System and method for sample positioning in a robotic system

Abstract

A system and method for positioning a sample, or cargo, with respect to a device in a robotic system is provided. The system includes a macro positioning system for “gross” movement of the sample between stations and a micro positioning system for precisely locating the sample in a predetermined location at a station with respect to a device that will interact with the sample. The macro positioning system provides a positioning mechanism for the general movement of a sample along a pathway between various destinations or stations wherein the sample is “grossly” positioned with respect to the station. Once at the station, the micro positioning subsystem disposed between a sample carrier and the station provides a positioning mechanism for “precisely” positioning the sample in a predetermined location at the station with respect to a device that will interact with, or perform some function on, the sample. The system and method provide for multiple sample carrying robots having autonomous navigation thereby providing flexibility and stacker-like queuing for near 100% device utilization.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A positioning system for automated sample movement and positioning comprising: 
 a macro positioning subsystem for moving one or more transporters carrying a sample between one or more stations having a device; and    a micro positioning subsystem disposed between said transporters and said station for precisely locating said transporters, and thus said sample, with respect to said device thereby allowing accurate interaction of said device with said sample.    
     
     
         2 . The positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein said macro positioning subsystem comprises: 
 a predetermined track system connecting each of said stations;    a plurality of transporters disposed along said track system; and    a navigational system for controlling the movement of said transporters along said track system.    
     
     
         3 . The positioning system of  claim 2 , further comprising one or more sidings, wherein said plurality of robots running on said track system and said sidings comprise a queuing system which provides stacker-like queuing of said robots for near full device utilization.  
     
     
         4 . The positioning system of  claim 2 , further comprising a controller disposed on-board said robot for controlling said navigational system.  
     
     
         5 . The positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein said micro positioning subsystem comprises: 
 a first locating structure formed on one of said transporter and said station; and    a second locating structure formed on the other one of said transporter and said station for cooperating with said first locating structure to precisely locate said transporter and thus said sample with respect to said device at said station.    
     
     
         6 . The positioning system of  claim 5 , wherein said first locating structure comprises one or more projections formed on said transporter and said second locating structure comprises one or more recesses formed in said station, wherein said projections cooperate with said one or more recesses to precisely locate said transporter with respect to said device.  
     
     
         7 . The positioning system of  claim 5 , wherein said first locating structure comprises one or more projections formed on said station and said second locating structure comprises one or more recesses formed in said transporter, and wherein said projections cooperate with said one or more recesses to precisely locate said transporter with respect to said device.  
     
     
         8 . The positioning system of  claim 5 , wherein said first locating structure comprises three projections and said second locating structure comprises three recesses.  
     
     
         9 . The positioning system of  claim 5 , wherein said first locating structure and said second locating structure extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by a working surface.  
     
     
         10 . The positioning system of  claim 5 , wherein said first locating structure and said second locating structure extend in a direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by said working surface.  
     
     
         11 . The positioning system of  claim 2 , wherein said track system comprises one of a rail follower system, a line follower system, a slot follower system, a light follower system, a magnetic follower system, and a channel follower system.  
     
     
         12 . The positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein said transporter provides for autonomous navigation.  
     
     
         13 . The positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein said transporter further comprises: 
 a body;    a track engagement mechanism for engaging said track system;    a sample holding device disposed on said body for holding said sample;    an on-board controller for executing one or more navigational instructions;    a memory for storing said navigational instructions;    a propulsion mechanism for propelling said transporters along said track system; and    a power supply for driving said propulsion mechanism.    
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an error correction system and a collision avoidance system controlled on-board said transporter, wherein said error correction system corrects a positioning of a lost robot along said pathways and wherein said collision avoidance system provides for avoidance of one or more of side, rear-end, and front-end collisions.  
     
     
         15 . A system for the manipulation of chemical reaction matrices comprising: 
 a chemical reaction matrix;    a transporter having a locating fixture thereupon, said transporter for moving said matrix among one or more locations; and at each of said locations; and    a cooperating location fixture which cooperates with said locating fixture to locate said matrix in a predetermined location in space.    
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein said locating fixture comprises one or more projections.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the cooperating locating fixture comprises an array of depressions adapted to receive said projections.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein said projections are self-centering in said depressions.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15  wherein said matrix is a multi-well plate.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising a digital controller, wherein said transporter is under operative control of said digital controller.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein said digital controller is located onboard said transporter.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising a track system, wherein the transporter moves along predetermined pathways among said locations defined by said track system.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 15  wherein preselected claimed or biological reactions take place at at least some of said locations.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising a robotic reagent delivery apparatus at at least one of said locations.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the matrix is reproducibly in register at each of said locations to an accuracy of about 5 mm.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the matrix is reproducibly in register at each of said locations to an accuracy of about 1 mm.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the matrix is reproducibly in register at each of said locations to an accuracy of 0.5 mm.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the matrix is reproducibly in register at each of said locations to an accuracy of 0.1 mm.  
     
