Robot mounted barcode reader

Abstract

A robotic arm-mounted laser barcode reader is provided. The robotic arm-mounted laser barcode reader may be used in the field of sample analysis to in increase the rate with which sample carriers such as microtitre plates may be interfaced with an automated system. The robotic arm-mounted laser barcode reader can read a bar code label affixed to a sample carrier immediately when the robotic arm grabs and manipulates a sample carrier, eliminating the step of presenting the sample carrier to a separate bar code reader to ensure proper tracking and/or inventorying of the sample carrier. The robotic arm-mounted laser barcode reader may also be used in other automated apparatuses that require tracking and/or inventorying.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A robotic arm for a robot to identify a sample carrier having a detectable label while moving the sample carrier from one location to another, comprising: 
 a body with a first and a second end, the first end being attached to the robot, the body having a recess;    a plurality of end effector grippers adapted to grip and release the sample carrier, the end effector grippers being movably attached to the second end of the body; and,    an object identifying system attached to the recess of the body of the robotic arm, wherein the object identifying system reads the detectable label on the sample carrier after the sample carrier has been gripped by the end effector grippers and concurrently with the robot moving the robotic arm from one location to another.    
     
     
         2 . The robotic arm of  claim 1  wherein the recess is on an underside of the body.  
     
     
         3 . The robotic arm of  claim 2  in which the object identifying system is attached to the recess of the body at a reading angle measured from a horizontal plane via a support bracket.  
     
     
         4 . The robotic arm of  claim 3  in which the angle is 45 degrees.  
     
     
         5 . The robotic arm of  claim 3  in which the object identifying system is attached to the recess of the body at a line-of-sight distance, the distance being defined between the object identifying system and the detectable label on the sample carrier after the sample carrier has been gripped by the end effector grippers.  
     
     
         6 . The robotic arm of  claim 5  in which the distance and the reading angle may be adjusted by positioning the detectable label on the sample carrier at a point on the sample carrier.  
     
     
         7 . The robotic arm of  claim 6  in which the distance and the reading angle may be adjusted by the location at which the sample carrier is gripped by the end effector grippers.  
     
     
         8 . The robotic arm of  claim 7  in which the distance and the reading angle may be adjusted by position in which the object identifying system is attached to the recess of the body by the brackets.  
     
     
         9 . The robotic arm of  claim 3  in which a clear line of sight is provided between the object identifying system and the detectable label after the sample carrier has been gripped by the end effector grippers and while the robot arm moves the sample carrier from one location to another.  
     
     
         10 . The robotic arm of  claim 3  wherein the object identifying system is a laser barcode reader and the detectable label is a barcode.  
     
     
         11 . The robotic arm of  claim 3  wherein the object identifying system is a CCD barcode reader and the detectable label is a barcode.  
     
     
         12 . The robotic arm of  claim 3  wherein the object identifying system is an RF terminal and the detectable label is an RF tag.  
     
     
         13 . The robotic arm of  claim 3  wherein the object identifying system is a 2-D barcode reader.  
     
     
         14 . The robotic arm of  claim 3  wherein the end effector grippers of the robotic arm are L-shaped.  
     
     
         15 . The robotic arm of  claim 14  wherein the end effector grippers offset the sample carrier a predetermined distance from the robotic arm.  
     
     
         16 . The robotic arm of  claim 15  wherein a surface of the sample carrier faces an unobstructed path to the object identifying system.  
     
     
         17 . An automated apparatus for moving a microtitre plate having a barcode from one location to another, comprising: 
 a robot;    a robotic arm having a first end, a second end, and a body, the first end of the robotic arm mounted to the robot;    a laser barcode reader mounted to a recess in the body of the robotic arm; and    a microtitre plate holder attached to the second end of the body of robotic arm, wherein the barcode reader is adapted to read the barcode on the microtitre plate after the microtitre plate has been gripped by the microtitre plate holder, the barcode reader adapted to read the barcode on the microtitre plate concurrently with the robot moving the microtitre plate from one location to another.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein a microtitre plate surface with a barcode thereon is exposed to the laser mounted barcode reader.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the microtitre plate holder is adapted to grip two opposing surfaces of the microtitre plate.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the microtitre plate holder is a plurality of L-shaped end effector grippers.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  further comprising a clear line-of-sight between the barcode reader and the microtitre plate holder.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the clear line of sight is created by positioning the barcode reader at a predetermined angle and offsetting the microtitre plate a predetermined distance from the robotic arm with the microtitre plate holder.  
     
