Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Sorting bottles – ampoules – jars – drinking vessels – or like...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-30
2001-04-24
Bratlie, Steven A. (Department: 3652)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Sorting bottles, ampoules, jars, drinking vessels, or like...
C209S524000, C209S583000, C422S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220451
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a laboratory primary sample feeder or distributor (hereafter primary distributor) with a distributor or sorter device for removing coded receptacles containing lab samples arriving on a conveyor belt and, from this belt after code-reading, transferring the samples with a sorter gripper into one of several destination transport means intended for different destinations in accordance with the codes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Medical labs receive from physicians samples of blood, serum, urine and other body fluids in receptacles, accompanied by their particular labels on which the desired tests, for instance, blood sugar, AIDS and the like, are checked off. Typically the receptacles are small tubes and they are also used in lab work. They are coded, for instance, by means of stick-on labels to be fed into a computer together with the test requirements.
The receptacles are placed into input magazines wherein they are configured, for instance, in rows in racks or in a planar array in trays, the trays optionally also being furnished with several racks. The receptacles are upright in these input magazines in which they are first moved to a primary distributor. The task of this primary distributor is to read the code of every incoming receptacle, to interrogate the computer about the desired test, and then to place each receptacle, by means of a sorter device, on one or several destination transport means that move the receptacles to individual analyzers for the different tests. In turn, the destination transport means may be magazines, for instance trays, by means of which the receptacles are manually moved from the primary distributor to the analyzers. However, they also may be conveyor belts in which, in their erect position or, if called for in magazines, they are moved, for instance, to a high-output analyzer in high demand.
A primary distributor of this type is known from German patent document 296 08 120 U1. The receptacles are moved in racks to this primary distributor and then, while in these racks, they are placed on a conveyor belt moving the receptacles through a device opening their seals, through a read unit and to a sorter device wherein the receptacles are removed by a sorter gripper from the racks on the conveyor belt and are transferred as required into the particular destination trays.
These known primary distributors incur the drawback that the sorter gripper transports only one receptacle at a time. This sorter gripper must grip each receptacle individually from the conveyor belt, move it to the particular destination tray, deposit it on the tray, and move back. Because of the substantial distances it must cover, its output is intrinsically limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to create a primary distributor having higher output.
In accordance with the invention, the sorter gripper can move several receptacles simultaneously. Illustratively, when its receptacle-support geometry coincides with the receptacle array on the conveyor belt, the sorter gripper can pick up several receptacles in one operation and move them jointly into the set-up zone of the destination transport means, for instance trays. This procedure saves time. By means of the destination trays, the sorter gripper next can deposit the receptacles into the desired trays and, as a result, a substantial overall saving in motion is achieved and the output is increased. The controlling computer system can be fed with path-optimizing algorithms. The output is further increased thereby.
Grouped by destination, the receptacles can be moved on the conveyor belt of the primary distributor to the sorter device. Thereupon, they can always be received in sets by the sorter gripper and be deposited into the associated destination tray. Typically, however, the receptacles arrive at the lab mixed with others having different destinations. To solve this, the receptacles can be retrieved according to destination from the conveyor belt and also can be individually deposited into destination transport means such as trays or conveyor belts that continue. Therefore, receptacles with different destinations can be transferred in one operation in the sorter gripper.
The sorter gripper can be moved in a controlled manner toward those receptacles on the conveyor belt of the primary distributor which are intended for a given destination transport means, that is for a certain tray. Thereupon, these receptacles can be deposited in one operation into this tray. With this method, the gripper only has to move over smaller paths over the conveyor belt to pick up receptacles of the same destination instead of having to move over longer paths between the intrinsically spaced destination transport means to distribute receptacles of different destinations between them. As a result, the overall path is substantially optimized and the output is significantly raised.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4315891 (1982-02-01), Sakurada
patent: 5151184 (1992-09-01), Ferkany
patent: 5350564 (1994-09-01), Mazza et al.
patent: 5362648 (1994-11-01), Koreyasu et al.
patent: 5623415 (1997-04-01), O'Bryan et al.
patent: 5876670 (1999-03-01), Mitsumaki et al.
patent: 5972295 (1999-10-01), Hanawa et al.
patent: 6060022 (2000-05-01), Pang et al.
patent: 25 01 154 (1975-08-01), None
patent: 35 12 459 (1986-10-01), None
patent: 37 00 654 (1988-07-01), None
patent: 43 19 061 (1993-12-01), None
patent: 44 10 781 (1994-10-01), None
patent: 296 08 120 (1996-09-01), None
Boehringer Mannheim brochure, “PPV 1200, Das Primär Proben Verteilersystem für den präanalytischen Bereich”, 4 unnumbered pages, date stamped Apr. 26, 1996 (in German).
Japanese Patent Abstract 07236838 A, Date of Publication Dec. 9, 1995, Method for Centrifugal Separation Treatment of Specimen And Apparatus Therefor.
Ismatec ASA (Analytische System-Apparate), p. 21, ASA-System Zur Kontrolle der Wirkstoffverteilung Tabletten.
English note for DE 296 08 120 U1.
English note for DE 25 01 254.
English note for DE 35 12 459.
English note for DE 37 00 654.
English note for DE 43 19 061.
English note for Brochure PPV 1200.
Bratlie Steven A.
Olympus Diagnostica GmbH
Rankin, Hill Porter & Clark LLP
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