US 12,259,399 B2
Systems, apparatus and methods to pick and/or place specimen containers
James Norman Craven, Ely (GB); Ian James Riley, Middlesbrough (GB); and Matthew Watson, Marske by the Sea (GB)
Assigned to TMRW Life Sciences, Inc., New York, NY (US)
Filed by TMRW LIFE SCIENCES, INC., New York, NY (US)
Filed on Jan. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/573,935.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/136,886, filed on Jan. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0221476 A1, Jul. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/0099 (2013.01) [G01N 35/10 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system to pick and/or place individual specimen containers from and/or to an array of specimen containers, the system comprising:
a receiver having a proximate end, a distal end, and a receptacle having an opening at the distal end of the receiver, the receptacle having a principal axis and a set of lateral inner dimensions measured laterally with respect to the principal axis, the lateral inner dimensions of the receptacle sized to accommodate a set of lateral outer dimensions of at least a portion of a single container therein and at least a portion of the receptacle sized and configured to physically prevent rotation of the single one of the specimen containers about the principal axis while allowing translation with respect thereto;
a drive shaft having a proximate end and a distal end; and
an engagement head at the distal end of the drive shaft and which is configured to translate and rotate along with the drive shaft,
wherein the drive shaft is translatable parallel with the principal axis and configured to selectively position the engagement head alternatingly distally from and proximate to a first portion of the single one of the specimen containers when the single one of the specimen containers is positioned at least partially in the receptacle of the receiver, and at least when positioned proximate to the first portion of the single one of the specimen containers the drive shaft is and configured selectively rotate alternatingly in a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction about the principal axis to cause at least a portion of the engagement head to alternatingly engage and disengage the first portion of the single one of the specimen containers while at least a portion of the receptacle of the receiver prevents the single one of the specimen containers from rotating about the principal axis.