Biosample plate with data storage and wireless communication means

• US 9,417,237 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haustein, Nils, Krause, Thorsten, Topol, Anna Wanda, Winarski, Daniel James
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Erik B
• Application Number:
  US13/151,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 422/503, 422 62- 67, 422547-554, 422/560, 435/288.3, 435/288.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/023 Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/024 Storing results with means integrated into the container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0809 rectangular shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50 Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes devices for taking samples of blood A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/508 rigid containers not provided for above
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00019 cassette structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00099 Characterised by type of test elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00841 results of the analyses
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48792 Data management, e.g. communication with processing unit for in vivo diagnostics A61B5/0002; transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/553 Metal or metal coated
• 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: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 : Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 : Magnetic disk device

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a biosample plate that includes a memory component for storing information related to the biosample, biosample plate and biosample analysis data, and a wireless communication interface for transferring information to and from the biosample plate. The biosample plate may be used with an analyzing and data recording system such as an electromagnetic tape drive. The disclosed biosample plate facilitates the correlation between a large number of biosample plates and data as data remains with the corresponding biosamples both when the biosample plates are in use and when they are in storage. The wireless communication interface may comprise an antenna disposed in a biosample plate for data transmission to and from the biosample plate by radio signals.

Claims

1. A biosample cartridge, comprising:

a base;

a magnetic tape medium disposed within the biosample cartridge, wherein a biosample is deposited on the magnetic tape medium;

a memory component coupled to the base; and

a wireless communication interface communicatively coupled to the memory component,

wherein the biosample cartridge has a physical form factor of a tape media cartridge configured to functionally engage a LTO drive of an automated data storage tape library.

2. The biosample cartridge of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication interface uses radio signals for communication.

3. The biosample cartridge of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication interface comprises:

a plurality of metal-plated trenches disposed in the base; and

a plurality of parallel side walls disposed on the base.

4. The biosample cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one reel, wherein the magnetic tape medium is coupled to the at least one reel.

5. The biosample cartridge of claim 3, wherein the metal plating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper and platinum.

6. The biosample cartridge of claim 1, wherein the memory component comprises a nonvolatile memory selected from the group consisting of electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), phase-change memory, flash memory, NOR memory, and NAND memory.

7. The biosample cartridge of claim 1, wherein the memory component includes analysis information regarding the biosample, wherein the analysis information is in DICOM format.

16. The biosample cartridge of claim 1, wherein the biosample deposited on the magnetic tape medium is attached to a magnetized nanoparticle.

17. A tape media library comprising a plurality of cartridges comprising at least one tape media cartridge and at least one biosample cartridge as recited in claim 1.

18. The tape media library of claim 17, wherein the tape media cartridges and the biosample cartridges are characterized by identical exterior dimensions.

19. The biosample cartridge of claim 1, wherein the automated date storage tape library comprises:

a library controller;

an access robot;

a cartridge picker;

a barcode reader

the drive; and

a plurality of storage slots each being configured to store the biosample cartridge.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

accessing a biosample stored in a tape media library, the biosample being deposited on a magnetic tape medium disposed in a biosample cartridge stored in a storage slot of the tape media library, and wherein the biosample cartridge comprises a memory component for storing information from an analysis of the biosample;

analyzing the biosample deposited on the magnetic tape medium using a LTO drive of the tape media library to determine the information; and

transferring information between memory component and a digital read/write component through a wireless communication interface coupled to the memory component,

wherein the biosample cartridge is characterized by a physical form factor of a tape media cartridge configured to functionally engage the LTO drive of the tape media library.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting at least one of microorganisms and antigens in the biosample.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication interface is formed by a plurality of metal-plated trenches disposed in the biosample cartridge, and the metal plating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper and platinum.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the metal plating is gold.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the memory component is disposed on a base of the biosample cartridge.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the information is in DICOM format.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a controller to cause the controller to:

cause, by the controller, retrieval of a cartridge from a storage slot of an automated tape media library and functionally loading of the cartridge into a LTO drive of the automated tape media library, the cartridge comprising;

a biosample attached to a magnetic tape medium disposed in the cartridge, and

a base having coupled thereto a nonvolatile memory component;

cause, by the controller, a drive motor system to move the magnetic tape medium to a position corresponding to the biosample using the LTO drive;

generate, by the controller, information based on an analysis of the biosample attached to the magnetic tape medium, the analysis being performed at least in part using the LTO drive; and

store, by the controller, the information from the analysis of the biosample in the nonvolatile memory component through a wireless communication interface coupled to the nonvolatile memory component,

wherein the cartridge has a physical form factor of a tape media cartridge that is configured to allow the functional loading of the tape media cartridge into the LTO drive of the automated tape library.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication interface is formed by a plurality of metal-plated trenches disposed in the base, and

wherein the metal plating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper and platinum.