Sampling system

• US 9,429,585 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Adams, George, Hubbard, John Dana, Burke, Aaron, DiLeo, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US14/537,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20150061865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/505 flexible containers not provided for above
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 33/00 Means for introduction, transport, positioning, extraction, harvesting, peeling or sampling of biological material in or from the apparatus chemical or physical laboratory apparatus in general B01L, devices for taking cell samples A61B10/0045, withdrawing or distributing predetermined quantities of fluid B01L99/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 33/06 for multiple inoculation or multiple collection of samples
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 37/00 Means for sterilizing, maintaining sterile conditions or avoiding chemical or biological contamination C12M23/38 takes precedence; filtration in general and filters per se B01D24/00-B01D41/00; autoclaves B01J3/04; treatment of microorganisms with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/18 with provision for splitting samples into portions G01N1/12, G01N1/14 take precedence; fraction-collection apparatus for chromatography B01D15/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/1031 Sampling from special places
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/205 using a valve
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00801 Holders for sample carriers, e.g. trays, caroussel, racks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers

Abstract

The present invention uses a wireless memory/communication device at least on the one or more sample storage devices, preferably on both the one or more sample storage devices and the sampling holder, optionally the port on the equipment as well. Data such as that relating to the vessel, the location of the port on the vessel, the device, its manufacture date or lot number, the date of the installation, sterilization and/or taking of a sample along with the person who installed the device and/or took the sample can be read and preferably added to the wireless device when a read/write type of device as these events occur through a scanner/reader/writer device (fixed or hand held). The sample storage device in the laboratory can also then be read and recorded to track the sample storage device'"'"'s life.

Claims

1. A process of tracking samples comprising the steps of providing a vessel having an interior for containing a liquid to be sampled, attaching a sample collecting device in a liquid tight hermetically sealed manner, the device having a sample collection holder, the sample collection holder having a second wireless memory/communication device directly attached to the sample collection holder, wherein more than one sample collector can be attached to the sample collection holder, each sample collector having a selectively closed front and a fluid open pathway to a rear portion of each sample collector, a conduit connected to a rear portion of the device, at least one sample storage device connected to a downstream portion of the conduit and a first wireless memory/communication device attached to the at least one sample storage device, wherein information from the second wireless memory/communication device is written to the first wireless memory/communication device when each sample storage device is attached to the sample collection holder, sterilizing the interior of the vessel and the sample collecting device, filling the vessel with a liquid to be sampled, conducting a first scanning of the first wireless device to determine one or more attributes of the at least one sample storage device, reading the one or more attributes and loading one or more trackable events onto the first wireless device during the first scanning and wherein the first wireless device is a read/write device.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising the second wireless device is a read/write device.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the at least one sample storage device is selected from the group consisting of bags, syringes and bottles.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the one or more attributes of the first scanning are selected from the group consisting of the identity of the at least one sample storage device, the location of the at least one sample storage device, the date of installation of the at least one sample storage device, the installer of the at least one sample storage device, the date of sterilization of the vessel interior, the method of sterilization of the vessel interior and the liquid within the vessel.

5. The process of claim 1 further comprising operating the more than one sample collectors to obtain a sample of the liquid from the vessel and conducting a second scanning of the first wireless device on the at least one sample storage device containing the sample from the vessel to load one or more trackable events onto the first wireless device of the at least one sample storage device during the second scanning and wherein the one or more trackable events of the second scanning is one or more attributes selected from the group consisting of the date of the sample, the time of taking the sample and the person taking the sample.

6. The process of claim 1 further comprising moving the at least one sample storage device to a testing laboratory and conducting a third scanning of the first wireless device to load one or more trackable events onto the first wireless device of the at least one sample storage device during the third scanning and wherein the one or more trackable events of the third scanning is one or more attributes selected from the group consisting of the date of the arrival of the sample, the date of analysis of the sample, the name of the tester, the name of the test to be performed, the storage condition of the sample before testing, the length of time before testing and the results of the testing.

7. A process of tracking samples comprising the steps of providing a vessel having an interior for containing a liquid to be sampled, attaching a sample collecting device in a liquid tight hermetically sealed manner, the device having a sample collection holder having a second wireless memory/communication device directly attached to the sample collection holder, and one or more sample collectors, each of the one or more sample collectors having a selectively closed front and a fluid open pathway to a rear portion of the sample collector, a conduit connected to a rear portion of the device, at least one sample storage device connected to a downstream portion of the conduit and a first wireless memory/communication device attached to the at least one sample storage device, wherein information from the second wireless memory/communication device is written to the first wireless memory/communication device when the at least one sample storage device is attached to the sample collection holder, sterilizing the interior of the vessel and the sample collecting device, filling the vessel with a liquid to be sampled, conducting a first scanning of the first wireless device to determine one or more attributes of the at least one sample storage device, reading the one or more attributes and loading one or more trackable events onto the first wireless device during the first scanning and wherein the first wireless device is a read/write device wherein the one or more attributes of the first scanning are selected from the group consisting of the identity of the at least one sample storage device, the location of the sample storage device, the date of installation of the at least one sample storage device, the installer of the at least one sample storage device, the date of sterilization of the vessel interior, the method of sterilization of the vessel interior and the liquid within the vessel, operating the one or more collectors to obtain a sample of the liquid from the vessel into at least one sample storage device and conducting a second scanning of the first wireless device on the at least one sample storage device containing the sample from the vessel to load one or more trackable events onto the first wireless device of the at least one sample storage device during the second scanning and wherein the one or more trackable events of the second scanning is one or more attributes selected from the group consisting of the date of the sample, the time of taking the sample and the person taking the sample, and moving the at least one sample storage device to a testing laboratory and conducting a third scanning of the first wireless device to load one or more trackable events onto the first wireless device of the at least one sample storage device during the third scanning and wherein the one or more trackable events of the third scanning is one or more attributes selected from the group consisting of the date of the arrival of the sample, the date of analysis of the sample, the name of the tester, the name of the test to be performed, the storage condition of the sample before testing, the length of time before testing and the results of the testing.