Laboratory sample archiving apparatus and method

• US 8,952,787 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shandon Diagnostics Ltd. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Thomas Fergus Hughes
• Inventors: Hughes, Thomas Fergus
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US13/003,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 340/235, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/00 Supporting devices; Holding devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0498 Drawers used as storage or dispensing means for vessels or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0006 with random access selection of a record carrier from the card-file, e.g. the carriers are suspended on the selection device which in part of the card magazine
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L

Abstract

An archive apparatus is provided for storing and archiving laboratory samples including radio frequency identification means. The apparatus comprises a support structure or cabinet (4), a drawer (6) translatable in a translation direction (12) into and out of the support structure (4), and sample support means comprising ribs (8) associated with the drawer (6) for supporting an array (10) of samples or slides (20) spaced along the translation direction (12) for movement with the drawer (6). A radio frequency reader antenna (14) is connected to the support structure (4) adjacent to the drawer (6) and recording means (34, 38) are adapted to operatively communicate with the reader antenna (14) to store information obtained from the radio frequency identification means of laboratory samples or slides (20) supported by the drawer (6). The apparatus can automatically collect and store current information concerning the samples or slides (20) in the drawer (6) as a consequence of opening and closing of the drawer (6).

Claims

1. Archive apparatus for storing and archiving laboratory samples including a radio frequency identifier, the apparatus comprising a support structure, a drawer translatable in a translation direction into and out of the support structure, a sample support associated with the drawer for supporting an array of samples spaced at a pitch along the translation direction for movement with the drawer, a radio frequency reader antenna connected to the support structure adjacent to the drawer wherein the reader antenna is configured to emit a curtain of electromagnetic waves, a shield deployed adjacent to the reader antenna with a slot formed therein to limit the extent to which emitted electromagnetic waves spread as the electromagnetic waves travel away from the reader antenna, the curtain of electromagnetic waves having a maximum dimension in the translation direction which is less than the pitch of the laboratory samples, and a recorder adapted to operatively communicate with the reader antenna to store information obtained from the radio frequency identifier of laboratory samples supported by the drawer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recorder includes a controller operatively connected to the reader antenna.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is operatively connected to a computer system including sample tracking software.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support structure accommodates plural drawers.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one said reader antenna is connected to the support structure adjacent to each drawer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is operatively connected to plural said reader antennae.

7. A compound archive apparatus comprising plural archive apparatuses according to claim 1.

8. The compound archive apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the recorder includes a single computer system operatively connected to the reader antennae.

9. A method for storing and archiving laboratory samples with a radio frequency identifier including providing apparatus comprising a support structure, a drawer translatable in a translation direction into and out of the support structure, supporting the laboratory samples in an array in a sample support associated with the drawer with the laboratory samples spaced at a pitch along the translation direction for movement with the drawer, providing a radio frequency reader antenna connected to the support structure adjacent to the drawer and recorder and a shield deployed adjacent to the reader antenna with a slot formed therein to limit the extent to which emitted electromagnetic waves spread as the electromagnetic waves travel away from the reader antenna, translating the drawer in the translation direction so that the laboratory samples pass through a curtain of electromagnetic waves emitted by the reader antenna wherein the curtain has a maximum dimension in the translation direction which is less than the pitch of the laboratory samples, operatively communicating information from the radio frequency identifier (2) of the samples (20) supported by the drawer (6) to the recorder (34, 38) and recording said information with the recorder (34, 38).

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising the further steps of at least partly translating the drawer out of the support structure, altering a distribution of the samples supported by the drawer, translating the drawer back into the support structure and updating a record held by the recorder of samples supported by the drawer based on signals received by the reader antenna.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the recorder records historic information concerning the samples in the drawer in addition to current information concerning the samples in the drawer.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the stored information concerning samples supported by the drawer is displayed by the recorder graphically.

13. The method according to claim 9, including identifying a user accessing the samples by means of user identifier and using this identification to record which user has accessed the samples or to control access to the samples.