29 to 32, wherein the biological sample is selected from the group consisting of protein, peptide, amino acid, antibody, carbohydrate, oligosaccharide, lipid, glycolipid, glyceride, polynucleotide, oligonucleotide and nucleotide.

34. A sample container according to any of claims 1 to 28, wherein the sample container retains a chemical sample.

35. A sample container according to claim 34, wherein said chemical sample is for use in an analytical assay or synthesis reaction.

36. A sample container according to either of claims 34 or 35, wherein the chemical sample is a drug candidate.

37. A sample container according to claim 34, wherein the chemical sample is an agrochemical.

38. A sample container according to claim 37, wherein said agrochemical is selected from the group consisting of herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, rodenticide, nematocide, acaracide and plant growth regulator.

39. A sample container according to claim 34, wherein the chemical sample is a marking material.

40. A sample container according to claim 39, wherein said marking material is selected from the group consisting of toner, ink, dye, pigment, acid and alkali.

41. A sample container according to claim 34, wherein the chemical sample is a light-sensitive material.

42. A system for identifying a sample container comprising a sample container according to any of claims 1 to 41;

and

a carrier for supporting the sample container; and

a reader for reading data from the radiofrequency identifier by transmitting radiofrequency energy thereto and receiving radiofrequency energy therefrom.

43. A system according to claim 42, comprising a plurality of sample containers supported within a carrier wherein said reader is capable of reading each radiofrequency identifier separately by differentiating between individual radiofrequency identifiers within the same antenna field.

44. A system according to either of claims 42 or 43, wherein said carrier is selected from the group consisting of rack, carousel, array, micro well plate, square well plate, deep well plate, solid phase extraction block and tube block.

45. A system according to either of claims 43 or 44, wherein the reader is capable of reading multiple radiofrequency identifiers simultaneously by differentiating between individual radiofrequency identifiers within the same antenna field.

46. A system according to any of claims 42 to 45, additionally comprising a writer for writing data to the radiofrequency identifier by transmitting radiofrequency energy thereto.

47. A system according to claim 46, wherein said writer is capable of writing to multiple radiofrequency identifiers simultaneously by differentiating between individual radiofrequency identifiers within the same antenna field.

48. A system according to either of claims 46 or 47, wherein said writer forms part of the reader.

49. A system according to any of claims 42 to 48, wherein the reader is capable of reading and/or writing to one or more radiofrequency identifiers simultaneously at low temperature within the range of 4°

Celsius to −

200°

Celsius.

50. A system according to claim 49, wherein said temperature is in the range of −

15°

Celsius to −

25°

Celsius.

51. A system according to claim 49, wherein the temperature is in the range of −

75°

Celsius to −

85°

Celsius.

52. A system according to any of claims 48 to 51, wherein the reader is connectable to a sample preparation device and said data are producible from said device.

53. A system according to claim 52, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of weighing scales, solid dispensing system and liquid dispensing system.

54. A system according to any of claims 42 to 53, additionally comprising transferring the data from the reader to an electronic data management system comprising

a memory for storage of data;

a microprocessor for performing operations on said data; and

a signal output for outputting a signal relating to the data or the outcome of an operation on the data.

55. A system according to claim 54, wherein said electronic data management system is separate to the reader.

56. A system according to either of claims 54 or 55, wherein the data are transferable from the reader to the electronic data management system via a public access or private access network computer system.

57. A system according to claim 54, wherein the electronic data management system forms part of the reader.

58. A system according to claim 54, wherein the electronic data management system forms part of a robotics system.

59. A system according to claim 58, wherein said robotics system employs an antenna to locate the position of the sample container according to claims 1 to 41.

60. A system according to any of claims 42 to 59, additionally comprising a data input system for user input of data to the electronic data management system.

61. A system according to claim 60, wherein said data input system comprises a man machine interface.

62. A system according to any of claims 54 to 60, additionally comprising a display for display of data from the electronic data management system to the user.

63. A kit of parts comprising a sample container according to any of claims 1 to 41 and a reader capable of reading and/or writing to each radiofrequency identifier separately or simultaneously by differentiating between individual radiofrequency identifiers within the same antenna field.

64. Use of a reader to identify individual sample containers according to any of claims 1 to 41 within the same antenna field by transmitting radiofrequency energy thereto and by receiving radiofrequency energy therefrom.