SENSING SPECIMEN GRIPPER

• US 20140036276A1
• Filed: 08/06/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bcekman Coulter, Inc., Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Allen, Santiago, Trochman, Allan, Gross, Mark, Murashie, Edward A., Rckl, Stefan, Otts, Stephan L.
• Application Number:
  US13/960,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20140036276A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/614
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/02 for measuring length, width or thickness G01B11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/12 for measuring diameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/17 Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J

Abstract

Systems and methods for system for gripping a specimen container are disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of gripper fingers, a processor, and a system for gathering data related to a specimen container. Data related to a specimen container, such as detection of the presence of a specimen container within the gripper, measurement of specimen container dimensions and weight, detection of specimen container contents, specimen tube identification, etc. are gathered. Embodiments provide an improved automated process by simultaneously performing multiple measurements and analytical processes on the specimen container, thereby providing for faster processing of the sample that resides in the specimen container.

Claims

1. A system for gripping a specimen container, the system comprising:

a plurality of gripper fingers;

a processor; and

a sensing potentiometer communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the sensing potentiometer is configured to produce an output based on a distance between two gripper fingers in the plurality of gripper fingers when a specimen container is gripped by the plurality of gripper fingers, and

wherein the processor is configured to determine a dimension of the specimen container based on the output.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the output is a voltage value corresponding to a resistance value of the potentiometer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing potentiometer is a linear potentiometer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the dimension is a diameter of the specimen container.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a load cell communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a weight of the specimen container based on an output of the load cell.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

an optical sensor system including a light source communicatively coupled to the processor and a light receiver communicatively coupled to the processor,

wherein the light source is coupled to a first gripper finger and the light receiver is coupled to a second gripper finger.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a photo transistor communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a light emitting diode;

wherein the light emitting diode is configured to generate light that is reflected from a surface of a cap of the specimen container when the specimen container is gripped by the plurality of gripper fingers; and

wherein the photo transistor is configured to generate a signal corresponding to a quantity of reflected light from the surface of the cap of the specimen container.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an assembly for opening and closing the plurality of gripper fingers, the assembly being a worm drive assembly, a slotted disc assembly, or a planetary gear assembly.

9. A method for determining a diameter of a specimen container, the method comprising:

gripping the specimen container using a plurality of gripper fingers;

generating, by a sensing potentiometer, an output based on a distance between two gripper fingers in the plurality of gripper fingers; and

determining, by a processor coupled to the sensing potentiometer, a dimension of the specimen container based on the output.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising, one or more of:

a) generating, by a load cell, an output, and determining, by a processor communicatively coupled to the load cell, a weight of the specimen container based on the output;

b) transmitting, by a light source, an optical signal, the light source coupled to a first gripper finger in a plurality of gripper fingers gripping the specimen container, receiving, by a light receiver, the optical signal, the light receiver being coupled to a second gripper finger in the plurality of gripper fingers gripping the specimen container, and determining, by a processor coupled to the light source and the light receiver, information associated with the specimen container gripped by the plurality of gripper fingers; and

c) transmitting light generated by a light emitting diode directed towards a cap of the specimen container, and receiving light reflected from a surface of the cap of the specimen container by a photo transistor communicatively coupled to a processor;

wherein the photo transistor is configured to generate a signal corresponding to a quantity of reflected light from the surface of the cap of the specimen container.

11. A system for gripping a specimen container, the system comprising:

a plurality of gripper fingers;

a processor; and

a load cell communicatively coupled to the processor, the processor configured to determine a weight of the specimen container based on an output of the load cell, when the plurality of gripper fingers grip the specimen container.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the output of the load cell corresponds to a combined weight of the specimen container and a gripper unit configured to grip the specimen container using the plurality of gripper fingers.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the weight of the specimen container is determined by subtracting a known weight of the gripper unit from the combined weight.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the load cell is arranged on top of a gripper unit configured to grip the specimen container using the plurality of gripper fingers.

15. A method for determining a weight of a specimen container, the method comprising:

gripping the specimen container using a plurality of gripper fingers;

generating, by a load cell, an output; and

determining, by a processor communicatively coupled to the load cell, a weight of the specimen container based on the output.

16. A system for gripping a specimen container, the system comprising:

a plurality of gripper fingers comprising a first gripper finger and a second gripper finger;

a processor; and

an optical sensor system including a light source communicatively coupled to the processor and a light receiver communicatively coupled to the processor;

wherein the light source is coupled to the first gripper finger and the light receiver is coupled to the second gripper finger.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the light source is a fiber optic source and the light receiver is a fiber optic receiver.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode and the light receiver is a photodiode.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to determine that a specimen container is determined to be present between the gripper fingers when the light receiver does not receive an optical signal from the light source.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to determine liquid level of one or more liquids within the specimen container based on an attenuation of a signal from the light source as detected by the light receiver.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to determine a liquid characteristic of a liquid within the specimen container based on an attenuation of a signal from the light source as detected by the light receiver.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to determine a length of a specimen container based on an amount of time when light from the light source is attenuated at the light receiver when the gripper fingers descend vertically relative to the specimen container.

23. A method for obtaining information associated with a specimen container, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a light source, an optical signal, the light source coupled to a first gripper finger in a plurality of gripper fingers gripping the specimen container;

receiving, by a light receiver, the optical signal, the light receiver being coupled to a second gripper finger in the plurality of gripper fingers gripping the specimen container;

determining, by a processor coupled to the light source and the light receiver, information associated with the specimen container gripped by the plurality of gripper fingers.

24. A system comprising:

a plurality of gripper fingers;

a processor;

a photo transistor communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a light emitting diode;

wherein the light emitting diode is configured to generate light that is reflected from a surface of a cap of the specimen container when the specimen container is gripped by the plurality of gripper fingers; and

wherein the photo transistor is configured to generate a signal corresponding to a quantity of reflected light from the surface of the cap of the specimen container.

25. The system of claim 24,

wherein a distance between the photo transistor and the cap of the specimen container is determined based on the signal;

and

wherein a length of the specimen container is determined based on the distance between the photo transistor and the cap of the specimen container.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein a cap color is determined based on the signal.

27. A method for obtaining information from a specimen container, the method comprising:

transmitting light generated by a light emitting diode directed towards a cap of the specimen container;

receiving light reflected from a surface of the cap of the specimen container by a photo transistor communicatively coupled to a processor;

wherein the photo transistor is configured to generate a signal corresponding to a quantity of reflected light from the surface of the cap of the specimen container.