Method of configuring a laboratory automation system, laboratory sample distribution system and laboratory automation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902572-B2
Application number	US-201615272792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2016
Priority date	Oct 6, 2015
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A method of configuring a laboratory automation system is presented. The position of a laboratory station is detected automatically. A laboratory sample distribution system and a laboratory automation system adapted to perform such a method are also presented.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of configuring a laboratory automation system, the laboratory automation system comprising a laboratory sample distribution system and at least one laboratory station, wherein the laboratory station has a handover position and the laboratory sample distribution system comprises a number of sample container carriers adapted to carry one or more sample containers, wherein each sample container carrier comprises at least one magnetically active device, a transport plane adapted to support the sample container carriers, a number of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane, the electro-magnetic actuators adapted to move sample container carriers on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the sample container carriers, a number of position sensors distributed over the transport plane and adapted to sense magnetic fields generated by the magnetically active devices, and a control device configured to control the movement of the sample container carriers on top of the transport plane by driving the electro-magnetic actuators such that the sample container carriers move along corresponding transport paths, wherein the laboratory station is placed adjacent to the transport plane, the method comprising:
placing a reference magnet in a specified position relationship with the handover position of the laboratory station over the transport plane;
detecting the position of the reference magnet on the transport plane using the position sensors; and
determining one of the electro-magnetic actuators as a handover electro-magnetic actuator based on the detected position.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position of the reference magnet is determined in the same way as a position of the sample container carriers.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the position of the reference magnet is determined by the control device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reference magnet is part of the laboratory station.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reference magnet is part of a position determining device held by a gripping device of the laboratory station.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising, placing the position determining device in the specified position relationship using the gripping device before detecting the position.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein detecting the position is performed after an input to the control device indicating final placement of the laboratory station.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the handover position is a position configured to transfer samples or sample containers between the laboratory station and the transport plane.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the handover electro-magnetic actuator is configured such that sample containers or sample container carriers are moved to the handover electro-magnetic actuator for transfer of samples or sample containers between the laboratory station and the transport plane.

10. A laboratory sample distribution system, the laboratory sample distribution system comprising:
a number of sample container carriers adapted to carry one or more sample containers, wherein each sample container carrier comprises at least one magnetically active device;
a transport plane adapted to support the sample container carriers;
a number of electro-magnetic actuators stationary arranged below the transport plane, the electro-magnetic actuators adapted to move sample container carriers on top of the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the sample container carriers;
a number of position sensors distributed over the transport plane and adapted to sense magnetic fields generated by the magnetically active devices; and
a control device configured to control the movement of the sample container carriers on top of the transport plane by driving the electro-magnetic actuators such that the sample container carriers move along corresponding transport paths, wherein the control device is configured to perform a method according to claim 1 .

11. A laboratory automation system comprising a laboratory sample distribution system according to claim 10 and at least one laboratory station.

12. A laboratory automation system, wherein the laboratory automation system is configured using a method according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Mahmudimanesh Mohammadreza
• Sinz Achim

Classifications

• G01N2035/0491

  Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control · CPC title

• B65G54/02 Primary

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• B65G43/00

  Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting · CPC title

• G01N2035/0477

  Magnetic · CPC title

• B65G19/02

  for articles, e.g. for containers · CPC title