Method and device for transferring sample tubes between a laboratory automation system and a sample archiving system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161949-B2
Application number	US-201715404683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2017
Priority date	Jan 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A method and a device for transferring tubes between a laboratory automation system and a sample archiving system are presented. When transferring a tube from the laboratory automation system to the sample archiving system, a tube carrier carrying a tube is conveyed to a first take-over module via a first conveyor. At the first take-over module, the tube is removed from the tube carrier and the empty tube carrier is conveyed away from the first take-over module via a second conveyor. When transferring a tube from the sample archiving system to the laboratory automation system, an empty tube carrier is conveyed to a second take-over module via a third conveyor. At the second take-over module, at least one tube is inserted into the tube carrier and the tube carrier carrying the at least one tube is conveyed away from the second take-over module via a fourth conveyor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for transferring sample tubes between a laboratory automation system and a sample archiving system, the method comprising:
when transferring a sample tube from the laboratory automation system to the sample archiving system, a sample tube carrier carrying at least one sample tube is conveyed to a first take-over module via a first conveyor line, at the first take-over module, the at least one sample tube is removed from the sample tube carrier, and the empty sample tube carrier is conveyed away from the first take-over module via a second conveyor line; and
when transferring a sample tube from the sample archiving system to the laboratory automation system, an empty sample tube carrier is conveyed to a second take-over module via a third conveyor line, at the second take-over module, at least one sample tube is inserted into the sample tube carrier, and the sample tube carrier carrying the at least one sample tube is conveyed away from the second take-over module via a fourth conveyor line.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the case of an irregularity of the sample archiving system, sample tube carriers carrying at least one sample tube are transferred from the first conveyor line to the fourth conveyor line.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein prior to transferring sample tube carriers carrying at least one sample tube from the first conveyor line to the fourth conveyor line, the first conveyor line is stopped while further operating the fourth conveyor line until the fourth conveyor line has sufficient capacity for receiving sample tube carriers from the first conveyor line.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein empty sample tube carriers and sample tube carriers carrying at least one sample tube are conveyed at different conveying levels.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein after the at least one sample tube is removed from the sample tube carrier, the empty sample tube carrier is moved via a lifting device from the conveying level of the first conveyor line to the conveying level of the second conveyor line.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein before the at least one sample tube is inserted into the empty sample tube carrier, the empty sample tube carrier is moved via a lifting device from the level of the third conveyor line to the level of the fourth conveyor line.

7. A device for transferring sample tubes between a laboratory automation system and a sample archiving system, the device comprising:
an input module for transferring a sample tube from the laboratory automation system to the sample archiving system, the input module comprising,
a first take-over module,
a first conveyor line for conveying a sample tube carrier carrying at least one sample tube to the first take-over module, and
a second conveyor line for conveying an empty sample tube carrier away from the first take-over module;

an output module for transferring a sample tube from the sample archiving system to the laboratory automation system, the output module comprising,
a third conveyor line for conveying an empty sample tube carrier to a second take-over module, and
a fourth conveyor line for conveying a sample tube carrier carrying at least one sample tube away from the second take-over module; and

a selectively operable transfer device arranged to be operated in the case of an irregularity of the sample archiving system for transferring sample tube carriers carrying at least one sample tube from the first conveyor line to the fourth conveyor line.

8. A laboratory automation system with a number of pre-analytical, analytical and/or post-analytical stations for carrying out the method of claim 1 with a device according to claim 7 .

9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the transfer device comprises a swivelably, or rotatably, arranged track switch.

10. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the conveyor lines are operable independently allowing the first conveyor line to be stopped while further operating the fourth conveyor line until the fourth conveyor line has sufficient capacity for receiving sample tube carriers from the first conveyor line, prior to transferring sample tube carriers carrying at least one sample tube from the first conveyor line to the fourth conveyor line.

11. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the input module comprises at least one supervising device such as a camera, a recapping device, and an identification device.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the identification device is a barcode reader.

13. The device according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the input module and the output module comprises at least one carousel for conveying a sample tube carrier by rotation.

14. A device for transferring sample tubes between a laboratory automation system and a sample archiving system, the device comprising:
an input module for transferring a sample tube from the laboratory automation system to the sample archiving system, the input module comprising,
a first take-over module,
a first conveyor line for conveying a sample tube carrier carrying at least one sample tube to the first take-over module, and
a second conveyor line for conveying an empty sample tube carrier away from the first take-over module; and

an output module for transferring a sample tube from the sample archiving system to the laboratory automation system, the output module comprising,
a third conveyor line for conveying an empty sample tube carrier to a second take-over module, and
a fourth conveyor line for conveying a sample tube carrier carrying at least one sample tube away from the second take-over module;
wherein the device has at least two different conveying levels and wherein empty sample tube carriers and sample tube carriers carrying at least one sample tube are conveyed at different conveying levels.

15. The device according to claim 14 , wherein the input module comprises a first lifting device for moving the sample tube carriers from the conveying level of the first conveyor line to the conveying level of the second conveyor line.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the first lifting device moves empty sample tube carriers from the conveying level of the first conveyor line to the conveying level of the second conveyor line.

17. The device according to claim 14 , wherein the output module comprises a second lifting device for moving the sample tube carriers from the conveying level of the third conveyor line to the conveying level of the forth conveyor line.

18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the second lifting device moves empty sample tube carriers from the conveying level of the third conveyor line to the conveying level of the fourth conveyor line.

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Schacher Gottlieb
• Jaeggi Beat
• Ferihumer Harald
• Imfeld Patrik

Classifications

• G01N2035/0455

  Coaxial carousels · CPC title

• G01N2035/0441

  for samples · CPC title

• G01N2035/0462

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

• G01N2035/0467

  Switching points ("aiguillages") · CPC title

• G01N35/04 Primary

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