Installation for treating substances, and a corresponding workstation and support for substance receptacles

• US 6,725,117 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jouan
• Original Assignee: Jouan
• Inventors: Beaucour, Jérôme
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, ALEXANDER J
• Application Number:
  US09/993,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 700/115-116, 700/225-229, 340/10.42, 340/686.4, 435/4, 422/63-67, 422/104, 705/22, 705/28
• US Class Current: 700/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

This installation comprises:

for each receptacle of substance to be treated, radio-wave transmitter means for supplying information identifying the substance contained in the receptacle;

for each workstation for implementing a treatment operation on the substances, radio-wave receiver means for supply information identifying the workstation; and

for each receptacle support, both radio-wave receiver means for receiving information transmitted by the transmitter means of the receptacles and of the workstations, and at least one forwarding device for forwarding information received by the receiver means to a data storage unit. The installation is applicable to processing biological samples or materials.

Claims

1. An installation for treating substances, the installation being of the type comprising:

receptacles for the substances to be treated;

a plurality of workstations for implementing treatment operations on the substances;

at least one support for at least one receptacle, which support is movable relative to the workstations; and

a system for tracing the operations to which the substances are subjected, the system comprising a unit for storing data and communication means for communicating information between the receptacles, the workstations, and the storage units to store and associate therein data relating to the substances and the workstations in which they are placed;

wherein the communications means comprise;

for each receptacle, radio-wave transmitter means to supply information identifying the substance contained in the receptacle;

for each workstation, radio-wave transmitter means to supply information identifying the workstation; and

for each support, both radio-wave receiver means to receive information transmitted by the transmitter means of the receptacles carried by the support and of the workstations in which or near which the support is located, and also at least one forwarding device for forwarding information received by the receiver means to the data storage unit.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the forwarding device of the support is a device for forwarding information identifying the support to the information storage unit.

3. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the receiver means of the support is adapted automatically to cause the transmitter means of the receptacles carried by the support and of the workstations in or near which the support is placed to transmit information.

4. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the receiver means of the support is adapted regularly in time to cause the transmitter means of the receptacles carried by the support and by the workstations in or near which the support is placed to transmit information.

5. An installation according to claim 1, wherein for each support the forwarding device comprises means for transmitting radio waves.

6. An installation according to claim 5, wherein the frequency of the waves transmitted by the transmitter means of the forwarding device is different from the frequency of the waves transmitted by the transmitter means of the workstations and of the receptacles.

7. An installation according to claim 1, wherein, for each support, the forwarding device comprises a connector, and wherein at least one workstation includes a complementary connector connected via a wire connection to outside the workstation to forward information received by the receiver means of the support in question to the data storage unit.

8. An installation according to claim 7, wherein said or each wire connection connects the complementary connector to the data storage unit.

9. An installation according to claim 1, wherein at least one workstation includes at least one acquisition means for acquiring a parameter relating to the implementation of the corresponding treatment operations, and also a forwarding device for forwarding this parameter to the data storage unit for association with the information relating to the substances treated in the workstation.

10. An installation according to claim 9, wherein the device for forwarding the parameter to the data storage unit comprises a wire connection connecting the or each acquisition means to the data storage unit.

11. An installation according to claim 9, wherein the device for forwarding the parameter to the data storage unit comprises the workstation radio-wave transmitter means, the acquisition means being electrically connected to said transmitter means to supply the parameter to the data storage unit via the radio-wave receiver means and the information-forwarding device of a support located close to or within the workstation.

12. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the radio-wave transmitter means of the receptacles and of the workstations have transmitter powers of less than 10 mW.

13. An installation according to claim 12, wherein the radio-wave transmitter means of the workstations and of the receptacles are passive, and wherein the radio-wave receiver means of the support also constitute means for transmitting waves for powering the transmitter means of the workstations and of the receptacles.

14. A workstation for an installation according to claim 1.

15. A workstation according to claim 14, wherein its radio-wave transmitter means have a transmission power of less than 10 mW.

16. A workstation according to claim 15, wherein the radio-wave transmitter means is passive.

17. A workstation according to claim 14, including a connector for connection to a complementary connector of a forwarding device of a moving support for receptacles, said connector being connected to the outside of the workstation by a wire connection for forwarding information received by the receiver means of the support to a data storage unit.

18. A moving support for receptacles of substances to be treated, for use in an installation according to claim 1.

19. A support according to claim 18, wherein the forwarding device of the support is a device for forwarding information identifying the support to the information storage unit of the installation.

20. A support according to claim 18, wherein the receiver means of the support is adapted automatically to cause the transmitter means of the receptacles carried by the support and of the workstations in which or near which the support is placed to transmit information.

21. A support according to claim 20, wherein the receiver means of the support is adapted at regular time intervals to cause the transmitter means of the receptacles carried by the support and of the workstations in which or near which the support is placed to transmit information.

22. A support according to claim 18, wherein the information-forwarding device comprises radio-wave transmitter means distinct from the radio-wave receiver means.

23. A support according to claim 18, wherein the radio-wave transmitter means and the radio-wave receiver means are tuned to different frequencies.

24. A support according to claim 18, wherein its information-forwarding device comprises a connector for connection to a complementary connector of a workstation, said complementary connector being connected to the outside of the workstation by a wire connection for forwarding the information received by the receiver means of the support to the data storage unit.

25. A support according to claim 18, wherein the radio-wave receiver means also constitute radio-wave transmitter means for powering the transmitter means of the workstation.