Methods and systems for locating and identifying labware using radio-frequency identification tags
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a labware item having at least one RFID tag associated therewith;
an instrument deck including at least one RFID reader associated therewith, each RFID reader positioned at a known instrument deck location;
wherein the at least one RFID tag is communicatively coupled to at least one RFID reader at least when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck;
the labware item includes at least one locating peg and wherein the at least one RFID tag is located at the at least one locating peg;
wherein the instrument deck includes at least one aperture for receiving the at least one locating peg when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck; and
at least one reader antenna associated with the at least one aperture to read said at least one RFID tag.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for automatically locating and identifying labware using radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are described herein. The methods and systems include a plurality of RFID tags (pre-programmed with unique data codes) that are associated with labware (or labware holders). For example, the RFID tags can be embedded within the locating pegs of the labware (or labware holders). The methods and systems also include a plurality of RFID tag readers that mount near known locations of an instrument deck which receives the labware. The RFID tag readers automatically scan for the presence of RFID tags such that when a piece of labware is added to the instrument deck, and then report to a processing device the specific known location on deck where each tag was found, as well as the unique data code of each tag. Using this information, the methods and systems determine one or more of the location, orientation, and identity of the received labware.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a labware item having at least one RFID tag associated therewith; an instrument deck including at least one RFID reader associated therewith, each RFID reader positioned at a known instrument deck location; wherein the at least one RFID tag is communicatively coupled to at least one RFID reader at least when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck; the labware item includes at least one locating peg and wherein the at least one RFID tag is located at the at least one locating peg;
wherein the instrument deck includes at least one aperture for receiving the at least one locating peg when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck; andat least one reader antenna associated with the at least one aperture to read said at least one RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method, comprising:
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associating at least one RFID tag with a labware item; providing a labware instrument deck including at least one RFID reader positioned at at least one known instrument deck location; and reading the at least one RFID tag at least when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck; wherein the labware item includes at least one locating peg and wherein associating comprises locating the at least one RFID tag at the at least one locating peg; wherein providing comprises providing at least one aperture in the instrument deck for receiving at least one locating peg when the labware item is positioned on the instrument deck; and further providing at least one reader antenna associated with said at least one aperture to read the at least one RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system, comprising:
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a labware item including a locating peg and an RFID tag positioned within the locating peg; an instrument deck including a plurality of apertures, each aperture capable of receiving a labware item locating peg; and a plurality of RFID reader antennas, each antenna being associated with at least one of the plurality of apertures in the instrument deck to read the RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A labware receiving instrument deck, comprising:
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a labware support deck member for receiving thereon a labware item having an associated RFID tag; a plurality of RFID reader antennas, each antenna being associated with at least one known location on the support deck member; and circuitry coupled to the plurality of RFID reader antennas for reading the RFID tag associated with a labware item received on the labware support deck member; wherein the labware support deck member includes a plurality of apertures, each aperture capable of receiving a labware item locating peg within which the RFID tag of the labware item is embedded, and the RFID reader antennas are associated with the apertures in the deck member to read the RFID tag. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification