AUTOMATION TUBE POSITIONING METHODOLOGY

• US 20150355208A1
• Filed: 01/14/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: German, Ryan, Pollack, Benjamin S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,804,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/08 Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0406 Individual bottles or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0462 Buffers [FIFO] or stacks [LIFO] for holding carriers between operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0494 Detecting or compensating piositioning errors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0095 introducing urgent samples with priority, e.g. Short Turn Around Time Samples [STATS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/021 having a flexible chain, e.g. "cartridge belt", conveyor for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1011 Control of the position or alignment of the transfer device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack

Abstract

Methods and systems allow characterization of sample vessels and carriers in an automation system to determine any physical deviation from nominal positions. In response, an offset can be calculated and applied when positioning a carrier relative to a station, such as a testing or processing stations (or vice-versa). This may allow for precise operation of an instrument with a sample vessel on an automation track, while compensating for deviation in manufacturing and other tolerances.

Claims

1. A method for aligning a sample vessel in an automation system in an IVD environment comprising steps of:

measuring at least one distance between a reference point in a carrier and a position of a vessel within the carrier;

automatically determining, using a processor, an offset associated with the vessel position;

moving the carrier to a station within the analyzer for interaction between a sample contained in the vessel and a station; and

positioning the carrier at a location relative to the station responsive to the offset.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising aspirating a portion of the sample using a pipette once the carrier has stopped.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the at least one distance comprises observing the carrier and vessel with at least one camera.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the at least one distance comprises observing the carrier and the vessel using an LED and an electro-optical device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of measuring and automatically determining an offset are repeated when another vessel is inserted into the carrier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating a line of action of the station.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating a station that performs the measuring step using a reference carrier prior to performing the measuring step.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating the carrier using a station that performs the measuring step, prior to performing the measuring step.

9. A method for aligning a sample vessel in an automation system in an IVD environment comprising steps of:

observing a sample vessel carried by a carrier to compare a location of the sample vessel to an expected location;

automatically determining, using a processor, an offset associated with the vessel position;

moving the carrier along an automation track to a processing station within the analyzer for interaction between a sample contained in the vessel and a station; and

positioning the carrier at a location relative to the station responsive to the offset.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising aspirating a portion of the sample using a pipette once the carrier has stopped.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of observing comprises observing the carrier and vessel with at least one camera.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of observing comprises comparing an image of the sample to a pixel mapping of the expected location of the vessel in the image.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of observing and automatically determining an offset are repeated when another vessel is inserted into the carrier.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of observing is performed by a characterization station located on the automation track.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of positioning the carrier comprises positioning the carrier such that the centerline of the vessel is substantially coincident with an arc of a pipette.

16. An automation system for use with a clinical chemistry analyzer comprising:

an automation track configured to facilitate moving a plurality of carriers holding samples between a plurality of stations; and

a characterization station configured to observe sample vessels in a plurality of carriers on the automation track and communicate observation information to at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine an offset corresponding to the centerline of each sample from the information received from the characterization station and facilitate positioning of each corresponding carrier at a position determined by the offset to substantially align the centerline of each sample with a predetermined position in a station in the analyzer.

17. The automation system of claim 16, wherein each carrier is configured to hold each sample vessel substantially vertically by applying a spring force to hold each sample against at least one vertical tine.

18. The automation system of claim 17, wherein each carrier is further configured to utilize a plurality of vertical tines to hold each sample vessel in substantially the transverse center of at least two tines.

19. The automation system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to facilitate stopping each carrier such that the centerline of the vessel is substantially coincident with an arc of a pipette.

20. The automation system of claim 16, wherein the characterization station comprises at least one electro-optical device configured to capture an image of each vessel.

21. The automation system of claim 16, wherein the characterization station comprises at least one electro-optical device configured to detect when a sample vessel passes the electro-optical device.

22. The automation system of claim 16, wherein the station comprises an instrument having a pipette.

23. The automation system of claim 16, wherein the station comprises a sample processing station.

24. A method for aligning a sample vessel in an automation system in an IVD environment comprising steps of:

observing a sample vessel carried by a carrier to compare a location of the sample vessel to an expected location;

automatically determining, using a first processor, an offset associated with the vessel position;

moving the carrier along an automation track to a processing station within the analyzer for interaction between a sample contained in the vessel and a station;

stopping the carrier at a predetermined location at the processing station; and

positioning an interaction device at a location relative to the carrier responsive to the offset.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising aspirating a portion of the sample using a pipette once the carrier has stopped.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of observing comprises observing the carrier and vessel with at least one camera.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of observing comprises comparing an image of the sample to a pixel mapping of the expected location of the vessel in the image.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the steps of observing and automatically determining an offset are repeated when another vessel is inserted into the carrier.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of observing is performed by a characterization station located on the automation track.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of stopping the carrier comprises positioning the carrier such that the centerline of the vessel is substantially coincident with an arc of a pipette.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the interaction device is a pipette.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the interaction device is a robot arm.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of positioning the interaction device occurs responsive to the control of a second processor in communication with the first processor.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the offset includes a lateral component relative to the automation track, and the step of positioning the interaction device includes laterally positioning the interaction device responsive to the offset.