METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR LOCATING AND IDENTIFYING LABWARE RADIO-FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TAGS

• US 20090015430A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PerkinElmer LAS, Inc. (Perkinelmer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PerkinElmer LAS, Inc. (Perkinelmer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zweifel, Ronald A., Harazin, Richard R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,115,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.490
• 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: G08B 13/24 by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2474 Antenna or antenna activator geometry, arrangement or layout loop antennae H01Q1/22

Abstract

Methods and systems for automatically locating and identifying labware using radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are described herein. The methods and systems include a plurality of RFID tags (pre-programmed with unique data codes) that are associated with labware (or labware holders). For example, the RFID tags can be embedded within the locating pegs of the labware (or labware holders). The methods and systems also include a plurality of RFID tag readers that mount near known locations of an instrument deck which receives the labware. The RFID tag readers automatically scan for the presence of RFID tags such that when a piece of labware is added to the instrument deck, and then report to a processing device the specific known location on deck where each tag was found, as well as the unique data code of each tag. Using this information, the methods and systems determine one or more of the location, orientation, and identity of the received labware.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a labware item having a plurality of RFID tags associated therewith;

an instrument deck including at least one RFID reader associated therewith, the at least one RFID reader positioned at a known instrument deck location;

wherein at least one of the plurality of RFID tags is communicatively coupled to the at least one RFID reader at least when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one RFID reader comprises an RFID reader antenna which is coupled to an RFID reading circuit.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a processing unit coupled to the RFID reading circuit and operable to cause the at least one RFID reader to scan for the presence of at least one of the plurality of RFID tags and determine from reading at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags at least one of location, orientation, and identity of the labware item positioned on the instrument deck.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the labware item includes at least one locating peg and wherein at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags is associated with the at least one locating peg.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the instrument deck includes at least one aperture for receiving the at least one locating peg when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a printed circuit board, mounted underneath the instrument deck, wherein the printed circuit board includes an opening, aligned with the aperture in the instrument deck, for receiving the labware item locating peg.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the RFID reader comprises an RFID reader antenna mounted to the printed circuit board and positioned adjacent the opening in the printed circuit board.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the RFID reader antenna is a spiral antenna surrounding the opening in the printed circuit board.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the printed circuit board is spaced away from an underside of the instrument deck.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags is embedded in the at least one locating peg of the labware item.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the labware item includes at least one locating peg, and wherein the instrument deck includes at least one aperture for receiving the at least one locating peg when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck, and wherein each RFID reader is mounted in association with an aperture of the instrument deck.

12. The system of claim 11 further including a processing unit operable to cause the at least one RFID reader to scan for the presence of RFID tags and determine from reading at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags that a labware item has been added to the instrument deck at a certain aperture which received the locating peg of that labware item.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags is programmed with a unique data code, and further comprising:

a processing unit operable to cause the at least one RFID reader to scan for the presence of RFID tags and determine from reading an RFID tag that a labware item having the unique data code has been added to the instrument deck.

14. The system of claim 13 further including a database coupled to the processing device and containing unique data codes for the RFID tags associated with labware items.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the processing device further operates to determine location of the labware item added to the deck based on the known instrument deck location of the RFID reader and determine identity of that labware item based on the read unique data code.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the processing device further operates to determine orientation of the labware item added to the deck based on the known instrument deck location of the RFID reader and the read unique data code of that labware item.

17. A method, comprising:

associating a plurality of RFID tags with a labware item;

providing a labware instrument deck including at least one RFID reader positioned at at least one known instrument deck location; and

reading at least one of the plurality of RFID tags at least when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising, based on reading at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags, determining the location of the labware item by associating the read RFID tag with the known instrument deck location.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the labware item includes at least one locating peg and wherein associating comprises associating at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags with the at least one locating peg.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein providing comprises providing at least one aperture in the instrument deck for receiving at least one locating peg when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein reading comprises reading of the RFID tag associated with the labware item locating peg as received at any aperture.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising, based on reading the plurality of RFID tags by plural RFID readers, detecting an orientation of the labware item by associating a position of the RFID tag with respective known instrument deck locations of the plural RFID readers.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein reading comprises:

scanning for the presence of the plurality of RFID tags, and

determining, based on at least one of the plurality of the scanned RFID tags, at least one of location, orientation, and identity of the labware item positioned on the instrument deck.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the known instrument deck location is an aperture for receiving a labware locating peg and wherein reading comprises:

scanning for the presence of the plurality of RFID tags at each known instrument deck location; and

determining, based on at least one of the plurality of the scanned RFID tags, that a labware item has been added to the instrument deck at the known instrument deck location corresponding to the aperture which received the locating peg of that labware item.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags is programmed with a unique data code and wherein reading comprises:

scanning for the presence of the plurality of RFID tags at each known instrument deck location; and

determining, based on at least one of the plurality of the scanned RFID tags, that a labware item having the unique data code of the scanned RFID tag has been added to the instrument deck and is located at the known instrument deck location.

26. The method of claim 25 further including storing in memory the unique data codes for the RFID tags associated with labware items.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags is programmed with a unique data code and wherein reading comprises:

scanning for the presence of the RFID tags and reading their unique data codes; and

determining, based on at least one of the scanned RFID tags, location of the labware item at the known instrument deck location and identity of that labware item from the read unique data code.

28. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags is programmed with a unique data code and wherein reading comprises:

scanning for the presence of RFID tags and reading their unique data codes; and

determining orientation of the labware item based on the known instrument deck location and the read unique data code.

29. A system, comprising:

a labware item having a plurality of RFID tags associated therewith, the labware item including a locating peg and at least one of the plurality of the RFID tags positioned within the locating peg;

an instrument deck including a plurality of apertures, each aperture capable of receiving a labware item locating peg; and

a plurality of RFID reader antennas, each antenna being associated with at least one of the plurality of apertures in the instrument deck.

30-44. -44. (canceled)