System for tracking vessels in automated laboratory analyzers by radio frequency identification
First Claim
1. A system comprising a plurality of containers, each of which container has a top and a bottom and contains a liquid, each of which container has a radio frequency identification tag attached thereto on the bottom thereof, the system further including at least one movable radio frequency identification reader, wherein the movable radio frequency identification reader is movable to a position below the radio frequency identification tag, whereby information from the radio frequency identification tag is read with an amount of noise and interference from nearby radio frequency identification tags on other containers insufficient to adversely affect the integrity of the data read by a radio frequency identification reader.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for automation of laboratory analyzers that utilizes radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and radio frequency identification (RFID) readers to identify containers and vessels, and the contents thereof, that are employed in the system. Radio frequency identification tags, conforming to the guidelines of ISO 14443 or ISO 15693 or ISO 18000, are positioned on the items of interest, such as, for example, reagent containers, sample containers, and microplates. These tags can be read by and written to by either a moving antenna of a RFID reader or a stationary antenna of a RFID reader. Reading of RFID tags and writing to RFID tags are controlled by software.
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Citations
45 Claims
- 1. A system comprising a plurality of containers, each of which container has a top and a bottom and contains a liquid, each of which container has a radio frequency identification tag attached thereto on the bottom thereof, the system further including at least one movable radio frequency identification reader, wherein the movable radio frequency identification reader is movable to a position below the radio frequency identification tag, whereby information from the radio frequency identification tag is read with an amount of noise and interference from nearby radio frequency identification tags on other containers insufficient to adversely affect the integrity of the data read by a radio frequency identification reader.
- 17. A system comprising a plurality of containers, each of which container has a top and a bottom and contains a liquid, each of which container has a radio frequency identification tag attached thereto on the bottom thereof, the system further including at least one radio frequency identification reader, said at least one radio frequency identification reader having a plurality of stationary antennas, wherein each of the plurality of containers is movable to a position above one of the plurality of radio frequency identification antennas of the at least one radio frequency identification reader, whereby information from the radio frequency identification tag is read with an amount of noise and interference from nearby radio frequency identification tags on other containers insufficient to adversely affect the integrity of the data read by an antenna of said at least one radio frequency identification.
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36. A method of determining whether a biological sample is acceptable for the analysis thereof in a system comprising an automated analyzer, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a liquid biological sample in a container having a top and a bottom, the radio frequency identification tag positioned on the bottom of the container; (b) interrogating a radio frequency identification tag on said container containing said liquid biological sample to obtain information therefrom relating to storage information wherein said radio frequency identification tag is interrogated by a radio frequency identification reader, wherein said radio frequency identification reader is in a position below the container so that information from the radio frequency identification tag is read with an amount of noise and interference from nearby radio frequency identification tags on other containers that are insufficient to adversely affect the integrity of the data read by the radio frequency identification reader; (c) comparing the storage information to a set of acceptable storage conditions; and (d) rejecting or accepting the sample container for analysis of the sample, based on the comparing step performed in (c), wherein steps (b), (c) and (d) are automatically performed by an automated analyzer system. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of determining whether a reagent is acceptable for the analysis of a biological sample in an automated analyzer system, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a liquid reagent in a container having a top and a bottom, a radio frequency identification tag attached to the bottom of the container, wherein the radio frequency identification tag comprises an information device that contains information on storage conditions to which the reagent container has been exposed; (b) interrogating a radio frequency identification tag on said container containing said liquid reagent to determine the information on storage conditions for the at least one reagent container wherein said radio frequency identification tag is interrogated by a radio frequency identification reader, wherein said radio frequency identification reader is in a position below the container so that information from the radio frequency identification tag is read with an amount of noise and interference from nearby radio frequency identification tags on other containers that are insufficient to adversely affect the integrity of the data read by the radio frequency identification reader; (c) comparing the information on storage conditions to a set of acceptable storage conditions; and (d) rejecting or accepting the reagent container for use in an automated analyzer system, based on the comparing step performed in step (c), wherein steps (b), (c) and (d) are automatically performed by an automated analyzer system. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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42. The method of 41, further comprising the step of performing at least one automated analysis of the sample using at least one reagent container determined to be acceptable for use.
Specification