Methods and systems for locating and identifying labware radio-frequency identification tags
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a plurality of labware items each having an RFID tag associated therewith;
an instrument deck having a top surface with a plurality of apertures for receiving a portion of a labware item, each aperture having at least one RFID reader associated therewith, the at least one RFID reader positioned at a known instrument deck location and configured to detect presence of a labware item in the aperture associated with the at least one RFID reader; and
wherein each of the plurality of labware items includes a bottom surface for engaging the top surface of the instrument deck, and each of the plurality of labware items includes a lower portion extending from the bottom surface and configured to extend into one of the apertures with the bottom surface in contact with the top surface of the instrument deck.
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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
24 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of labware items each having an RFID tag associated therewith; an instrument deck having a top surface with a plurality of apertures for receiving a portion of a labware item, each aperture having at least one RFID reader associated therewith, the at least one RFID reader positioned at a known instrument deck location and configured to detect presence of a labware item in the aperture associated with the at least one RFID reader; and wherein each of the plurality of labware items includes a bottom surface for engaging the top surface of the instrument deck, and each of the plurality of labware items includes a lower portion extending from the bottom surface and configured to extend into one of the apertures with the bottom surface in contact with the top surface of the instrument deck. - 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 an RFID tag with each of a plurality of labware items, each of the plurality of labware items having a bottom surface and each of the plurality of labware items having a lower portion extending from the bottom surface; providing a labware instrument deck including a plurality of RFID readers each positioned at a known instrument deck location, the labware instrument deck having a plurality of apertures, each associated with one of the RFID readers; placing the bottom surface of a first one of the plurality of labware items at a first location on a top surface of the instrument deck with the lower portion of the first one of the plurality of labware items extending into a first aperture; and reading an RFID tag associated with the first one of the plurality of labware items. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification