US 12,320,819 B2
Coordinated conveyers in an automated system
John G. Gorman, Del Mar, CA (US)
Assigned to Team Conveyer Royalty A LLC, Del Mar, CA (US)
Filed by Team Conveyer Royalty A LLC, Del Mar, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/244,841.
Application 18/244,841 is a continuation of application No. 16/578,108, filed on Sep. 20, 2019, granted, now 11,754,576.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/742,830, filed on Oct. 8, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0417782 A1, Dec. 28, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 35/00 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B04B 5/04 (2006.01); B04B 13/00 (2006.01); B04B 15/02 (2006.01); G01N 35/04 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/0092 (2013.01) [B01L 3/5085 (2013.01); B04B 5/0407 (2013.01); B04B 13/00 (2013.01); B04B 15/02 (2013.01); G01N 35/00732 (2013.01); G01N 35/04 (2013.01); G01N 35/1002 (2013.01); B01L 2200/025 (2013.01); B01L 2300/1805 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00356 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0446 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0449 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0455 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0458 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transport system for use in a diagnostic testing system comprising:
a plurality of conveyors, wherein each of the plurality of conveyors comprises a plurality of segments configured to hold at least one item;
one or more stations, wherein each of the one or more stations comprises one or more instruments;
wherein at least one item is configured to hold test cells, wherein each test cell comprises one or more microwells,
each microwell comprises a receptacle portion and a well portion,
the well portion is configured to rest horizontally on a top surface of the at least one conveyor, and
the receptacle portion comprises an opening that is accessible to the one or more instruments while the well portion is resting horizontally on the top surface of the at least one conveyor;
each test cell comprises a plurality of microwells arranged in an annulus sector, the annulus sector is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the top surface of the at least one conveyor, such that, upon the annulus sector being attached to the top surface of the at least one conveyor, the plurality of microwells longitudinally extend along a radial line of the plurality of conveyors, and a peripheral curve of the annulus sector matches a peripheral curve of the top surface of the at least one conveyor;
at least one hardware processor; and
software configured to, when executed by the at least one hardware processor,
receive an instruction to perform an operation that requires at least one of the one or more stations to simultaneously process at least a first item held by a first segment of a first one of the plurality of conveyors and a second item held by a second segment of a second one of the plurality of conveyors,
in response to receiving the instruction, control one or both of the first conveyor and the second conveyor to move, such that the first segment and the second segment are aligned at the at least one station at a same time, and
after the first segment and the second segment have been aligned at the at least one station, control the one or more instruments of the at least one station to simultaneously process the first item and the second item.