Apparatus for process automation using pin array and actuators

• US 8,150,548 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boone, Charles, Sasan Raghibizadeh
• Original Assignee: Boone, Charles, Sasan Raghibizadeh
• Inventors: Boone, Charles, Raghibizadeh, Sasan
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Ramya
• Application Number:
  US11/557,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20070123999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,975 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/228, 414/2, 414/222.12, 414/222.01, 422/63
• US Class Current: 700/228
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/02 for receptacle or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/543 for disposable pipette tips, e.g. racks or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/547 for dispensing pins
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/042 moved independently, e.g. by fork manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1037 Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1011 Control of the position or alignment of the transfer device
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1074 arranged in a two-dimensional array

Abstract

An apparatus and method for transferring plurality of samples from one sample container to another one is disclosed wherein each sample is randomly accessible and can be “cherry picked”. The disclosed method of actuation allows for using a smaller number of actuators than the number of sample transferring channels or pins and thereby simplifies the design and control of the sample transferring apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a pin array comprising rows and columns of pins; and

an actuation element capable of moving across the pin array and comprising a plurality of actuators, wherein the actuators cause the pins to move;

wherein the number of actuators is less than the number of pins; and

further wherein each pin in the pin array is separately movable by the actuation element and a number of pins in the pin array is simultaneously movable and wherein the pins are used for transferring samples.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pins float freely inside bushings, allowing the pins to float up inside the bushings when the pins touch a solid sample or work surface as the bushings are pushed down by the actuators, thereby preventing damage to the sample or work surface.

2. An apparatus, comprising:

a pin array comprising rows and columns of pins, the pins for transferring samples; and

an actuation element capable of moving across the pin array and comprising a plurality of actuators, wherein the actuators cause the pins to move;

wherein the number of actuators is less than the number of pins and the movement of the actuation element across the pin array allows for all the pins to be accessible and separately indexable, wherein movement of the actuation element is along the direction of the rows and the actuators are arranged linearly and in parallel to the columns.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a pin array comprising rows and columns of pins, the pins for transferring samples; and

an actuation element capable of moving across the pin array and comprising a plurality of actuators, wherein the actuators cause the pins to move;

wherein the number of actuators is less than the number of pins and the movement of the actuation element across the pin array allows for all the pins to be accessible and separately indexable, wherein movement of the actuation element is along the direction of the columns and the actuators are arranged linearly and in parallel to the rows.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a pin array comprising rows and columns of pins floating freely inside bushings; and

an actuation element comprising a plurality of actuators, the actuators configured to move the bushings and the pins together;

wherein the pins float up inside the bushings when the pins touch a solid sample or work surface as the bushings are pushed down by the actuators, thereby preventing damage to the sample or work surface and wherein the pins are used for transferring samples.