Centrifuge system and workflow

• US 9,482,684 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Johns, Charles W., Otts, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Cleveland, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US13/671,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20130123089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/262 by using a centrifuge
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5021 Test tubes specially adapted for centrifugation purposes centrifuges B04B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 11/04 Periodical feeding or discharging; Control arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 13/00 Control arrangements specially designed for centrifuges; Programme control of centrifuges control arrangements for feed, charge, or discharge B04B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 15/00 Other accessories for centrifuges
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 2009/143 by weight compensation with liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 2011/046 Loading, unloading, manipulating sample containers
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 2013/006 Interface detection or monitoring of separated components
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 7/02 Casings; Lids shock absorbers, vibration dampers F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 7/08 Rotary bowls centrifugal casting machines B22D
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 9/14 Balancing rotary bowls balancing per se G01M; Schrappers
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 9/146 Unbalance detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/24 combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/28 during transit by a single conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/02 for measuring length, width or thickness G01B11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/08 for measuring diameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/10 of objects while moving
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/00 Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/292 : Light , e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/08 : Means for indicating or recording, e.g. for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/14 : Determining imbalance G01M1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00495 : Centrifuges
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0405 : manipulating closing or opening means, e.g. stoppers, screw caps, lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0422 : carried on a linear conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0462 : Buffers [FIFO] or stacks [LIFO] for holding carriers between operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0491 : Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1025 : Fluid level sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1032 : Dilution or aliquotting
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 : using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00584 : Control arrangements for automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 : Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 : comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 : Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/10 : Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices G01N35/0099 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1009 : Characterised by arrangements for controlling the aspiration or dispense of liquids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus are described for a centrifuge module of a laboratory analysis system. Specimen containers may be weighed, loaded into a centrifuge adapter, and transported to a centrifuge module by an adapter shuttle. A centrifuge adapter gripper may transport the centrifuge adapter into a centrifuge for centrifugation. The centrifuge adapter may be transported by the centrifuge adapter gripper to an adapter shuttle for unloading of the specimen containers, which may be performed by a specimen container gripper. A centrifuge drawer that allows a centrifuge to be extended from its installed position is also described. Additional embodiments pertain to a sequence for replacing, in a centrifuge, a set of centrifuge adapters that have been centrifuged with a set of centrifuge adapters that have not been centrifuged. A sequence for loading specimen containers into centrifuge adapters is also described.

Claims

1. A method for processing medical samples in a laboratory system comprising:

transporting by an input module gripper a plurality of specimen containers from an input module to a distribution area module;

detecting test information about the specimen containers with a first camera coupled to the input module gripper and optically measuring liquid levels within the specimen containers during the transport to the distribution area module via transmission measurement with an emitter unit and a receiver unit, wherein the emitter unit and the receiver unit are coupled to the input module gripper;

loading, by a distribution area gripper in the distribution area module, the plurality of specimen containers into a centrifuge adapter which is placed on an adapter shuttle;

transporting, by the adapter shuttle, the centrifuge adapter from the distribution area module to a centrifuge module, which comprises a centrifuge;

transporting, by a centrifuge adapter gripper, the centrifuge adapter into the centrifuge;

centrifuging, by the centrifuge, the centrifuge adapter; and

transporting, by the centrifuge adapter gripper, the centrifuge adapter from the centrifuge to the adapter shuttle; and

unloading, by a centrifuge tube gripper in the centrifuge module, the plurality of specimen containers from the centrifuge adapter.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein a weight of one or more specimen containers of the plurality of specimen containers is determined prior to loading, by the distribution area gripper, the plurality of specimen containers into the centrifuge adapter.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the weight of the one or more specimen containers is determined by the input module gripper configured to transport specimen containers to the distribution area module from which the distribution area gripper grips the plurality of specimen containers, and

wherein the plurality of specimen containers are loaded into the centrifuge adapter in a sequential order based on the weight of the plurality of specimen containers.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the centrifuge tube gripper is used to determine a quantity of liquid in the specimen container, wherein the liquid comprises one or more liquids.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the test information associated with the specimen containers is accessed by the system in order to create, by a scheduler, a specimen container schedule to plan an analysis process for the specimen containers and

wherein the distribution area gripper selects a specimen container that is, according to the schedule, next to be transferred to the centrifuge module from the distribution area module.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein

the centrifuge adapter gripper is used to swap centrifuge adapters into and out of the centrifuge and wherein the centrifuge adapters, loaded with specimen containers, arriving at the centrifuge module from the distribution area module via the adapter shuttle, are loaded into an available centrifuge bucket.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein

the centrifuge tube gripper is used to transport the specimen container to a carrier on a conveyance system of the laboratory system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein

as the specimen container is moved from the centrifuge adapter to the carrier, a liquid level detection is performed with the centrifuge tube gripper to ensure that tests required for the specimen comprised in the specimen container can be completed, and wherein,

if it is detected that insufficient sample material is present in the specimen container, the specimen container is processed according to procedures established for insufficient sample material conditions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the centrifuge is mounted on a moveable drawer, wherein the moveable drawer is moveable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein the centrifuge is powered and controlled via at least one cable connecting to the centrifuge, and wherein a cable management feature controls the cable during the movement of the moveable drawer between the extended and retracted positions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cable management feature comprises an e-chain.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first camera is positioned to detect test information about the specimen containers in a rack.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the input module gripper comprises a plurality of gripper fingers manipulable to grip the specimen containers, and wherein the receiver unit is laterally offset from the gripper fingers.