US 12,013,407 B2
Laboratory system for automatically processing biological samples
Andreas Gisler, Thalwil (CH); Mike Mohns, Kriens (CH); Vijay Namasivayam, Lucerne (CH); Maren Christin Wolff, Zurich (CH); Devorah Klein, Medford, MA (US); Tim Moulton, Newport, RI (US); Sam Palmer, Arlington, MA (US); and Eric Saperstein, Maynard, MA (US)
Assigned to Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, CA (US)
Appl. No. 16/758,835
Filed by Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, CA (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 18, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/078643
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 23, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/081351, PCT Pub. Date May 2, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/575,715, filed on Oct. 23, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0181218 A1, Jun. 17, 2021
Int. Cl. G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 35/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/00594 (2013.01) [G01N 35/04 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00306 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00891 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0406 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0465 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0484 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laboratory system for automatically processing at least one sample container containing a biological sample, the laboratory system being self-contained and comprising:
a housing in which the laboratory system is self-contained;
one or more laboratory instrument units provided within the housing and configured to execute processing steps on said biological sample;
a sample container input station for loading said at least one sample container into the laboratory system, the sample container input station being configured to receive said at least one sample container;
a sample container output station provided as an interface in the housing, through which said at least one sample container can be discharged after processing;
a transport means provided inside the laboratory system and configured to transport said sample container from the sample container input station to the one or more laboratory instrument units, and further to the sample container output station, the transport means comprising a tube gripper with a movable robotic arm;
a control unit for carrying out workflow control and error identification of the laboratory system, the control unit being configured to carry out error identification by determining whether said biological sample and/or said at least one sample container is in a condition to be processed by the one or more laboratory instrument units, and to control the transport means based on the determination result;
a sample container input-output station separate from each of the sample container input and output stations, the sample container input-output station arranged between the sample container input station and the sample container output station and connected with the transport means, the sample container input-output station providing a second interface between the inside and the outside of the housing; and
a workbench provided on the outside of the housing and in front of the sample container input-output station for an operator to be in the position to manipulate said biological sample and/or said at least one sample container determined by the control unit as not in the condition to be processed by the one or more laboratory instrument units during error identification;
wherein, the transport means is further configured to transport a sample container determined by the control unit as error sample container during error identification to the sample container input-output station;
wherein the sample container input-output station comprises a transition area, at least one chain conveyor, and an input-output slot as said second interface between the inside and outside of the housing, the input-output slot comprising a door mechanism and providing access to said at least one sample container transported by the at least one chain conveyor from the inside of the laboratory system through the transition area to the input-output slot;
wherein the chain conveyor is further configured to deliver said at least one sample container from the input-output slot to a portion of the transition area inside the housing after an operator has accessed the at least one sample container; and
wherein the transport means is further configured to retrieve the at least one sample container from the portion of the transition area inside the housing and transport the at least one sample container to the one or more laboratory instrument units for processing.