Intelligent bidirectional multifunctional carrier and integrated automation system for material distribution and transportation

• US 9,315,334 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mellars, Colin, Yagci, Baris, Pollack, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/376,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/00 Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0406 Individual bottles or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0467 Switching points ("aiguillages")
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/02 using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations G01N35/0098 and G01N35/0099 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

An automation system for an in vitro diagnostics environment includes a plurality of intelligent carriers that include onboard processing and navigation capabilities. A central management controller can communicate wirelessly with the carriers to direct the carriers to carry a fluid sample to testing stations along a track within the automation system. The carriers control local motion and navigate decision points, such as forks in the track, to reach the appropriate testing station independently. The carriers can utilize landmarks and distance encoding to reach destinations accurately and quickly, including, for example, within less than the time for a single operation cycle of an automated clinical analyzer.

Claims

1. An automation system for use in in vitro diagnostics comprising:

a track configured to provide one or more paths between a plurality of testing stations;

a plurality of carriers, each comprising an onboard processor configured to make local trajectory decisions; and

at least one central controller configured to assign destinations to the plurality of carriers and convey routing instructions to the plurality of carriers, which includes an identification of at least one track section to traverse,

wherein each carrier is configured to hold one or more fluid samples and move the one or more fluid samples to one of the plurality of testing stations in response to receiving the routing instructions.

2. The automation system of claim 1, wherein each carrier is configured to monitor and limit acceleration to a threshold that depends on the fluid sample being carried.

3. The automation system of claim 1, wherein each carrier is configured to monitor and limit jerk to a threshold that depends on the fluid sample being carried.

4. The automation system of claim 1, wherein each carrier is configured to observe landmarks in the track to determine its current location.

5. The automation system of claim 1, wherein each carrier is configured to observe landmarks in the track to determine its current location relative to a decision point.

6. The automation system of claim 1, wherein the track includes a plurality of decision points that allow a carrier to be routed between multiple sections within the track and each carrier is configured to make a routing determination for each decision point it encounters.

7. The automation system of claim 6, wherein each carrier is further configured to make the routing determination without coming to a stop.

8. A carrier for transporting fluid containers in an in vitro diagnostics environment comprising:

a processor configured to navigate the carrier between a plurality of points in a track; and

a communications system configured to receive a first set of routing instructions, including at least one destination testing station,

wherein the processor is further configured to direct the carrier to the at least one destination testing station autonomously upon receipt of the first set of routing instructions.

9. The carrier of claim 8, further comprising one or more sensors configured to detect a collision condition with one or more other carriers.

10. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to monitor and limit acceleration to a threshold that depends on the fluid container being carried.

11. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to monitor and limit jerk to a threshold that depends on the fluid sample being carried.

12. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the carrier is configured to observe landmarks in the track to determine its current location.

13. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the track includes a plurality of decision points that allow a carrier to be routed between multiple sections within the track and the carrier is configured to make a routing determination for each decision point it encounters.

14. The carrier of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to make the routing determination without coming to a stop.

15. An automation system for use in in vitro diagnostics comprising:

a plurality of stations, including at least one testing station;

a track configured to provide one or more paths between the plurality of stations; and

a plurality of carriers, each configured to carry one or more fluid containers and traverse the track between the plurality of stations,

wherein the plurality of carriers move independently in accordance with a predefined motion profile.

16. The automation system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of carriers comprises an onboard processor.

17. The automation system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of carriers is configured to monitor and limit acceleration to a threshold that depends on a fluid sample being carried.

18. The automation system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of carriers is configured to monitor and limit jerk to a threshold that depends on a fluid sample being carried.

19. The automation system of claim 15, wherein the track includes a plurality of decision points that allow each of the plurality of carriers to be routed between multiple sections within the track and each carrier is configured to make a routing determination for each decision point it encounters.

20. The automation system of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of carriers is further configured to make the routing determination without coming to a stop.