Processing system, control method, operation command generating device and computer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10168343-B2
Application number	US-201615216208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2016
Priority date	Jul 24, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A processing system for processing experiment of biochemistry, biology and/or biotechnology includes a manual pipette which includes a piston and suctions and discharges liquid when the piston of the manual pipette is moved by external drive force, an automatic pipette which includes a piston and a built-in actuator and suctions and discharges liquid when the piston of the automatic pipette is moved by the actuator, a robot including a robotic arm which selects and grasps the manual or automatic pipette based on an operation command, and a robotic arm control device including circuitry which controls the robot such that the robotic arm selects and grasps the manual or automatic pipette based on the operation command. The operation command includes a collection of jobs that controls processes for processing a processing target in an experiment of biochemistry, biology and/or biotechnology and a container containing the processing target in a processing order.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A processing system for processing an experiment of one of biochemistry, biology and biotechnology, comprising:
a manual pipette comprising a piston and configured to suction and discharge a liquid when the piston of the manual pipette is moved by an external drive force;
an automatic pipette comprising a piston and a built-in actuator and configured to suction and discharge a liquid when the piston of the automatic pipette is moved by the built-in actuator;
a robot comprising a first robotic arm configured to select and grasp one of the manual pipette and the automatic pipette based on an operation command and a second robotic arm configured to move the piston of the manual pipette grasped by the first robotic arm; and
a robotic arm control device comprising circuitry configured to control the robot such that the first robotic arm selects and grasps one of the manual pipette and the automatic pipette based on the operation command,
the operation command comprising a collection of jobs that controls a plurality of processes for processing at least one of a processing target in an experiment of one of biochemistry, biology and biotechnology and a container containing the processing target in a processing order; and
an operation command generating device comprising circuitry configured to generate the operation command based on a plurality of process symbols which represents the pluality of processes for at least one of the processing target and the container in the processing order,
the circuitry of the robotic arm control device comprises first circuitry configured to control the first robotic arm such that the first robotic arm selects and grasps the manual pipette based on a first operation command in the operation command, and second circuitry configured to control the first robotic arm such that the first robotic arm grasps the automatic pipette based on a second operation command in the operation command,
the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine which one of the manual pipette and the automatic pipette is to be used based on the process symbols, generate the first operation command when the manual pipette is determined to be used, and generate the second operation command when the automatic pipette is determined to be used,
the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine which one of the manual pipette and the automatic pipette is to be used, when a process symbol in the process symbols is associated with a specification of a suction and discharge mode, based on the specification of the suction and discharge mode, and
the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine, when the specification of the suction and discharge mode is a specification of a speed which changes with time, that the manual pipette is to be used, and the first circuitry of the robotic arm control device is configured to generate the first operation command that causes the second robotic arm to move the piston of the manual pipette at the speed that changes with time.

2. A processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine, when the specification of the suction and discharge mode is a specification of a speed of suction or discharge to which the automatic pipette does not correspond, that the manual pipette is to be used, and the first circuitry of the robotic arm control device is configured to generate the first operation command that causes the second robotic arm to move the piston of the manual pipette at the speed of suction or discharge.

3. A processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine, when the specification of the suction and discharge mode is a specification for discharging a liquid contained in a pipette into a plurality of containers, that the automatic pipette is to be used, and the second circuitry of the robotic arm control device is configured to generate the second operation command that causes the first robotic arm to operate and causes the liquid in the automatic pipette to be sequentially discharged into the plurality of containers.

4. A processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the specification of the suction and discharge mode is a follow specification for causing the manual pipette or the automatic pipette to move such that the manual pipette or the automatic pipette follows a change in a position of a liquid level of a liquid contained in the container.

5. A processing system according to claim 4 , wherein the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine, when the specification of the suction and discharge mode is the follow specification, that the manual pipette is to be used, and the first circuitry of the robotic arm control device is configured to generate the first operation command that causes the first robotic arm to be controlled such that the first robotic arm predicts the change in the position of the liquid level of the liquid.

6. A processing system according to claim 4 , wherein the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine, when the specification of the suction and discharge mode is the follow specification accompanied by a specification including photographing the change in the position of the liquid level of the liquid, that the automatic pipette is to be used, and the second circuitry of the robotic arm control device is configured to generate the second operation command that causes the robotic arm to be controlled such that the first robotic arm follows a photographed change in the position of the liquid level of the liquid.

7. A processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine, when the specification of the suction and discharge mode is a specification for sucking a liquid contained in the container or for discharging a liquid into the container by tilting the container and the manual or automatic pipette, that the automatic pipette is to be used, and the second circuitry of the robotic arm control device is configured to generate the second operation command that causes the second robotic arm to grasp the container, causes the container and the automatic pipette to be tilted, and causes the liquid contained in the container to be sucked or causes the liquid to be discharged from the automatic pipette into the container.

8. A processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine, when the process symbols do not include a specification of a suction and discharge mode, which one of the manual pipette and the automatic pipette to be used based on at least a volume of suction and discharge.

9. A processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine, when the specification of the suction and discharge mode is a specification of a speed of suction or discharge to which the automatic pipette does not correspond, that the manual pipette is to be used, and the first circuitry of the robotic arm control device is configured to generate the first operation command that causes the second robotic arm to move the piston of the manual pipette at the speed of suction or discharge.

10. A processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry of the operation command generating device is configured to determine, when the specification of the suction and discharge mode is a specification for discharg

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Miyauchi Kohei
• Umeno Makoto
• Muraoka Jiro

Classifications

• B01L3/0217

  of the plunger pump type · CPC title

• G01N35/1009

  Characterised by arrangements for controlling the aspiration or dispense of liquids · CPC title

• B25J9/1679

  characterised by the tasks executed · CPC title

• G01N35/00584 Primary

  Control arrangements for automatic analysers · CPC title

• G01N35/0099

  comprising robots or similar manipulators (robots per se B25J) · CPC title