     
         29 . A method for moving and positioning samples in a robotic system comprising: 
 (a) providing predetermined pathways connecting one or more stations;    (b) disposing one or more sample carrier transporters along said pathways;    (c) activating a macro positioning system to move each of said transporters along said pathways to a predetermined station;    (d) macro positioning each said transporters with respect to one of said stations;    (e) activating a micro positioning system disposed between said transporter and said station;    (f) micro positioning a sample on said transporter with respect to a device at said station; and    (g) performing a function on said sample using said device.    
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising providing a track system connecting said stations thereby defining said predetermined pathways.  
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising identifying said transporter at said station as a transporter to be worked on by said device.  
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising deactivating said micro positioning system once said device has completed interacting with said sample, and continuing said movement of said transporter along said pathways.  
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising avoiding collision between transporters using a collision avoidance system disposed between.  
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , further comprising avoiding one or more of a side collision, a rear-end collision, and a front collision using one or more indicator devices and one or more sensors to indicate and sense a robot position relative to another robot.  
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising establishing a communications link between said transporter and said station and exchanging identification data and navigational instructions.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising identifying said transporter as being a registered transporter for interaction with a device at said station using an identification system disposed between said transporter and said station.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising correcting errors in the location of said transporters at a station or within said system using an error recovery system.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising one or more of loading a set of default instructions from said on-board controller and loading a new set of navigational instructions from one of said stations.  
     
     
         39 . A navigation system located on-board a transporter for controlling the movement of said transporter around a pathway of a robotic system comprising: 
 a controller located on-board said transporter;    a communications system for establishing a communications link between said transporter and a station;    an identification system for identifying whether said transporter is at a correct station;    an error recovery system located on-board said transporter for correcting the positioning of said transporter; and    a collision avoidance system located on-board said transporter for avoiding collisions as between transporters.    
     
     
         40 . The navigation system of  claim 39  wherein scheduling instructions are passed to the on-board controller from a central controller via said communication link between said station and said transporter.  
     
     
         41 . The navigation system of  claim 39  wherein navigational instructions are passed to the robot via the track system wherein said central controller sends a plurality of navigational instructions down the track system and the robot and on-board controller samples and selects instructions based one or a shortest and a less congested route between two stations.  
     
     
         42 . The navigation system of  claim 39  wherein the robot makes all the navigational decisions.  
     
     
         43 . A storage system for the storage of a sample in a robotic system comprising: 
 a vertical support structure;    a plurality of storage devices forming levels one on top of the other supported by said support structure;    a track system disposed between and connecting said levels; and    a plurality of sample carrying robots disposed along said track system for interacting with one or more of said storage devices.    
     
     
         44 . The storage system of  claim 43  wherein said track system comprises a substantially vertical portion disposed along said support structure, wherein said robots climb up said track system in a direction that is substantially vertical.  
     
     
         45 . The storage system of  claim 44  wherein each of said robots comprises; 
 a body;  
 a gimbaled platform attached to said body;  
 a sample plate disposed on said platform; and  
 an opening formed in a bottom of said body for sliding said plate between said platform and a storage mechanism.  
 
     
     
         46 . The storage system of  claim 44  further comprising a track gripping mechanism.  
     
     
         47 . The storage system of  claim 46  wherein said track gripping mechanism comprises one of a magnetic attraction, a cog rail, pins, rods, hooks.  
     
     
         48 . The storage system of  claim 43  wherein said track system comprises a ramp system that connects each of said shelves.  
     
     
         49 . The storage system of  claim 48  wherein said ramp system comprises one or more spiral ramps, wherein each spiral in said ramp raises said track to a next level.  
     
     
         50 . The storage system of  claim 43  further comprising a device for transferring said sample between said robot and said storage device.  
     
     
         51 . A method of storing samples in a robotic system comprising: 
 providing a plurality of vertically stacked storage devices;    disposing a track system vertically connecting each of said storage devices;    running one or more sample carrying robots along said track system between said storage devices; and    interacting between at least one of said robot and at least one of said storage device.    
     
     
         52 . The method of claim  51  further comprising running along a linear track system disposed substantially vertical.  
     
     
         53 . The method of claim  52  further comprising gripping said track system using a track gripping mechanism disposed between said robot and said track system.  
     
     
         54 . The method of claim  51  further comprising running along a ramped track system.