Cartridge for storing biosample capillary tubes and use in automated data storage systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016178653-A1
Application number	US-201615054053-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2016
Priority date	Jun 1, 2011
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods of storing and using biosamples with a cartridge that includes slots for storing biosample capillary tubes. The methods include providing access to a holder inside an enclosure of the cartridge, the enclosure having a same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in an automated tape library. The holder is configured to receive a plurality of capillary tubes in the holder, the capillary tubes including one or more biosamples. Exemplary methods may also include receiving capillary tubes in the cartridge, withdrawing capillary tubes from the cartridge, scanning and/or analyzing the capillary tubes and/or biosamples. Exemplary methods may additionally or alternatively include retrieving the cartridge from a storage slot of the automated tape library, loading the cartridge onto a drive of the automated tape library, and/or receiving and/or exporting a cartridge to/from the automated tape library via a mail slot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for storing biosample tubes in a cartridge, comprising:
providing access to a holder inside an enclosure of the cartridge, the enclosure having a same form factor as a data tape cartridge used in an automated tape library; and wherein the holder is configured to receive a plurality of capillary tubes in the holder, the capillary tubes including one or more biosamples.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is an LTO type cartridge.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the access is provided via a moveable door of the enclosure.

4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising storing, in one or more of a plurality of memory modules coupled to the cartridge, data related to at least one of the biosamples, the capillary tubes and the cartridge.

5 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of memory modules comprise a nonvolatile memory selected from the group consisting of electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory, phase-change memory, flash memory, NOR memory, and NAND memory.

6 . The method as recited in claim 4 , comprising one or more of sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library using a wireless communication interface coupled to one or more of the memory modules.

7 . The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the one or more of sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library the wireless communication interface comprises using radio signals for communication.

8 . The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the one or more of sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library the wireless communication interface comprises using a radio antenna selected from the group consisting of a quarter-wave antenna, a fractal antenna, and an inductor of an inductor-capacitor oscillator.

9 . The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the one or more of sending data to and receiving data from the automated tape library the wireless communication interface comprises using optical lasers for communication.

10 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising retaining the capillary tubes in the holder when the cartridge is in motion using a plurality of slots in the holder.

11 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising retrieving the cartridge from a storage slot of the automated tape library.

12 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising loading the cartridge onto a drive of the automated tape library.

13 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising reading a bar code on the cartridge using a bar code reader of the automated tape library.

14 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising at least one of scanning and analyzing one or more of the biosamples using the automated tape library.

15 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the at least one of scanning and analyzing one or more of the biosamples comprises using one or more of an anisotropic magneto-resistive (AMR), a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) and a tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) read element to detect a presence of one or more of target substances and micro-organisms in the biosamples.

16 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the at least one of scanning and analyzing one or more of the biosamples comprises using one or more of an anisotropic magneto-resistive (AMR), a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) and a tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) read element to read data from the biosamples.

17 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising magnetizing one or more nanoparticles functionalized to one or more of the biosamples using a magnetic head of the automated tape library.

18 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising withdrawing one or more of the plurality of capillary tubes from the enclosure using a drive of the automated tape library.

19 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising exporting the cartridge from the automated tape library via an import/export mail slot of the automated tape library.

20 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising receiving one or more of the plurality of capillary tubes in the holder.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bates Allen K
• Haustein Nils
• Johnson James W
• Krause Thorsten
• Schwartz Stephen L
• Topol Anna W
• Troppens Ulf
• Winarski Daniel J

Classifications

• H04B7/24

  for communication between two or more posts (wireless communication networks H04W) · CPC title

• A61B10/0096

  Casings for storing test samples (A61B10/0038, A61B10/0045 take precedence; preservation of living parts of the human or animal body A01N1/10; containers for retaining a material to be analysed B01L3/50; containers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/16; swab-sampler being part of enzymology or microbiology container C12M1/30) · CPC title

• B01L9/065 Primary

  specially adapted for capillary tubes · CPC title

• G01N35/00732 Primary

  Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers · CPC title

• G11B5/00821

  using stationary heads · CPC title