Biosample cartridge with radial slots for storing biosample carriers and using in automated data storage systems

• US 9,250,254 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Allen K., Haustein, Nils, Schwartz, Stephen L., Topol, Anna W., Winarski, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/632,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,220 Days
• Field of Search: 455/39, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/66.1, 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/573.1, 360/55
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00138 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00752 bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0441 for samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a biosample cartridge that includes radial slots for storing biosample carriers. The biosample cartridge has the same form factor as data tape cartridges used in automated tape libraries to allow the biosample cartridge to be handled by the same robotic mechanisms that handle the data tape cartridges. One aspect of the disclosure concerns a biosample cartridge that includes a rotatable biosample carrier holder. The biosample carrier holder includes radial slots for receiving biosample carriers which contain biosamples scanned and analyzed by automated tape libraries.

Claims

1. A cartridge for storing biosample carriers, comprising:

an enclosure including a movable door to provide access to inside the enclosure and having the same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in an automated tape library; and

a rotatable biosample carrier holder disposed in the enclosure and having a plurality of radial slots for receiving the biosample carriers, the biosample carriers including biosamples that are scanned and analyzed by the automated tape library.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the biosample carrier holder is controllably rotated to allow access to a selected biosample carrier.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge has a form factor selected from the group consisting of an LTO type cartridge, a TS1140 tape cartridge, a T10000 tape cartridge, and an optical disk cartridge.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the biosample carriers are microscope slides.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein each of the microscope slides includes a plurality of trenches on a surface of said each microscope slide for holding a biological sample.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the biosample carriers are capillary tubes.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein each of the radial slots includes a plurality of leaf springs for retaining a respective biosample carrier in position.

8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein an interior of the radial slots is coated with diamond-like carbon to mitigate sliding friction.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the biosample carrier holder and interior of the enclosure are coated with an antibacterial compound to mitigate biosample escaping.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein each of the biosample carriers includes a barcode for identifying said each biosample carrier.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein each of the radial slots includes a barcode for identifying said each radial slot.

12. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a spring and brake mechanism for controlling movement of the biosample carrier holder.

13. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a memory module for storing biosample data and identification data of the biosample carriers and radial slots.

14. The cartridge of claim 13, further comprising a wireless communication interface coupled to the memory module for sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library.

15. The cartridge of claim 13, wherein the memory module comprises a nonvolatile memory selected from the group consisting of electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory, phase-change memory, flash memory, NOR memory, and NAND memory.

16. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a biosample access drive rotates the biosample carrier holder through an opening in the enclosure.

17. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the biosample access drive includes a rotary encoder to provide information on a position of the biosample carrier holder.

18. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the biosample access drive includes a first wireless communication interface for communicating with a second wireless communication interface in the cartridge.

19. An analytical system comprising:

an automated tape library;

a cartridge comprising an enclosure including a movable door to provide access to inside the enclosure and having the same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in the automated tape library; and

a rotatable biosample carrier holder disposed in the enclosure and having a plurality of radial slots for receiving the biosample carriers, the biosample carriers including biosamples that are scanned and analyzed by the automated tape library.

20. An analytical system comprising:

a tape drive; and

a cartridge comprising an enclosure including a movable door to provide access to inside the enclosure and having the same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in the tape drive; and

a rotatable biosample carrier holder disposed in the enclosure and having a plurality of radial slots for receiving the biosample carriers, the biosample carriers including biosamples that are scanned and analyzed by the tape drive.