Laboratory sample distribution system and corresponding method of operation

• US 9,664,703 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Heise, Michael, Schneider, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Lowe, Scott
• Application Number:
  US14/262,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20140234065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/045 Thermic
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/046 RFID
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00772 mechanical or optical code other than bar code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0477 Magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

A laboratory sample distribution system is presented. The laboratory sample distribution system comprises a number of container carriers. The container carriers each comprise at least one magnetically active device such as, for example, at least one permanent magnet, and carry a sample container. The system further comprises a transport plane to carry the container carriers and a number of electro-magnetic actuators being stationary arranged below the transport plane. The electro-magnetic actuators move a container carrier on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the container carrier.

Claims

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

a plurality of container carriers, wherein each container carrier comprises one magnetically active device and carries a sample container;

a transport plane to carry the container carriers; and

a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane, wherein the electro-magnetic actuators move a container carrier on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the container carrier, wherein the plurality of electro-magnetic actuators is arranged in rows and columns forming a grid, wherein adjacent rows and adjacent columns have different grid dimensions selected either from a first grid dimension (g1) or a second grid dimension (g2), wherein the grid dimensions specify a distance between adjacent electro-magnetic actuators in a given row or column, wherein the second grid dimension (g2) is larger than the first grid dimension (g1), and wherein the container carriers each have a stand, wherein the stand has a circular cross section having a diameter (D) that is equal to or less than the larger grid dimension.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transport plane is formed by multiple adjacent sub-planes.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising,

a cover profile covering the sub-planes.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the cover profile covers gaps and mitigates height differences between adjacent sub-planes.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the cover profile is fluidtight.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein the cover profile is glued to the top surface of the sub-planes.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein the cover profile comprises a glass plate, a non-magnetic metal plate, a foil of plastic material, or combinations thereof.

8. The system of according to claim 7, wherein the non-magnetic metal plate is an aluminum plate.

9. The system of according to claim 7, wherein the foil of plastic material is a foil of polyethylene or PTFE (poly-tetra-fluoro-ethylene).

10. The system according to claim 3, wherein a bottom surface of the container carriers and the surface of the cover profile are arranged to reduce friction between the surfaces.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein each sub-plane has a first outer face, a second outer face, a third outer face and a fourth outer face, wherein along the first and the second outer face the electro-magnetic actuators are arranged in a first grid dimension g1 and along the third and the fourth outer face the electro-magnetic actuators are arranged in a second grid dimension g2, wherein g2=2*gl.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electro-magnetic actuators are arranged in rows and columns forming a grid having a grid dimension (g3).

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the container carriers each have a stand, wherein the stand has a circular cross section having a diameter (D) that is equal to or less than the grid dimension (g3).

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the container carriers each have a stand, wherein the stand has a circular cross section covering five electro-magnetic actuators if positioned in the center of a cross formed by five electro-magnetic actuators.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the electro-magnetic actuator in the center of the cross is fully covered, wherein the four outer electro-magnetic actuators are covered by half if the stand is positioned in the center of the cross formed by the five electro-magnetic actuators.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the stand has a diameter in the range of 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein each electro-magnetic actuator comprises a ferromagnetic core, wherein the ferromagnetic core causes a holding force acting on the at least one magnetically active device of the container carrier placed on top of the electro-magnetic actuator if the electro-magnetic actuator is not driven by an actuating current.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one magnetically active devices is a permanent magnet.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the permanent magnet is ball-shaped.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein each container carrier comprises a first permanent magnet arranged in the center of a stand of the container carrier and a second permanent magnet having a ring shape arranged in the stand surrounding the first permanent magnet, wherein the first and second permanent magnets have a reverse polarity and the ring shaped second permanent magnet comprises a circular area having a diameter that is less than a distance between axes of adjacent electro-magnetic actuators.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein each container carrier comprises a RFID tag storing a unique ID corresponding to a specific container carrier.

22. The system according to claim 1, wherein each electro-magnetic actuator comprises a ferromagnetic core having a center finger and four outer fingers, wherein each finger extends perpendicular to the transport plane.

23. The system according to claim 1, further comprising,

a container carrier sensing device to sense the presence and/or position of container carriers located on the transport plane.

24. The system according to claim 1, further comprising,

a magnetizable coupling element to provide a magnetic coupling between adjacent electro-magnetic actuators.

25. The system according to claim 1, further comprising,

a security cover to cover the transport plane and the container carriers placed on the transport plane.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the security cover has an open state and a closed state, wherein in the open state, the transport plane is at least partially accessible by a user and in the closed state, the transport plane is not accessible by a user.

27. A method of operating a laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 1, the method comprising:

activating at least one of the electro-magnetic actuators to apply a magnetic force to a container carrier within an operating distance of the at least one activated electro-magnetic actuator.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising,

activating the at least one electro-magnetic actuator in response to a sensed position of the container carrier to be applied with the magnetic force.

29. The method according to claim 27, further comprising,

activating a first group of multiple electro-magnetic actuators along a first predetermined transport path to move a corresponding first container carrier along the first transport path.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising,

independently and at least partially simultaneously to the activating of the first group of multiple electro-magnetic actuators activating a second group of multiple electro-magnetic actuators along a second predetermined transport path to move a corresponding second container carrier along the second transport path.