US 12,216,133 B2
Sample handling system for handling a plurality of samples
Christopher Espy, Remseck (DE); and Yin Cai, Munich (DE)
Assigned to ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS OPERATIONS, INC., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed by Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed on Mar. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/218,638.
Claims priority of application No. 20167765 (EP), filed on Apr. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0311083 A1, Oct. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01F 23/00 (2022.01); B01F 23/41 (2022.01); B01F 101/23 (2022.01); B23Q 17/24 (2006.01); C07K 14/705 (2006.01); C12M 1/34 (2006.01); C12Q 1/04 (2006.01); C12Q 1/18 (2006.01); C12Q 1/686 (2018.01); G01N 21/3577 (2014.01); G01N 21/359 (2014.01); G01N 21/39 (2006.01); G01N 21/45 (2006.01); G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G01N 21/77 (2006.01); G01N 21/78 (2006.01); G01N 27/414 (2006.01); G01N 30/12 (2006.01); G01N 30/68 (2006.01); G01N 30/70 (2006.01); G01N 30/72 (2006.01); G01N 30/88 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01); G01N 33/18 (2006.01); G01N 33/50 (2006.01); G01N 33/53 (2006.01); G01N 33/543 (2006.01); G01N 33/68 (2006.01); G01N 33/74 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01); G06K 7/10 (2006.01); G06K 7/14 (2006.01); G06K 19/06 (2006.01); G06K 19/07 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01); H10K 10/46 (2023.01); H10K 85/00 (2023.01); H10K 85/20 (2023.01)
CPC G01N 35/00732 (2013.01) [G06K 7/10297 (2013.01); G06K 7/10366 (2013.01); G06K 7/1413 (2013.01); G06K 7/1417 (2013.01); G06K 19/06028 (2013.01); G06K 19/06037 (2013.01); G06K 19/0723 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00752 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00851 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sample handling system for handling a plurality of samples, the sample handling system comprising:
a plurality of sample holders, each configured for receiving a sample container; at least one sample transport device configured for moving the plurality of sample holders in at least one direction, the at least one sample transport device comprising a multilane sample transport system;
at least one monitoring system configured for monitoring the plurality of samples during movement via the at least one sample transport device, wherein the at least one monitoring system comprises
at least one camera module configured for continuously capturing images of at least a part of the sample transport device, wherein the at least one camera module is arranged at a distance away from the at least one sample transport device such that the at least one camera module has a free field of view to the at least one sample transport device, and
at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured for processing the captured images and determining at least one item of information about the at least one sample transport device and/or the sample container and/or the sample from the captured images;
wherein the sample handling system further comprises at least one cloud server, wherein the monitoring system comprises a high density of permanently mounted camera modules each viewing a certain transport area continuously, wherein all transport surfaces are covered by at least one camera module's viewing field, such that there is no gap on the sample transport device that is not imaged such that a total transport monitoring is configured to be performed by stitching all images captured by the plurality of camera modules in the cloud server together, or
wherein the monitoring system comprises a moderate density of permanently mounted camera modules wherein by combining short-distance tracks of a sample with the same ID, paths that are not monitored can be interpolated, and
at least one control unit configured for controlling a functionality of the sample handling system, wherein the at least one control unit is configured for retrieving the at least one item of information from the at least one processor, wherein the controlling is based on the retrieved item of information.