Sample identification system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use with a plurality of individual materials comprising:
- material-identification means for individually identifying each of said plurality of individual materials;
receiving means for receiving said plurality of individual materials, said receiving means including a plurality of individual receiving locations in an array, each receiving location for receiving an individual material;
location-identification means for identifying the unique location of each of said receiving locations within said array;
insertion means for inserting an individual material from said plurality of individual materials into one of said individual receiving locations, said insertion means including a means for depositing said individual material into said individual receiving locations;
insertion-detection means for detecting when insertion is occurring in an individual receiving location as identified by said location-identification means; and
recording means for recording deposition of said individual material by said insertion means into said individual receiving locations, said recording means recording the identification of said unique location in which said individual material has been deposited as determined by said location identification means and for recording the individual identity of said material as determined by said material identification means.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system is described for keeping track of the identity of a plurality of individual medical samples when the samples are loaded into multiple holders in which each holder has multiple individual receiving locations. Each sample, holder, and receiving location of each holder has a unique identification number associated therewith. The system includes a recording means for displaying and storing signals. A first reader means is also provided for reading the unique holder identification numbers and generating a signal to be sent to the recording means for storage. A second reader means is also provided for reading the unique sample identification number for generating a second signal to be sent to the recording means for storage. A third reader means is also provided for reading the unique location identification number when the insertion device is introduced into a particular receiving location. The location signal is sent to the recording means for display purposes. A fourth reader means is also provided for reading the unique location identification when a sample is actually deposited in a particular receiving location to generate a signal to be sent to the recording means for storage. In a preferred embodiment, an error prevention means is provided to detect and possibly prevent various types of sample loading errors.
118 Citations
23 Claims
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1. Apparatus for use with a plurality of individual materials comprising:
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material-identification means for individually identifying each of said plurality of individual materials; receiving means for receiving said plurality of individual materials, said receiving means including a plurality of individual receiving locations in an array, each receiving location for receiving an individual material;
location-identification means for identifying the unique location of each of said receiving locations within said array;insertion means for inserting an individual material from said plurality of individual materials into one of said individual receiving locations, said insertion means including a means for depositing said individual material into said individual receiving locations; insertion-detection means for detecting when insertion is occurring in an individual receiving location as identified by said location-identification means; and recording means for recording deposition of said individual material by said insertion means into said individual receiving locations, said recording means recording the identification of said unique location in which said individual material has been deposited as determined by said location identification means and for recording the individual identity of said material as determined by said material identification means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for identifying a plurality of individual medical samples, each sample having a unique sample identification associated therewith, said plurality of samples being contained in a plurality of holders, each holder having a unique holder identification associated therewith, each holder having a plurality of individual receiving locations, each receiving location having a unique location identification associated therewith, each receiving location for receiving a single individual sample from an insertion device, the system comprising:
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recording means for displaying said storing signals; first reader means for reading said unique holder identification associated with said holder and generating a holder signal to be sent to said recording means for storage; second reader means for reading said unique sample identification associated with said medical samples and generating a sample signal to be sent to said recording means for storage;
third reader means for reading said unique location identification associated with each individual receiving location when said insertion device is introduced into said receiving location and generating a first location signal to be sent to said recording means for display; andfourth reader means for reading said unique location identification associated with each individual receiving location when a sample is deposited into said receiving location and generating a second location signal to be sent to said recording means, said location signal being associated with said sample signal generated by said second reader means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification