SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE AUTOMATED PRE-TREATMENT AND PROCESSING OF BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES

• US 20100017030A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dako Denmark A/S (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dako Denmark A/S (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Holbrook, Mark Richard, Feingold, Gordon Alan, Gilmartin, James B., Key, Marc E., Favuzzi, John A.
• Application Number:
  US12/494,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/110833 Utilizing a moving indicator strip or tape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/111666 Utilizing a centrifuge or compartmented rotor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 with sample on test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114998 with treatment or replacement of aspirator element [e.g., cleaning, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the present invention allow for the automatic control and scheduling of a staining apparatus for biological samples on slides present within the apparatus. In some embodiments, the actions of a robot coupled to the staining apparatus, which performs some of the staining tasks on the individual slides in accordance with their respective protocols, may be prioritized and scheduled. In some embodiments, the scheduling may result in increasing or maximizing the throughput of slides. In some embodiments, robot scheduling ensures that the individual slides are processed substantially within the tolerances specified by their respective protocols. In some embodiments, the robot scheduler may respond to spontaneous user actions and adaptively schedule or re-schedule robot actions.

Claims

1. A method comprising steps for adaptively scheduling robot tasks in a time interval for a robot coupled to a stainer, wherein the robot treats slides coupled to the stainer according to a treatment protocol with reagents in reagent bottles or fluid containers coupled to the stainer, the steps comprising:

creating a robot task list comprising all robot tasks that are ready for execution within the time interval;

calculating a robot task priority for each robot task in the robot task list;

sorting the robot task list in descending order of robot task priority; and

adding robot tasks starting from the top of the sorted robot task list to a robot task execution queue until the robot is fully utilized in the time interval or the robot task list is exhausted.

2-20. -20. (canceled)