Laboratory product transport element and path arrangement

• US 9,459,273 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Moix, Thomas, Ding, Guillaume, Eberhardt, Michael, Mueller, Martin, Wiessner, Sebastian, Zoethout, Jurjen
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US14/117,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 configured to furnish drive power;

at least one signal receiver configured to receive control signals;

a control unit configured to generate drive signals as a function of 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 configured 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 an external communication interface, an output device, 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 generating an error signal if the laboratory product is improperly removed from the at least one holder, wherein the error signal is a first error signal and wherein the method further comprises;

generating a second error signal when the laboratory product transport element is improperly removed from a predefined path that the laboratory product transport element is intended to follow.

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

detecting the improper removal of the laboratory product with an optical sensor.

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

detecting the improper removal of the laboratory product with a mechanical sensor.

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

detecting the improper removal of the laboratory product with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag coupled with the laboratory product.

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

detecting the improper removal of the laboratory product transport element with a line following sensor coupled with the laboratory product transport element.

6. A method of controlling a laboratory product transport element according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

generating the error signal if the laboratory product is improperly removed from the at least one holder.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein improper removal of the laboratory product from the at least one holder is detected by means of an optical sensor, a mechanical sensor, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag coupled with the laboratory product, a line following sensor coupled with the laboratory product transport element, a drive signal or using a central control.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the error signal is a first error signal and wherein the method further comprises:

generating a second error signal when the laboratory product transport element is improperly removed from a predefined path that the laboratory product transport element is intended to follow.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

directing the laboratory product transport element to a specific location after generating the second error signal.

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

detecting the improper removal of the laboratory product transport element using a central control.

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

sending a signal reporting the one or more errors signals.

10. A laboratory product transport element comprising:

an energy source configured to furnish drive power;

at least one signal receiver configured to receive control signals;

a control unit configured to generate drive signals as a function of 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 configured 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 an external communication interface, an output device, 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 generating an error signal if the laboratory product is improperly removed from the at least one holder, and

wherein the method further comprises;

detecting the improper removal of the laboratory product transport element with a drive signal.

13. A laboratory product transport element comprising:

an energy source configured to furnish drive power;

at least one signal receiver configured to receive control signals;

a control unit configured to generate drive signals as a function of 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 configured 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 an external communication interface, an output device, 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 generating an error signal if the laboratory product is improperly removed from the at least one holder, and

wherein the method further comprises;

generating one or more verification signals, wherein the verification signal reflects a successful sample product load, a successful sample product unload, or a successful sample product decapping.

14. A laboratory product transport element comprising:

an energy source configured to furnish drive power;

at least one signal receiver configured to receive control signals;

a control unit configured to generate drive signals as a function of 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 configured 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 an external communication interface, an output device, 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 generating an error signal if the laboratory product is improperly removed from the at least one holder, wherein the method further comprises;

directing the laboratory product transport element to a specific location after generating the error signal.