Laboratory sample distribution system and corresponding method of operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450151-B2
Application number	US-201715418830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2017
Priority date	Nov 4, 2011
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A laboratory sample distribution system is presented. The laboratory sample distribution system comprises a number of container carriers. The container carriers each comprise at least one magnetically active device such as, for example, at least one permanent magnet, and carry a sample container. The system further comprises a transport plane to carry the container carriers and a number of electro-magnetic actuators being stationary arranged below the transport plane. The electro-magnetic actuators move a container carrier on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the container carrier.

First claim

We claim:

1. A laboratory sample distribution system, the laboratory sample distribution system comprising:
a plurality of container carriers, wherein each container carrier carries a sample container;
a transport plane to carry the container carriers; and
a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane, wherein the electro-magnetic actuators move a container carrier on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to said container carrier, wherein each container carrier comprises an arrangement of multiple permanent magnets and wherein the multiple permanent magnets comprise a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet having a ring shape surrounding the first permanent magnet.

2. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the electro-magnetic actuators comprise a ferromagnetic core having a center finger and four outer fingers, each of the fingers extending perpendicular to the transport plane.

3. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple permanent magnets are made from hard ferromagnetic materials.

4. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the multiple permanent magnets are multipole permanent magnets.

5. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the container carrier has a cylindrical opening.

6. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 5 , wherein the container carrier comprises flexible flat spring on a side wall on the cylindrical opening configured to affix the sample container within the container carrier.

7. A laboratory sample distribution system, the laboratory sample distribution system comprising:
a plurality of container carriers, wherein each container carrier carries a sample container;
a transport plane to carry the container carriers; and
a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane, wherein the electro-magnetic actuators move a container carrier on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the container carrier and wherein each container carrier comprises a first permanent magnet arranged in a center of a stand of the container carrier and a second permanent magnet having a ring shape arranged in the stand surrounding the first permanent magnet.

8. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 7 , wherein the second permanent magnet has a circular area having a diameter smaller than a distance between the axes of the electro-magnetic actuators.

9. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 7 , wherein the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet have reverse polarity.

10. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 7 , wherein a north pole of the first permanent magnet and a south pole of the second permanent magnet are directed towards the transport plane.

11. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 7 , further comprises,
a RFTD tag comprising a ring-shaped antenna.

12. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 11 , wherein RFID tag stores a unique ID corresponding to the container carrier.

13. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 11 , wherein the RFID tag is arranged in the stand between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet.

14. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 7 , wherein the electro-magnetic actuators comprise a ferromagnetic core having a center finger and four outer fingers, each of the fingers extending perpendicular to the transport plane.

15. A laboratory sample distribution system, the laboratory sample distribution system comprising:
a plurality of container carriers, wherein each container carrier comprises at least one magnetically active device and carries a sample container;
a transport plane to carry the container carriers; and
a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane, wherein the electro-magnetic actuators move a container carrier on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to said container carrier and wherein the electro-magnetic actuators comprise a ferromagnetic core having a center finger and four outer fingers, each of the fingers extending perpendicular to the transport plane, wherein only the center finger is surrounded by a coil.

16. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 15 , wherein the coil is driven by an actuating current.

17. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 15 , wherein each container carrier comprises an arrangement of multiple permanent magnets.

18. The laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 17 , wherein the arrangement of multiple permanent magnets comprises a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet having a ring shape surrounding the first permanent magnet.

19. A laboratory sample distribution system, the laboratory sample distribution system comprising:
a plurality of container carriers, wherein each container carrier comprises at least one magnetically active device and carries a sample container, wherein each container carrier comprises an arrangement of multiple permanent magnets, and wherein the arrangement of multiple permanent magnets comprises a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet having a ring shape surrounding the first permanent magnet;
a transport plane to carry the container carriers; and
a plurality of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane, wherein the electro-magnetic actuators move a container carrier on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to said container carrier and wherein the electro-magnetic actuators comprise a ferromagnetic core having a center finger and four outer fingers, each of the fingers extending perpendicular to the transport plane.

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Heise Michael
• Schneider Hans

Classifications

• G01N35/04 Primary

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

• B65G54/02 Primary

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• G01N2035/00772

  mechanical or optical code other than bar code · CPC title

• B65G2203/045

  Thermic · CPC title

• G01N2035/0477

  Magnetic · CPC title