Device and method for identifying, locating and tracking objects on laboratory equipment

• US 7,746,229 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tecan Trading AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Tecan Trading AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Inventors: Grater, Matthias, Ingenhoven, Nikolaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/547,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/505
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00772 mechanical or optical code other than bar code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0491 Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

The invention concerns a system (1) to locate or track objects (2) that can be positioned on the work table (3) of a laboratory apparatus (4). To do this, the system (1) comprises at least:

• a) a central transmitter (5) with the capability to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals, convert RF signals received and transfer the converted signals to a computer (7);
• b) a local unit (6) mounted on a surface (8) of the work table (3) with the capability to receive and transmit RF signals;
• c) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags (10) to be affixed to the local unit (6) and to articles of laboratory ware (15) that are to be identified and/or located or tracked;
• d) a work table (3) of a laboratory apparatus (4) and a computer (7) that can be connected to the laboratory apparatus (4) and is linked to the central transmitter (5) via an interface, the computer (7) having the capability to communicate with the central transmitter (5), to process signals received from the latter and to address selected RFID tags (10) through the central transmitter (5).

The system (1) according to the invention can be integrated in a higher-ranking logistical system (31) for the processing and analysis of samples of any desired kind.

Claims

1. A system (1) to identify and locate objects (2), the system (1) comprising:

radio frequency identification (RFID) tags (10) to be affixed to objects (2) that are to be identified and to be located, wherein the RFID tags are configured to receive and to transmit signals;

a carrier (13) or racks (14) to accommodate objects (2) that are to be identified and located;

a plurality of antennae (16) to transmit signals to the RFID tags that are to be located;

at least one unit comprising a receiver element (19) and a transmitter element (22), the receiver element (19) is connected to the antennae (16) and activates a transmitting antenna (16), so that a single RFID tag (10) is activatable, which is in close proximity to the transmitting antenna (16) activated by the receiver element (19), and the transmitter element (22) transmits energy to the receiver element incorporated in the unit;

a computer (7); and

a central transmitter (5) to at least transmit signals to at least one transmitter element (22), to receive signals from the RFID tags (10), and to convert signals received and transfer the converted signals to the computer (7);

the computer (7) comprising a software for providing digital data relating to the identity and position of the objects (2), the software processing signals received from the central transmitter (5);

wherein the system (1) is accomplished as a laboratory system comprising a laboratory apparatus (4) having a laboratory work table (3), wherein articles of laboratory ware (15), the carrier (13) or the rack (14) that are to be identified and to be located, are positionable on a surface (8) of the laboratory work table (3);

the laboratory work table (3) comprising a virtual grid (11) which is designed to divide the surface (8) of the laboratory work table (3) into grid units (12);

wherein the at least one unit is accomplished as a local unit (6) which comprises at least one receiver element (19) and which is incorporated in the carrier (13) or rack (14);

wherein the transmitter elements (22) are arranged below the surface (8) of the laboratory work table (3) in a defined position thus defining the grid intersection points of the grid (11);

a receiver element (19) of a local unit (6) is arranged in register with and above a transmitter element (22), the transmitter element (22) transmitting energy through the laboratory work table (3) to the receiver element (19); and

at least one antenna (16) is incorporated in a carrier (13) or a rack (14), so that a single RFID tag (10) of an article of laboratory ware (15), which is closest to an antenna (16) of the carrier (13) or rack (14) currently being activated by the receiver element (19) and thus currently transmitting, is individually activatable.

2. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the local unit (6) further comprises a positioning device (17) for the controlled positioning of the carriers (13) or racks (14) on the surface (8) of the laboratory work table (3).

3. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the positioning device (17) comprises a receiver element (19) or takes the form of a magnetic device (20).

4. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the laboratory system (1) comprises at least one activation unit (9) which activates the transmitter elements (22) and which is connected with the computer (7) and with the central transmitter (5).

5. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein per local unit (6) a transmitter element (22) takes the form of an optical element which transmits light energy, wherein the corresponding receiver element (19) takes the form of an optical element able to receive the light energy and to convert it into electrical energy.

6. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein per local unit a receiver element (19) takes the form of an induction coil, and a corresponding transmitter element (22) takes the form of an electromagnetic coil for activating the receiver element (19) by an electromagnetic field.

7. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein for improving the reliability of reception of individual signals transmitted by an antenna (16) and received by a defined RFID-tag (10), the individual RFID tags (10) and/or the individual antennae (16) are screened from each other.

8. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the laboratory work table (3) comprises a steel cover (23) with through-holes (24) that are arranged in an array corresponding to the grid intersection points of the grid (11), wherein in each case there is a transmitter element (22) arranged in register with and under a plug (25), each plug (25) closing this through-hole (24), and wherein the surface (26) of each plug (25) is flush with the surface 8 of the laboratory work table (3).

9. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the surface (8) of the laboratory work table (3) comprises a plastic surface layer (27), which displays optically transparent portions (28) in an array corresponding to the intersection points of the grid (11), the transmitter elements (22) being arranged underneath this plastic surface layer (27).

10. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the laboratory work table (3) comprises an aluminium cover (23), with the transmitter elements (22) being arranged as an electromagnetic transmitter under this aluminium cover (23), said the aluminium cover (23) being permeable to the magnetic field of the transmitter elements (22).

11. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the laboratory apparatus (4) is a robotic sample processor (RSP).

12. The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein for optically exciting the RFID-tags (10), the local unit (6) is equipped with at least one optical transmission element for transmission of light signals, and the RFID-tags (10) comprising or being functionally connected to a photocell to receive light energy.

13. Application of the system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the digital data corresponding to the positions of the objects (2) on surface of the laboratory work table (3) are made available to higher-ranking logistical systems.

14. A method of identifying and locating objects (2) of a laboratory system (1), comprising the following steps:

providing radio frequency identification (RFID) tags (10) to objects (2) that are to be identified and to be located, wherein the RFID tags are configured to receive and to transmit signals;

providing carrier (13) or racks (14) to accommodate objects (2) that are to be identified and located;

providing a plurality of antennae (16) to transmit signals to the RFID tags that are to be located;

providing at least one unit comprising a receiver element (19) and a transmitter element (22), wherein the receiver element (19) is connected to the antennae (16) and activates the antennae (16), so that a single RFID tag (10) is activated, which is in close proximity to a transmitting antenna (16) activated by the receiver element (19); and

wherein the transmitter element (22) transmits energy to the receiver element (19) incorporated in the unit;

providing a computer (7) and a central transmitter (5), the central transmitter (5) at least transmitting signals to at least one transmitter element (22), to receive signals from the RFID tags (10), and to convert signals received and transfer the converted signals to the computer (7);

wherein the computer (7) comprises a software for providing digital data relating to the identity and position of the objects (2), the software processes signals received from the central transmitter (5);

wherein the system (1) is accomplished as a laboratory system comprising a laboratory apparatus (4) having a laboratory work table (3), wherein articles of laboratory ware (15), the carrier (13) or the rack (14) that are to be identified and to be located, are positioned on a surface (8) of the laboratory work table (3), and wherein the laboratory work table (3) comprises a virtual grid (11) which divides the surface (8) of the laboratory worktable (3) into grid units (12);

wherein the at least one unit is accomplished as a local unit (6) which comprises at least one receiver element (19) and which is incorporated in the carrier (13) or rack (14);

wherein the transmitter elements (22) are arranged below the surface (8) of the laboratory work table (3) in a defined position thus defining the grid intersection points of the grid (11);

a receiver element (19) of a local unit (6) being arranged in register with and above a transmitter element (22), the transmitter element (22) transmitting energy through the laboratory work table (3) to the receiver element (19); and

at least one antenna (16) being incorporated in a carrier (13) or a rack (14), so that a single RFID tag (10) of an article of laboratory ware (15), which is closest to an antenna (16) of the carrier (13) or rack (14) currently being activated by the receiver element (19) and thus currently transmitting, is individually activatable.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein to track objects (2), single RFID-tags (10) are activated and the transmitted data are processed by the computer (7) before and after the movement of an object (2).

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the activation of the receiver element (19) is performed by employing electrical induction or optical excitation.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein positioning devices (17) are used to position carrier (13) and/or racks (14) on the surface (8) of the laboratory work table (3).

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the computer (7) comprises a software enabling the computer (7) to draw up surface maps and lists of the objects (2), which are present on the work table (3).

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the digital data corresponding to the positions of the objects (2) on surface of the laboratory work table (3) are made available to higher-ranking logistical systems.