Laboratory product transport element and path arrangement

• US 10,473,676 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Eberhardt, Michael, Mueller, Martin, Wiessner, Sebastian, Moix, Thomas, Ding, Guillaume, Zoethout, Jurjen
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda R
• Application Number:
  US15/587,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20170234899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0422 carried on a linear conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0467 Switching points ("aiguillages")
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0489 Self-propelled units
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00584 Control arrangements for automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

The invention concerns a laboratory product transport element for a laboratory transport system with an energy receiver and/or energy accumulator to provide drive power, at least one signal receiver to receive control signals, a control unit to generate drive signals as a function of at least one control signal obtained from the at least one signal receiver, movement devices for independent movement of the laboratory product transport element on a transfer path as a function of the drive signals of the control unit, in which the drive devices are driven by the drive power and at least one holder to hold a laboratory product being transported. The invention also concerns a laboratory transport system with at least one laboratory product transport element according to an embodiment of the invention and a transfer path arrangement. The invention also concerns methods for operation of laboratory transport systems according to an embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A laboratory product transport element comprising:

an energy source to furnish drive power;

at least one signal receiver to receive control signals from an external source and provide at least one control signal to a control unit;

the control unit to generate drive signals as a function of the at least one control signal obtained from the at least one signal receiver;

at least one movement device, with which the laboratory product transport element can move independently on a transfer path;

at least one drive device to drive the at least one movement device as a function of the drive signals of the control unit, the at least one drive device being driven by the drive power; and

at least one holder to hold a laboratory product to be transported; and

wherein the laboratory product transport element further comprises a memory unit coupled to the control unit, wherein the memory unit comprises code executable by the control unit to implement a method comprising;

performing a diagnosis of the laboratory product transport element and/or the transfer path to identify one or more problems in the laboratory product transport element or the transfer path.

2. The laboratory product transport element of claim 1 wherein identifying the one or more problems comprises:

checking at least a line following function or a collision function of one or more sensors coupled with the laboratory product transport element.

3. The laboratory product transport element of claim 2 wherein checking the line following function comprises:

performing a rotation of the laboratory product transport element over a line on a track; and

determining at least a signal change or a lack of a signal change of the one or more sensors during the rotation of the laboratory product transport element.

4. The laboratory product transport element of claim 1 further comprising a memory unit coupled to the control unit, wherein the memory unit comprises code executable by the control unit to implement a method comprising:

performing a diagnosis of the transfer path using the laboratory product transport element to identify a problem in the transfer path.

5. The laboratory product transport element of claim 4 wherein the problem includes at least an gap or stain in the transfer path.

6. The laboratory product transport element of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

reporting the one or more problems.

7. The laboratory product transport element of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises utilizing a known distance on a transfer path to identify the one or more problems with at least one of the movement devices.

8. The laboratory product transport element of claim 7 wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the known distance to encoder steps to identify one or more problems.

9. The laboratory product transport element of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises comparing a signal from a sensor with a signal from the drive device to identify the one or more problems.

10. The laboratory product transport element of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

measuring a drive device signal to determine a problem with the transfer path.

11. A laboratory product transport element comprising

an energy source to furnish drive power;

at least one signal receiver to receive control signals from an external source and provide at least one control signal to a control unit;

the control unit to generate drive signals as a function of the at least one control signal obtained from the at least one signal receiver;

at least one movement device, with which the laboratory product transport element can move independently on a transfer path;

at least one drive device to drive the at least one movement device as a function of the drive signals of the control unit, the at least one drive device being driven by the drive power; and

at least one holder to hold a laboratory product to be transported;

the laboratory product transport element further comprising one or more sensors configured to detect an indicator on a transfer path arrangement or receive a signal identifying a designated position on the transfer path arrangement;

a housing that houses the control unit, wherein the housing comprises lateral protrusions that are cooperatively structured with rail elements which define a path for the laboratory product transport element, wherein each rail element comprises one or more slots configured to receive one of the lateral protrusion; and

a memory unit coupled to the control unit, wherein the memory unit comprises code executable by the control unit to implement a method comprising;

controlling the at least one drive device to cause the laboratory product transport element to rotate until at least one lateral protrusion couples with at least one slot.

12. The laboratory product transport element of claim 11 wherein the indicator or the signal comprises at least a near field communication (NFC) signal, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, a physical obstacle, a window of a line, or a light emitting device.

13. The laboratory product transport element of claim 11 wherein the lateral protrusions are lateral rails.

14. The laboratory product transport element of claim 11 wherein the at least one lateral protrusion is at least one lateral post.

15. The laboratory product transport element of claim 11 wherein rotating the laboratory product transport element places the laboratory product transport element in a predefined position.

16. The laboratory product transport element of claim 15 wherein the lateral protrusion coupled with the at least one slot hinders the laboratory product transport element from being removed from the transfer path when the laboratory product transport element is in the predefined position.

17. The laboratory product transport element of claim 11 wherein the lateral protrusions are configured to be attachable and removable from the housing.

18. The laboratory product transport element of claim 11 wherein the rail element is configured to be mounted to a transfer path arrangement.

19. The laboratory product transport element of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises one or more groove structures cooperatively structured with protrusion elements coupled with a transfer path arrangement.