Methods and systems for using RFID in biological field

• US 7,663,487 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Morris, Richard D., Mack, Jerome A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US11/647,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20070120685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 435/7.1, 436/47, 436/149, 436/155
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0832 cylindrical, tube shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/527 for a plurality of reagents
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5453 for test tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/021 Correlating sampling sites with geographical information, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

Biological reagent carrier devices and methods are disclosed, which employ RFID techniques to associate information with biological reagents.

Claims

1. An apparatus for associating information with a biological reagent, the apparatus comprising:

a reaction plate for supporting the biological reagent; and

at least one tag comprising an antenna coupled to the reaction plate, wherein the tag is operable to be read by a reader and wherein the tag comprises licensing rights information for using at least one of the reaction plate and the biological reagent in a predetermined assay and the tag comprises sequences of operations to be performed by a biological instrument.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reaction plate comprises a microarray.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reaction plate comprises a microfluidic card.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reaction plate comprises a 96-well reaction plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is embedded in an interior portion of the reaction plate during a reaction plate manufacturing process.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is adhesively applied to at least part of an exterior portion of the reaction plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one instrument having an instrument tag reader for reading the licensing rights information; and

at least one output interface that provides output information regarding an identification of the biological reagent while the instrument is performing operations in connection with the biological reagent.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instrument comprises a non-transparent enclosure that substantially prevents optical scanning of a barcode on an object positioned within the instrument.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one tag comprises at least one microwave RFID tag.

10. A system comprising a biological instrument and an apparatus for associating information with a biological reagent, the apparatus comprising:

a reaction plate for supporting the biological reagent; and

at least one RFID tag comprising an RFID antenna coupled to the reaction plate, wherein the RFID tag is operable to be read by an RFID reader, the RFID tag contains licensing rights information for using at least one of the reaction plate and the biological reagent in a predetermined assay, and the RFID tag contains control parameters;

the biological instrument comprising data acquisition and control software that uses the control parameters from the RFID tag to perform instrument control operations of the biological instrument.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the licensing rights information is adapted to be read by the biological instrument and the biological instrument comprises a reader for reading the RFID tag.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the licensing rights information further comprises information regarding a number of times the biological reagent can be used in connection with a particular assay.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the licensing rights information comprises information regarding whether the biological reagent has been subject to a recall.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the reaction plate comprises a 96-well reaction plate.

15. An apparatus for associating licensing rights information with a reaction plate, the apparatus comprising:

a reaction plate; and

an RFID tag having an RFID antenna coupled to the reaction plate,

wherein licensing rights information is contained in the RFID tag, the licensing rights information comprises information on whether a user has a valid license to use the reaction plate in a predetermined assay, and the RFID tag comprises control parameters configured to be used by data acquisition and control software on a biological instrument to perform instrument control operations of the biological instrument.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the reaction plate comprises a microarray and the RFID tag comprises nucleic acid sequence information and location information for at least one unique oligonucleotide spot in the microarray.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the reaction plate comprises a 96-well reaction plate.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the reaction plate comprises a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first and second surfaces face in opposing directions, and wherein a chamber is positioned upon the first surface.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the RFID antenna is affixed to the second surface face.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the RFID antenna is located between the first and second surfaces.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RFID antenna is positioned substantially along a periphery of the reaction plate.

22. A system comprising a biological instrument and an apparatus for associating information with a biological reagent, the apparatus comprising:

a reaction plate holding the biological reagent, the reaction plate coupled to an RFID tag, wherein the RFID tag is operable to be read by an RFID reader, the RFID tag contains licensing rights information for using the reaction plate in a predetermined assay, and the RFID tag contains control parameters; and

at least one biological instrument for reading the licensing rights information and control parameters, and performing operations on the biological reagent, the instrument comprising an output for providing an authorization indication of the biological reagent based on the licensing rights information;

the biological instrument comprising data acquisition and control software configured to use the control parameters from the RFID tag to perform instrument control operations of the biological instrument.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the instrument is generally opaque, thereby blocking optical paths to contents of the instrument.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the reaction plate comprises a 96-well reaction plate.