Mobile robot and clinical test apparatus using the same

• US 8,641,970 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
• Original Assignee: Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
• Inventors: Chung, Wan Kyun, Choi, Hyouk Ryeol, Ryu, Sung Moo, Kim, Min Chul, Koo, Ja Choon
• Primary Examiner(s): MERKLING, SALLY ANNE
• Application Number:
  US12/162,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20090035181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,398 Days
• Field of Search: 422 63- 67, 422/99, 422/100
• US Class Current: 422/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

A clinical test apparatus employing a mobile robot is provided. The clinical test apparatus includes a stage unit, a test station provided in the stage unit and configured to perform a clinical test, a mobile robot configured to move on a top surface of the stage unit and to transfer a plate on which samples and reagents are loaded to the test station, and a docking unit disposed in the stage unit and configured to reset a position of the mobile robot. A variety of test stations for a clinical test can be integrated, and multiple tests can be performed at the same time through a plurality of mobile robots.

Claims

1. A clinical test apparatus comprising:

a stage unit;

a test station provided in the stage unit for performing a clinical test;

a plurality of landmarks disposed on the top surface of the stage unit, each of the plurality of landmarks including four magnets disposed in a square shape to define a reference x-y coordinate, an origin of the reference x-y coordinate being a target position;

a mobile robot comprising a diagnostic module in which a plate having samples and reagents loaded thereon is seated and a mobile module for transferring the diagnostic module to the test station; and

a docking unit comprising a reference gripper fixed on the stage unit and a movement gripper for gripping the mobile robot with the reference gripper to dock the mobile robot at a reference position when the mobile robot is located between the reference gripper and the movement gripper,

wherein the mobile module comprises;

a base for moving on a top surface of the stage unit;

a plurality of wheels for driving the base on the stage unit;

four hall sensors disposed at the bottom of the base in a square shape to define a robot x-y coordinate, an origin of the robot x-y coordinate being a center position of the mobile robot, each hall sensor detecting a magnetic field of each magnet in each landmark to acquire an offset between a position of each hall sensor and x-axis or y-axis of the reference x-y coordinate; and

a processor configured to initialize a position of the mobile robot with the reference position when the mobile robot is docked in the docking unit and determine a positional error (x, y) and a rotational error θ

of the mobile robot based on offsets between positions of the four hall sensor and x-axis or y-axis of the reference x-y coordinate.

2. The clinical test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile module further comprises a battery for providing power to the plurality of wheels and a charging connector for charging the battery, and the docking unit further comprises a charging terminal disposed at the movement gripper for contacting the charging connector when the mobile robot is docked in the docking units.

7. The clinical test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positional error (x, y) of the mobile robot is acquire by

8. The clinical test apparatus of claim 7, wherein the rotational error θ

of the mobile robot is acquire by

3. A mobile robot, comprising:

a diagnostic module in which a plate having samples and reagents loaded thereon is seated; and

a mobile module having the diagnostic module mounted therein for transferring the diagnostic module to a test station where a clinical test is performed,

wherein the mobile module comprises;

a base for moving on a top surface of a stage unit;

a plurality of wheels for driving the base on the stage unit;

four hall sensors disposed at the bottom of the base in a square shape to define a robot x-y coordinate, an origin of the robot x-y coordinate being a center position of the mobile robot, each hall sensor detecting a magnetic field of each magnet in each of a plurality of landmarks to acquire an offset between a position of each hall sensor and x-axis or y-axis of a reference x-y coordinate, the plurality of landmarks disposed on the top surface of the stage unit, each of the plurality of landmarks including four magnets disposed in a square shape to define the reference x-y coordinate; and

a processor configured to initialize a position of the mobile robot with a reference position when the mobile robot is docked in a docking unit and determine a positional error (x, y) and a rotational error θ

of the mobile robot based on offsets between positions of the four hall sensor and x-axis or y-axis of the reference x-y coordinate.

4. The mobile robot of claim 3, wherein the diagnostic module comprises a RFID reader for reading a RFID tag mounted in the plate.

5. The mobile robot of claim 3, wherein the diagnostic module comprises a detector for calculating results of the clinical test.

6. The mobile robot of claim 5, wherein the detector comprises a spectrophotometer.

9. The mobile robot of claim 3, wherein the positional error (x, y) of the mobile robot is acquire by

10. The mobile robot of claim 9, wherein the rotational error θ

of the mobile robot is acquire by