CARTRIDGE FOR STORING BIOSAMPLE PLATES AND USE IN AUTOMATED DATA STORAGE SYSTEMS

• US 20120309298A1
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Allen Keith, Haustein, Nils, Johnson, James William, Schwartz, Stephen Leonard, Winarski, Daniel James, Topol, Anna Wanda
• Granted Patent: US 8,640,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/39
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48778 Containers specially adapted therefor, e.g. for dry storage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/023 Containers for magazines or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/042 Auxiliary features sensing such features G11B15/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/049 Cassettes for special applications not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a biosample cartridge that includes storage slots for holding biosample plates. The cartridge has the same form factor as data tape cartridges to allow the cartridge to be handled by the same robotic mechanisms that handle data cartridges in an automated tape library. One aspect of the disclosure concerns a biosample storage cartridge that has a movable door to provide access to inside the cartridge and a plate holder disposed inside the cartridge. The plate holder includes a plurality of slots for receiving biosample plates that are scanned and processed by the automated tape library.

Claims

1. A cartridge for storing biosample plates, comprising:

an enclosure including a movable door to provide access to inside the enclosure, the enclosure having the same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in an automated tape library; and

a holder disposed inside the enclosure and having a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of biosample plates that are scanned and processed by the automated tape library.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is an LTO type cartridge.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the slots are slightly wider than the thickness of the biosample plates to allow the holder to retain the biosample plates in place when moving.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of memory modules for storing data related to the biosamples, biosample plates and biosample cartridge.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, further comprising a wireless communication interface coupled to the memory modules for sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library.

6. The cartridge of claim 5, wherein the wireless communication interface uses radio signals for communication.

7. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the wireless communication interface is a radio antenna selected from the group consisting of a quarter-wave antenna, a fractal antenna, and an inductor of an inductor-capacitor oscillator.

8. The cartridge of claim 5, wherein the wireless communication interface uses optical lasers for communication.

9. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the memory modules comprise a nonvolatile memory.

10. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein the nonvolatile memory is selected from the group consisting of electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory, phase-change memory, flash memory, NOR memory, and NAND memory.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the biosample plates are disposed on a tape media substrate, and the automated tape library reads and writes data on the biosample plates using an electromagnetic tape head.

12. An analytical system comprising:

an automated tape library; and

a cartridge comprising an enclosure having a holder inside the enclosure and a movable door to provide access to the holder, the enclosure having the same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in the automated tape library, and the holder comprising a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of biosample plates that are scanned and processed by the automated tape library.

13. The analytical system of claim 12, wherein the cartridge is an LTO type cartridge.

14. The analytical system of claim 12, wherein the cartridge comprises a plurality of memory modules for storing data related to the biosamples, biosample plates, and biosample cartridge.

15. The analytical system of claim 14, wherein the cartridge comprises a wireless communication interface coupled to the memory modules for sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library.

16. The analytical system of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication interface is a radio antenna selected from the group consisting of a quarter-wave antenna, a fractal antenna, and an inductor of an inductor-capacitor oscillator.

17. The analytical system of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication interface uses optical lasers for communication.

18. An analytical system comprising:

a tape drive; and

a cartridge comprising an enclosure having a holder inside the enclosure and a movable door to provide access to the holder, the enclosure having the same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in the tape drive, and the holder comprising a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of biosample plates that are scanned and processed by the tape drive.

19. The analytical system of claim 18, wherein the cartridge comprises a plurality of memory modules for storing data related to the biosamples, biosample plates, and biosample cartridge.

20. The analytical system of claim 19, wherein the cartridge comprises a wireless communication interface coupled to the memory modules for sending data to and receiving data from the tape drive.