Orientation Identification Label, Reagent Container Carrier Structure, Analyzer Device And Reader Module

• US 20100188244A1
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takuya, Minemura, Yusuke, Sattler, Stephan
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.100
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00772 mechanical or optical code other than bar code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07775 the antenna being on-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/10 by an adhesive layer

Abstract

A reagent container carrier structure for holding at least one reagent container, wherein the carrier structure has thereon an RFID assembly and an optically detectable definition pattern defining an orientation of the carrier structure, is disclosed. The reagent container carrier structure may have an orientation identification label that has a front surface and a back surface, and further include an RFID assembly positioned on the back surface, and an optically detectable definition pattern defining an orientation of the label on the front surface. A reader module for reading RFID data in combination with optically detectable data defining an orientation of a respective label is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An orientation identification label comprising:

a front surface;

a back surface;

an RFID assembly positioned on the back surface; and

an optically detectable definition pattern defining an orientation of the label on the front surface.

2. The orientation identification label according to claim 1, wherein the pattern comprises a geometrical design allowing identification of an orientation.

3. The orientation identification label according to claim 2, wherein the geometrical design is asymmetric to at least one of the transversal and longitudinal axes of the label and not point-symmetric.

4. The orientation identification label according to claim 2, wherein the geometrical design is asymmetric to an axis of the design which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of orientation to be identified and not point-symmetric.

5. The orientation identification label according to claim 1, wherein the pattern comprises at least two different colors allowing identification of an orientation.

6. The orientation identification label according to claim 1, wherein the pattern comprises at least two different sub-patterns allowing identification of an orientation.

7. The orientation identification label according to claim 1, further comprising an aperture for penetration by a pipetting probe element.

8. The orientation identification label according to claim 7, wherein the aperture is identified by an additional optically detectable pattern.

9. The orientation identification label according to claim 1, wherein the RFID assembly comprises an RFID chip and an RFID antenna.

10. The orientation identification label according to claim 1, wherein the label is attachable to a reagent container carrier structure.

11. The orientation identification label according to claim 1, wherein the back surface provides an adhesive layer.

12. A reagent container carrier structure for holding at least one reagent container, the carrier structure comprising thereon an orientation identification label according to claim 1.

13. The reagent container carrier structure according to claim 12, wherein the pattern of the label is designed in one color which is silhouetted against a color of the reagent container carrier structure.

14. The reagent container carrier structure according to claim 12, wherein the pattern comprises at least two different colors allowing identification of an orientation of the carrier structure.

15. The reagent container carrier structure according to claim 12, wherein the pattern comprises at least two different sub-patterns allowing identification of an orientation of the carrier structure.

16. The reagent container carrier structure according to claim 12, wherein the RFID assembly comprises an RFID chip and an RFID antenna.

23. The reader module according to claim 18, wherein the label is an orientation identification label according to claim 1.

17. An analyzer device for analyzing chemical, biological or pharmaceutical work probes, comprising:

a conveyor system for conveying at least one reagent container carrier structure holding at least one reagent container;

an RFID communication device for communicating with an RFID assembly attached to the at least one reagent container carrier structure;

an optical detection device for optically detecting an optically detectable definition pattern on the reagent container carrier structure, the pattern defining an orientation of the reagent container carrier structure; and

a computing device for evaluating optical detection data received from the optical detection device and determining whether the orientation of the at least one carrier structure in the conveyor system is correct.

27. The reader module according to claim 18, the reader module being integrated in an analyzer device according to claim 17, and, thus, replacing the RFID communication device and the optical detection device.

35. A computer program comprising computer program code which is suitable for carrying out a method according to claim 28 when the computer program is run on a computer, particularly on a computing device integrated in an analyzer device according to claim 17.

36. A computer program product with a computer program according to claim 35 stored thereon.

37. A computer readable medium with a computer program according to claim 36 stored thereon.

18. A reader module for reading RFID data in combination with optically detectable data defining a presence and an orientation of a respective label, both data being integrated in an orientation identification label which is to be attached to a reagent container carrier structure, the reader module comprising at least one RFID reader which is configured to detect the RFID data, and at least one appropriately arranged optical element which is configured to detect the optically detectable data.

19. The reader module according to claim 18, wherein the at least one optical element comprises at least one of one or more optical sensors, one or more arrays of optical sensors, or one or more CCD chips.

20. The reader module according to claim 18, the reader module being configured to communicate with an analysis unit, wherein the RFID data read via the RFID reader, and the optically detectable data read by the at least one optical element can be transmitted either jointly in a data protocol or independently of each other.

21. The reader module according to claim 18, wherein the at least one optical element comprises a light source which can be either an integrated light source or a LED light source.

22. The reader module according to claim 18, the reader module being configured to read the RFID data and the optically detectable data of the label approximately simultaneously.

24. The reader module according to claim 18, wherein at least two optical elements are arranged symmetrically to each other with respect to the at least one RFID reader.

25. The reader module according to claim 18, wherein the at least one optical element comprises at least one optical sensor chosen from a group consisting of color sensors and brightness sensors.

26. The reader module according to claim 18, wherein the reader module comprises two RFID readers and two pairs of optical elements, each pair of optical elements being locally arranged with respect to one of the two RFID readers, respectively, such that the reader module is configured to read data from two labels, the labels being appropriately spaced apart from each other.

28. A method to operate an analyzer device for analyzing chemical, biological or pharmaceutical work probes in which at least one reagent container carrier structure is inserted into a conveyor system of the analyzer device, each reagent container carrier structure comprising thereon an RFID assembly and an optically detectable definition pattern defining an orientation of the carrier structure, the method comprising:

scanning at least one of the at least one inserted reagent container carrier structure, wherein scanning comprises optically detecting the optically detectable pattern on the at least one scanned reagent container carrier structure;

evaluating, on the basis of the retrieved optical detection data, whether the orientation of the at least one reagent container carrier structure in the conveyor system is correct; and

repeating the scanning and evaluating as often as necessary.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the scanning further comprises test-connecting to the RFID assembly of the at least one scanned reagent container carrier structure in order to determine whether the RFID assembly of the scanned reagent container carrier structure responds.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising continuing with the analyzing process of the analyzer device in case the steps of scanning and evaluating deliver positive results only, else interrupting the analyzing process.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein in case of interrupting the analyzing process, an alarm output is generated and emitted.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the output alarm comprises an indication which reagent container carrier structure is wrongly oriented and/or which reagent container carrier structure does not respond to the RFID test-connection.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein, in case of interrupting the analyzing process, any wrongly oriented reagent container carrier structure is reoriented automatically.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein, in case of interrupting the analyzing process, any wrongly oriented reagent container carrier structure or any reagent container carrier structure not responding to the RFID test-connection are ejected automatically.