US 12,031,994 B2
Automated sample preparation system for diagnostic testing of same
Michael T. VanSickler, Columbia, MD (US); Kevin Bailey, Monkton, MD (US); Christopher John Tesluk, Baltimore, MD (US); Dwight Livingston, Fallston, MD (US); Steven C. Rotundo, Baltimore, MD (US); Stephen Robert LaChance, Cockeysville, MD (US); Michael J. Touma, Hudson, NH (US); Brian James McKeen, Bow, NH (US); and Gerard Sevigny, Nashua, NH (US)
Assigned to BECTON DICKINSON AND COMPANY, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US)
Filed by BECTON DICKINSON AND COMPANY, Franklin Lakes, NJ (US)
Filed on Oct. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/503,864.
Application 17/503,864 is a division of application No. 16/077,875, granted, now 11,181,541, previously published as PCT/US2017/018358, filed on Feb. 17, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/409,013, filed on Oct. 17, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/296,349, filed on Feb. 17, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0137080 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 35/04 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G16H 10/40 (2018.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/04 (2013.01) [G01N 35/00732 (2013.01); G16H 10/40 (2018.01); G01N 2035/00801 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00831 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0465 (2013.01); G01N 2035/1032 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for pre-analytical processing of a biological sample for analysis, the method comprising:
receiving, at a port of an automated system for pre-analytical processing, a first rack carrying a first plurality of sample containers, wherein each one of the first plurality of sample containers carries a primary biological sample therein;
interrogating a label on the first rack for information about at least one of the rack type, the one or more types of sample containers carried by the first rack, or both;
communicating the rack label information to a processor that, based on the rack label information type or the type of sample containers carried by the first rack, assigns a processing order for the pre-analytical processing to the first rack for the primary biological samples in the sample containers disposed in the first rack, wherein the first rack is placed in a processing queue based on the assigned processing order;
transporting, with a rack elevator robot system, the first rack from the port to one of a plurality of compartments of a rack storage unit, wherein the port and the compartments of the rack storage unit are positioned at different vertical heights;
transporting, with the rack elevator robot system, the first rack from the rack storage unit to an automated station in accordance with the processing queue, wherein the automated station is capable of automatically preparing the primary biological samples for analysis;
transporting, with the rack elevator robot system, a second rack carrying a second plurality of sample containers from a destination location of the automated station to one of the compartments of the rack storage unit, wherein each one of the second plurality of sample containers carries a primary or secondary biological sample therein; and
transporting, with the rack elevator robot system, the second rack from the rack storage unit to a batching area in accordance with the processing queue.