LABORATORY SAMPLE CARRIER TRAY AND TRACKING METHOD

• US 20110115630A1
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomas Fergus Hughes
• Original Assignee: Thomas Fergus Hughes
• Inventors: Hughes, Thomas Fergus
• Application Number:
  US13/003,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115630A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0822 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10316 using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers antennas in general H01Q1/22

Abstract

A tray (1) is provided for transporting laboratory sample slides (40) or other carriers including radio frequency identification means (42). The tray (1) comprises an upper tray portion (2) including positioning means (6a, 6b) defining a plurality of carrier bays (10), and a lower tray portion (4). The tray portions (2, 4) include locating means (12) for locating the upper tray portion (2) in an overlying relationship with respect to the lower tray portion (4). The lower tray portion (4) also includes radio frequency identification reader antennae (14) positioned to read information from the radio frequency identification means (42) of the carriers (40) when the tray portions (2, 4) are located with respect to each other and electronic processing means (16) connected to the reader antennae (14). A method of tracking laboratory sample carriers is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A tray (1) for transporting laboratory sample carriers (40) including a radio frequency identifier (42), the tray (1) comprising an upper tray portion (2) including a positioner (6a, 6b) defining a plurality of carrier bays (10) and a lower tray portion (4), the tray portions (2, 4) including a locator (12) for locating the upper tray portion (2) in an overlying relationship with respect to the lower tray portion (4), the lower tray portion (4) also including radio frequency identification reader antennae (14) positioned to read information from the radio frequency identifier (42) of the carriers (40) when the tray portions (2, 4) are located with respect to each other and an electronic processor (16) connected to the reader antennae (14).

2. The tray according to claim 1, wherein the reader antennae (14) are positioned to correspond with the carrier bays (10) when the tray portions (2, 4) are located with respect to each other.

3. The tray according to claim 1, wherein each carrier bay (10) is configured to accommodate a single carrier (40) and the lower tray portion (4) includes one said reader antenna (14) positioned to underlie each of the carrier bays (10) when the tray portions (2, 4) are located with respect to each other.

4. The tray according to claim 1, wherein the lower tray portion (4) further includes a battery (18) for powering the electronic processor (16).

5. The tray according to claim 4, wherein the battery (18) is a rechargeable battery and the lower tray portion (4) further includes a battery recharging connection (20).

6. The tray according to claim 1, wherein the upper tray portion (2) further includes a radio frequency identifier (22) and the lower tray portion (4) includes an additional radio frequency identification reader antenna (24) connected to the electronic processor (16) and arranged to obtain information from the radio frequency identifier (22) comprising part of the upper tray portion (2).

7. The tray according to claim 1, wherein the lower tray portion (4) further includes a connection terminal (48) for transferring information from the electronic processor (16) to an external device.

8. The tray according to claim 7, wherein the connection terminal is configured to transfer information via a wired connection (50).

9. The tray according to claim 7, wherein the connection terminal is configured to transfer information via a wireless connection.

10. The tray (1) according to claim 1 in combination with a docking station (26), the lower tray portion (4) and the docking station (26) respectively including complementary first and second docking attachments (30) configured to allow downloading of information from the electronic processor (16) to or via the docking station (26).

11. A method of tracking laboratory sample carriers (40) including radio frequency identifiers (42), the method including providing a tray (1) comprising an upper tray portion (2) and a lower tray portion (4), locating the upper tray portion (2) in an overlying relationship with the lower tray portion (4) by a locator (12), positioning sample carriers (40) in carrier bays (10) of the upper tray portion (2), reading information from the radio frequency identifier (42) of the carriers (40) by means of radio frequency identification reader antennae (14) of the lower tray portion (4) and storing the information by means of an electronic processor (16) of the lower tray portion (4) which is connected to the reader antennae (14).

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising the further step of powering the electronic processor (16) by a battery (18) forming part of the lower tray portion (4).

13. The method according to claim 11, including the further step of reading information from a further radio frequency identifier (22) forming part of the upper tray portion (2) by means of a further reader antenna (24) forming part of the lower tray portion (4) and connected to the electronic processor (16) and storing this information in the electronic processor (16).

14. The method according to claim 11, including the further step of communicating the stored information from the electronic processor (16) to an external device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein communicating the stored information includes the step of engaging a first docking attachment (30) of the lower tray portion (4) with a complementary second docking attachment (30) of a docking station (26).

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein communicating the stored information includes the step of transmitting it wirelessly to the external device.