Module for a laboratory sample distribution system, laboratory sample distribution system and laboratory automation system

• US 9,618,525 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Malinowski, Michal, Volz, Henny, Riether, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHATLEY, BENJAMIN R
• Application Number:
  US14/865,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20160097786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0261 Puck as article support
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0477 Magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00 Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

A module for a laboratory sample distribution system, a laboratory sample distribution system comprising such modules, and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are presented. A magnetic coupling enhancer is provided in order to increase magnetic coupling between adjacent modules.

Claims

1. A module for a laboratory sample distribution system, the module comprising:

a transport plane to support sample container carriers, each sample container carrier comprising at least one magnetically active device;

a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane, the electro-magnetic actuators move the sample container carriers on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the sample container carriers, wherein each electro-magnetic actuator comprises a ferromagnetic core, wherein adjacent ferromagnetic cores are magnetically coupled to each other by respective magnetic coupling elements; and

a magnetic coupling enhancer for increasing magnetic coupling to adjacent modules, the magnetic coupling enhancer comprises,

a plurality of magnetic coupling protrusions, each magnetic coupling protrusion positioned between an outer edge of the module and a corresponding ferromagnetic core of an electro-magnetic actuator positioned adjacent to the outer edge, wherein each magnetic coupling protrusion comprises a magnetic coupling surface positioned at an outer edge of the module facing towards a surrounding of the module, and wherein the magnetic coupling surfaces are arranged to magnetically couple to a further magnetic coupling surface of a neighbouring module, and

a plurality of contact surfaces, the contact surfaces are to be contacted by a corresponding number of magnetic coupling rods.

2. The module according to claim 1, wherein each magnetic coupling surface has a cross-section area larger than a cross-section area of the magnetic coupling elements.

3. The module according to claim 1, further comprising,

a plurality of positions defined on the module in a chequered manner, wherein each electro-magnetic actuator is located on one such position such that in each second line of positions each second position is left blank.

4. The module according to claim 3, wherein the module has four outer edges forming a rectangular shape, wherein electro-magnetic actuators are located on each position along two of the four edges that are located perpendicular to each other, and wherein electro-magnetic actuators are located on each second position along two further edges of the four edges.

5. The module according to claim 3, wherein the ferromagnetic cores, the magnetic coupling elements between those ferromagnetic cores, and the magnetic coupling enhancers of each line of positions having no blanks are formed as a single ferromagnetic bar.

6. The module according to claim 5, further comprises,

a first set of ferromagnetic bars and a second set of ferromagnetic bars, wherein the ferromagnetic bars of the first set is parallel to each other and the ferromagnetic bars of the second set is parallel to each other, and the ferromagnetic bars of the first set is perpendicular to the ferromagnetic bars of the second set.

7. The module according to claim 6, wherein the ferromagnetic bars each have recesses arranged such that the recesses of the ferromagnetic bars of the first set are complementary to the recesses of the ferromagnetic bars of the second set.

8. The module according to claim 7, wherein the ferromagnetic bars are arranged such that corresponding complementary recesses abut each other.

9. The module according to claim 5, wherein the ferromagnetic bars are each formed out of a transformer.

10. The module according to claim 5, wherein the ferromagnetic bars are each formed out of a group of parallel transformer sheets electrically isolated to each other.

11. The module according to claim 9, wherein the ferromagnetic cores, the magnetic coupling elements, the magnetic coupling enhancement means, the ferromagnetic bars, and/or the transformer sheets are formed out of magnetically permeable material.

12. A laboratory sample distribution system, the laboratory sample distribution system comprising:

a plurality of sample container carriers to carry one or more sample containers, each sample container carrier comprising at least one magnetically active device;

a plurality of modules according to claim 1, wherein the modules are arranged adjacent to each other such that magnetic coupling protrusions of neighbouring modules face each other and that the transport planes of the modules form a common transport plane to support the sample container carriers; and

a control device to control the movement of the sample container carriers on top of the common transport plane by driving the electro-magnetic actuators of the modules such that the sample container carriers move along corresponding transport paths.

13. A laboratory sample distribution system, the laboratory sample distribution system comprising:

a plurality of sample container carriers to carry one or more sample containers, each sample container carrier comprising at least one magnetically active device;

a plurality of modules according to claim 1, wherein the modules are arranged adjacent to each other such that the transport planes of the modules form a common transport plane to support the sample container carriers;

a plurality of magnetic coupling rods positioned and fixed between two neighbouring contact surfaces of respective different modules; and

a control device to control the movement of the sample container carriers on top of the common transport plane by driving the electro-magnetic actuators of the modules such that the sample container carriers move along corresponding transport paths.

14. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 13, further comprising,

a retaining frame, wherein the retaining frame retains the plurality of modules from a bottom side of the modules.

15. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of magnetic coupling rods is detachably fixed to the contact surfaces by a plurality of springs extending from the retaining frame to the magnetic coupling rods such that a spring force is applied to the magnetic coupling rods.

16. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 13, wherein each magnetic coupling rod has a rectangular cross-section.

17. A laboratory automation system, the laboratory automation system comprising:

a plurality of laboratory stations; and

a laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 9 to distribute sample containers and/or sample container carriers between the stations.

18. The laboratory automation system according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of laboratory stations comprises pre-analytical, analytical and/or post-analytical stations.