Method of operating a laboratory automation system and a laboratory automation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10006927-B2
Application number	US-201615153888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	May 22, 2015
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A method of operating a laboratory automation system is presented. The laboratory automation system comprises a plurality of laboratory stations and a plurality of sample container carriers. The sample container carriers carry one or more sample containers. The sample containers comprise samples to be analyzed by the laboratory stations. The system also comprises a transport plane. The transport plane supports the sample container carriers. The system also comprises a drive. The drive moves the sample container carriers on the transport plane. The method comprises, during an initialization of the laboratory automation system, logically reserving at least one buffer area on the transport plane and, after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, buffering in the at least one buffer area sample container carriers carrying sample containers comprising samples waiting for a result of an analysis. Depending on the result of the analysis, the samples are further processed.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of operating a laboratory automation system, wherein the laboratory automation system comprises a plurality of laboratory stations, a plurality of sample container carriers, wherein the sample container carriers are configured to carry one or more sample containers, wherein the sample containers comprise samples to be analyzed by the laboratory stations, a transport plane, wherein the transport plane is configured to support the sample container carriers, and a drive, wherein the drive is configured to move the sample container carriers on the transport plane, the method comprises:
during an initialization of the laboratory automation system, logically reserving at least one buffer area on the transport plane based on simulation data; and
after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, buffering in the at least one logically reserved buffer area sample container carriers carrying sample containers comprising samples waiting for a result of an analysis, wherein depending on the result of the analysis, the samples are further processed.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising,
after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, collecting operating data of the laboratory automation system; and
during a next initialization of the laboratory automation system, setting properties of the least one buffer area depending on the collected operating data.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising,
during the initialization of the laboratory automation system, setting properties of the least one buffer area depending on a time of day, and/or a date, and/or a volume of traffic, and/or a geographical region, and/or defective laboratory stations, and/or disease scenarios.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the properties are chosen from a group comprising: a number of the buffer areas, and/or a location of the at least one buffer area, and/or a shape of the at least one buffer area, and/or a size of the at least one buffer area.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein sample container carriers are entered into the at least one buffer area or removed from the at least one buffer area over dedicated buffer area interface locations.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transport plane comprises a plurality of analyzer interface locations, wherein the analyzer interface locations are assigned to corresponding laboratory stations.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transport plane is segmented into logical fields, wherein the at least one buffer area is logically formed from an integer number of logical fields.

8. A laboratory automation system, the laboratory automation system comprising:
a plurality of laboratory stations;
a plurality of sample container carriers, wherein the sample container carriers are configured to carry one or more sample containers, wherein the sample containers comprise samples to be analyzed by the laboratory stations;
a transport plane, wherein the transport plane is configured to support the sample container carriers;
a drive, wherein the drive is configured to move the sample container carriers on the transport plane; and
a control unit, wherein the control unit is programmed to logically reserve at least one buffer area on the transport plane during an initialization of the laboratory automation system based on simulation data, and, after the initialization of the laboratory automation system, to buffer in the at least one logically reserved buffer area sample container carriers carrying sample containers, where the sample containers comprise samples waiting for a result of an analysis, wherein depending on the result of the analysis, the samples are further processed.

9. The laboratory automation system according to claim 8 , wherein the sample container carriers comprise at least one magnetically active device.

10. The laboratory automation system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one magnetically active device is a permanent magnet.

11. The laboratory automation system according to claim 9 , wherein the drive comprise a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged in rows and columns below the transport plane.

12. The laboratory automation system according to claim 11 , wherein the electro-magnetic actuators are configured to apply a magnetic drive force to the sample container carriers.

13. The laboratory automation system according to claim 12 , wherein the control unit is programmed to activate the electromagnetic actuators such that the sample container carriers move over the transport plane.

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Sinz Achim
• Mallikarjunaiah Namitha
• Pedain Christoph

Classifications

• G01N35/04 Primary

  Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N2035/0477

  Magnetic · CPC title

• G01N35/0092 Primary

  Scheduling · CPC title

• G01N2035/0401

  Sample carriers, cuvettes or reaction vessels · CPC title

• G01N2035/0462

  Buffers [FIFO] or stacks [LIFO] for holding carriers between operations · CPC title