System and method for sample positioning in a robotic system

• US 6,429,016 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ibis Biosciences Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ISIS Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
• Inventors: McNeil, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, PATRICIA KATHRYN
• Application Number:
  US09/411,748
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 422/63, 422/65, 422/67, 422/66, 422/100, 422/104, 436/43, 436/47, 436/49, 436/50, 436/164, 436/180, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/200, 701/205, 701/300, 701/301, 414/222.01
• US Class Current: 436/47
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0489 Self-propelled units
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0491 Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0494 Detecting or compensating piositioning errors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114165 with step of insertion or removal from test line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114998 with treatment or replacement of aspirator element [e.g., cleaning, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 Condition or time responsive

Abstract

A system and method for positioning a sample, or cargo, with respect to a device in a robotic system is provided. The system includes a macro positioning system for “gross” movement of the sample between stations and a micro positioning system for precisely locating the sample in a predetermined location at a station with respect to a device that will interact with the sample. The macro positioning system provides a positioning mechanism for the general movement of a sample along a pathway between various destinations or stations wherein the sample is “grossly” positioned with respect to the station. Once at the station, the micro positioning subsystem disposed between a sample carrier and the station provides a positioning mechanism for “precisely” positioning the sample in a predetermined location at the station with respect to a device that will interact with, or perform some function on, the sample. The system and method provide for multiple sample carrying robots having autonomous navigation thereby providing flexibility and stacker-like queuing for near 100% device utilization.

Claims

1. A positioning system for automated sample movement and positioning comprising:

a macro positioning subsystem for moving one or more transporters carrying a sample between stations having a device for interacting with said sample, said macro positioning system comprising;

a predetermined track system connecting said stations;

a plurality of self-propelled transporters disposed along said track system for carrying said sample between said stations, each of said plurality of transporters having an on-board propulsion system for moving each of said transporters along said track system;

an on-board navigational system for controlling the movement of each of said transporters along said track system; and

a micro positioning subsystem comprising a first locating structure and a cooperating second locator structure;

wherein said first locating structure and said cooperating second locator structure comprise at least three points of contact disposed between said transporters and said station for locating said transporters with respect to said station, and thus said sample with respect to said device, thereby allowing accurate interaction of said device with said sample.

2. The positioning system of claim 1, wherein said track system further comprising one or more sidings, wherein said plurality of transporters running on said track system and said sidings comprise a queuing system which allows one or more transporter to wait on one of said one or more sidings at one of said stations while other transporters are allowed to continue to move between stations along said track system.

3. The positioning system of claim 1, further comprising a controller disposed on-board each of said plurality of transporters for controlling said navigational system.

4. The positioning system of claim 1, wherein said micro positioning subsystem comprises:

said first locating structure on said transporter; and

said second locating structure on said station for cooperating with said first locating structure to precisely locate said transporter and thus said sample with respect to said device at said station.

5. The positioning system of claim 1, wherein said first locating structure comprises at least three projections on said transporter and said second locating structure comprises at least three recesses in said station, wherein said projections cooperate with said one or more recesses to locate said transporter with respect to said device.

6. The positioning system of claim 1, wherein said first locating structure comprises at least three recesses on said transporter and said second locating structure comprises at least three projections on said station, and wherein said projections cooperate with said one or more recesses to locate said transporter with respect to said device.

7. The positioning system of claim 1, wherein said first locating structure comprises three projections and said second locating structure comprises three recesses, and wherein said three points of contact are arranged in a triangular pattern.

8. The positioning system of claim 1, wherein said first locating structure and said second locating structure extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by a working surface of said station.

9. The positioning system of claim 1, wherein said first locating structure and said second locating structure extend in a direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by a working surface.

10. The positioning system of claim 1, wherein said track system is a stationary track system comprising one of a rail follower system, a line follower system, a slot follower system, a light follower system, a magnetic follower system, and a channel follower system.

11. The positioning system of claim 1, further comprising a controller disposed on-board each of said plurality of transporters for controlling said navigational system, wherein said transporter provides for autonomous navigation of said transponder between said one or more stations.

12. The positioning system of claim 1, wherein said transporter further comprises:

a body;

a track engagement mechanism for engaging said track system;

a sample holding device disposed on said body for holding said sample;

an on-board controller for executing one or more navigational instructions;

a memory for storing said navigational instructions;

a propulsion mechanism for propelling said transporters along said track system; and

a power supply for driving said propulsion mechanism.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising an error correction system and a collision avoidance system controlled on-board said transporter, wherein said error correction system corrects a positioning of a lost robot along said track system and wherein said collision avoidance system provides for avoidance of a side collision and one of a rear-end collision and a front-end collision.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said error correction system further comprises an error recovery instruction stored on-board said transporter and executed by an on-board controller.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said collision avoidance system further comprises at least one indicator and at least one sensor disposed on each transporter and controlled by a controller on-board each of said transporters.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said at least one indicator and said at least one sensor further comprise a side collision avoidance indicator and a side collision avoidance sensor and one of a front collision avoidance indicator and a front collision avoidance sensor and a rear collision avoidance indicator and a rear collision avoidance sensor.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said micro positioning subsystem positions said sample with respect to said device to a magnitude of about 10 times or better than said macro positioning subsystem.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein a gross positioning of said transporter by said macro positioning subsystem is reproducibly in register at each of said stations to an accuracy of about 5 mm.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein a gross positioning of said transporter by said macro positioning subsystem is reproducibly in register at each of said stations to an accuracy of about 1 mm.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein a precision positioning of said sample carried by said transporter by said micro positioning subsystem is reproducibly in register with respect to said device at each of said stations to an accuracy of 0.5 mm.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein a precision positioning of said sample carried by said transporter by said micro positioning subsystem is reproducibly in register with respect to said device at each of said stations to an accuracy of 0.1 mm.

22. A method for moving and positioning samples in a robotic system comprising:

providing predetermined pathways connecting one or more stations;

disposing one or more sample carrier transporters along said pathways;

activating a propulsion and navigation system located on each of said transporters to move each of said transporters along said pathways to a predetermined station;

macro positioning each said transporters with respect to one of said stations;

activating a micro positioning system disposed between said transporter and said station;

micro positioning a sample on said transporter with respect to a device at said station using a first locating structure and a second locating structure comprising at least three points of contact disposed between said transporter and said station; and

performing a function on said sample using said device.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising providing a track system connecting said stations thereby defining said predetermined pathways.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising identifying said transporter at said station as a transporter to be worked on by said device using an identification system disposed between said transporter and said station.

25. The method according to claim 22, further comprising deactivating said micro positioning system once said device has completed interacting with said sample, and continuing said movement of said transporter along said pathways.

26. The method according to claim 22, further comprising avoiding collision between said transporters using a collision avoidance system-disposed between one of said sample carrier transporters and said sample carrier transporters and said pathways.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising avoiding one or more of a side collision, a rear-end collision, and a front collision using one or more indicator devices and one or more sensors to indicate and sense a transporter position relative to another transporter.

28. The method according to claim 22, further comprising establishing a communications link between said transporter and said station and exchanging identification data and navigational instructions between said transponder and said station using said communications link.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising identifying said transporter as being a registered transporter for interaction with a device at said station using an identification system disposed between said transporter and said station.

30. The method according to claim 22, further comprising correcting errors in the location of said transporters at a station or within said system using an error recovery system.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising one or more of loading a set of default instructions from said on-board controller and loading a new set of navigational instructions from one of said stations using said error recovery.