Reagent bottle identification method

• US 5,420,408 A
• Filed: 05/12/1994
• Issued: 05/30/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ALFA Wassermann Incorporated (Alfasigma S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Schiapparelli Biosystems, Inc.
• Inventors: Richardson, Gary, Clark, James, Schmidt, Leon, Weyrauch, Bruce, Butts, Charles, Kelln, Norman, Loughlin, Kelsey
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sikorski, Edward
• Application Number:
  US08/241,469
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/456, 382/68, 382/23
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00425 Heating or cooling means associated with pipettes or the like, e.g. for supplying sample/reagent at given temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00673 of reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0446 Combinations of the above
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00663 of consumables
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1004 Cleaning sample transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1079 with means for piercing stoppers or septums
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06262 with target- or other orientation-indicating feature
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0297 including a machine-readable marking, e.g. a bar code digitally marked record carriers in general G06K19/00

Abstract

An automatic chemical analyzer utilizes reagents supplied in reagent bottles. The reagent bottles are labeled on their bottom surfaces with an identification label bearing a machine-readable identification code. The automatic chemical analyzer includes a reagent tray having a plurality of tray apertures therein which receive coded reagent bottles and which expose the bottom surface of each bottle for optical viewing of the machine-readable identification code. The analyzer further includes optical scanner means positioned below the reagent tray for reading the machine-readable identification code on the bottom surfaces of reagent bottles within the tray apertures. The tray apertures are selectively located over the optical scanner means so that the analyzer can identify the reagent bottle and the contents thereof.

The identification label has a spaced pair of position reference dots defining and orienting a label area. A plurality of bit fields surround the position reference dots, their positions being defined by the position reference dots. Each bit field maps to a single bit of a multi-bit binary bottle identification code. Bit dots are printed in selected bit fields to define the binary value of each bit of the multi-bit binary identification code.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a labeled reagent bottle having a bottle identification code in the form of a multi-bit binary code imprinted on its bottom surface within a label area having a surface background on which a contrasting pattern of dots is imprinted;

the pattern of dots including a spaced pair of imprinted position reference dots;

the remaining label area being divided into a plurality of bit fields;

the method comprising the following steps;

(a) detecting the locations of a spaced pair of position reference dots in the form of a central position dot located at the approximate center of an imprinted pattern on the bottom surface of a reagent bottle and an orientation dot spaced radially outward from the central position dot at the rim of the pattern, the central position dot and orientation dot defining and orienting a label area containing both of them;

(b) dividing the label area into a plurality of bit fields having bit dots imprinted in selected bit fields about the label area wherein each bit field maps to a single bit of a multi-bit binary code and the binary value of each bit of the multi-bit binary code determines whether a bit dot is present in the mapped bit field, the bit fields surrounding the central position dot and being defined by the spaced pair of position reference dots, the spacing between the imprinted pair of reference dots being substantially greater than the spacing between adjacent bit fields about the label area and also being greater than the spacing between each of the imprinted reference dots and the bit fields adjacent to it;

(c) detecting whether a bit dot is present within each bit field;

(d) distinguishing the imprinted position reference dots from the imprinted bit dots by their relatively greater areas and spacing, the imprinted position reference dots having a minimum area and the imprinted bit dots having a maximum area, the minimum area of the imprinted position reference dots being greater than the maximum area of the imprinted bit dots; and

(e) mapping each bit field to a single bit of the multi-bit binary code to determine the binary value of each bit of the multi-bit binary code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-bit binary code includes a plurality of check bits.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-bit binary code specifies the reagent bottle size, its serial number, and the identification of a reagent within the bottle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step (a) is carried out by:

focusing an image sensor on the bottom surface of a reagent bottle; and

directing a ring of light-emitting diodes toward the bottom surface of the reagent bottle, the light-emitting diodes being arranged about the image sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein method steps (a) through (e) are preceded by the following steps:

(f) placing reagent bottles within a reagent tray having a plurality of tray apertures therein which receive a plurality of coded reagent bottles and which expose the bottom surface of each bottle for optical viewing of its bottle identification code; and

(g) indexing a selected tray aperture over an optical scanner positioned below the reagent tray for reading the identification code on the bottom surface of a reagent bottle through the selected tray aperture.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the following step:

(h) monitoring the locations of individual reagent bottles within the reagent tray.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the following steps:

(h) monitoring the locations of individual reagent bottles within the reagent tray;

(i) determining the age of reagent within each reagent bottle from information encoded within the multi-bit binary code; and

(j) calculating the volume of reagent remaining within each reagent bottle.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the following steps:

(h) monitoring the locations of individual reagent bottles within the reagent tray;

(i) determining the age of reagent within each reagent bottle from information encoded within the multi-bit binary code;

(j) calculating the volume of reagent remaining within each reagent bottle; and

(k) prompting an operator upon expiration of the contents of a reagent bottle.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising the following steps:

(h) storing digital information with respect to a bottle identification code determined in step (e) for each reagent bottle, the location of each reagent bottle within the reagent tray, and reagent status for each reagent bottle;

(i) monitoring the locations of individual reagent bottles within the reagent tray;

(j) determining the age of reagent within each reagent bottle from information encoded within the multi-bit binary code;

(k) calculating the volume of reagent remaining within each reagent bottle; and

(l) prompting an operator upon expiration of the contents of a reagent bottle.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising the following steps:

(h) storing digital information with respect to a bottle identification code determined in step (e) for each reagent bottle, the location of each reagent bottle within the reagent tray, and reagent status for each reagent bottle;

(i) measuring the actual volume of reagent within a reagent bottle; and

(j) prompting an operator upon expiration of the contents of a reagent bottle.