     
         23 . A method of moving sample carriers from one location to another, comprising: 
 applying a barcode to the sample carrier;    providing a robotic arm for a robot to move the sample carrier, the robotic arm having 
 a body with a first and a second end, the first end being attached to the robot,  
 a plurality of end effector grippers adapted to grip and release the sample carrier, the end effector grippers being movably attached to the second end of the body; and  
 an object identifying system attached to a recess on an underside of the body of the robotic arm;  
   moving the robotic arm to the first location, the first location being proximate the sample carrier;    gripping the sample carrier with the end effector grippers;    moving the robotic arm from the first location to a second location while concurrently reading the barcode on the sample carrier with the object identifying system while the robotic arm is moving; and    releasing the sample carrier from the grippers.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the sample carriers are microtitre plates.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising receiving data from the barcode reader by a computer.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the bar code reader is a laser barcode reader.  
     
     
         27 . A robotic arm for a robot to identify a sample carrier having a detectable label while moving the sample carrier from one location to another, comprising: 
 a body with a first and a second end, the first end being attached to the robot, the body having a recess;    a plurality of means for gripping and releasing the sample carrier, the means for gripping grippers being movably attached to the second end of the body; and,    an means for identifying a detectable label on the sample carrier after the sample carrier has been gripped by the end effector grippers and concurrently with the robot moving the robotic arm from one location to another, the means for identifying attached to the recess of the body of the robotic arm.    
     
     
         28 . An automated apparatus incorporating a robotic arm for performing protocols on samples within microtitre plates, each microtitre plate having a detectable label, comprising: 
 a table;    a stacker on the table for storing a plurality of microtitre plates;    a robot on the table having the robotic arm, the robotic arm having 
 a body with a first and a second end, the first end being attached to the robot, the body having a recess,  
 a plurality of end effector grippers adapted to grip and release the microtitre plate, the end effector grippers being movably attached to the second end of the body, and,  
 an object identifying system attached to the recess of the body of the robotic arm, wherein the object identifying system is adapted to read the detectable label on the microtitre plate after the microtitre plate has been gripped by the end effector grippers and concurrently with the robot moving the robotic arm from one location to another and thus tracking the progress of the microtitre plate through a given protocol;  
 a hotel on the table to house the microtitre plates;  
   a pipetting station on the table to dispense liquid into the microtitre plates; and    a resting station on the table, wherein the robot moves the robotic arm to move the microtitre plates from between the hotel to the pipetting station to the resting station to the stacker in a given sequence to perform the given protocol, the object identifying system concurrently tracking the microtitre plates throughout the protocol.    
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the object identifying system is a laser barcode reader and the detectable label is a barcode.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the object identifying system is a CCD barcode reader and the detectable label is a barcode.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus  claim 28  wherein the object identifying system is an RF terminal and the detectable label is an RF tag.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 29  further comprising a plate washing cell on the table.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 29  in which the hotel is a heating station.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33  in which the hotel further comprises a light on one side of an interior of the hotel and a detector on another side of the interior of the hotel, the detectors adapted to determine a color of a sample in the microtitre plate.  
     
     
         35 . A method of performing a protocol on samples within microtitre plates, each microtre plate having a detectable label, comprising: 
 providing a robot with a robotic arm having a robotic arm, the robotic arm having 
 a body with a first and a second end, the first end being attached to the robot, the body having a recess,  
 a plurality of end effector grippers adapted to grip and release the microtitre plate, the end effector grippers being movably attached to the second end of the body, and,  
 an object identifying system attached to the recess of the body of the robotic arm, wherein the object identifying system is adapted to read the detectable label on the microtitre plate after the microtitre plate has been gripped by the end effector grippers and concurrently with the robot moving the robotic arm from one location to another and thus tracking the progress of the microtitre plate through a given protocol;  
   storing the mircrotitre plates in a stacker;    dispensing liquid into the microtitre plates with a pipetting station;    housing the microtitre plates in a hotel; and    resting the microtitre plates on a resting station, wherein the robot moves the robotic arm to move the microtitre plates from between the hotel to the pipetting station to the resting station to the stacker in a given sequence to perform the given protocol, the object identifying system concurrently tracking the microtitre plates throughout the protocol.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  further comprising washing the microtitre plates in a plate washing cell.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35  further comprising determining a color of a sample in the microtitre plate by shining a light from one side of an interior of the hotel to a detector on another side of the interior of the hotel.