Matrix storage and retrieval system

Abstract

A system for storing and dispensing a plurality of vessels ( 54 ). The system includes an array of storage silos ( 44 ) or passages operable to store the plurality of vessels ( 54 ) where the storage silos have a dispensing end and a reloading end. A retrieval robot ( 22 ) is positioned adjacent to the dispensing end of the array of storage silos and is operable to retrieve at least one vessel ( 54 ) from at least one silo ( 44 ) in the array of storage silos. A reload robot ( 26 ) is positioned adjacent the reload end of the army of storage silos ( 44 ) and is operable to reload at least one vessel ( 54 ) into at least one silo ( 44 ) in said array of storage silos ( 44 ).

1 . A system for storing and dispensing a plurality of vessels containing biopolymers, said system comprising: 
 an array of storage passages to store a first plurality of vessels, said array of storage passages having a dispensing end to dispense the first plurality of vessels and a reloading end to receive a second plurality of vessels;    a retrieval robot positioned adjacent to said dispensing end of said array of storage passages, said retrieval robot retrieves at least one vessel of the first plurality of vessels from at least one passage in said array of storage passages; and    a reload robot positioned adjacent to said reload end of said array of storage passages, said reload robot reloads at least one vessel of the second plurality of vessels into at least one passage in said array of storage passages.    
     
     
         2 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said array of storage passages are formed from a plurality of corrugated sheets interlocked to one another to form a plurality of separate passages.  
     
     
         3 . The system as defined in  claim 2  wherein each of said passages is shaped as a rhombus.  
     
     
         4 . The system as defined in  claim 2  wherein each of said passages is shaped as an elongated cylinder.  
     
     
         5 . The system as defined in  claim 2  wherein each of said passages include a movable bar lever that retains a plurality of vessels in each of said passages.  
     
     
         6 . The system as defined in  claim 5  wherein each of said levers is spring loaded to apply a spring force to retain the plurality of vessels.  
     
     
         7 . The system as defined in  claim 6  wherein each of said levers includes a front end that engages a first vessel and a back end that engages a second vessel, wherein when said spring lever is unengaged, said first end engages said first vessel, and wherein when said spring lever is engaged, said back end engages said second vessel to release said first vessel.  
     
     
         8 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein each dispensing end of each passage in said array of storage passages is positioned below its corresponding reloading end to allow gravity to slide the plurality of vessels out of said storage passages.  
     
     
         9 . The system as defined in  claim 8  wherein said storage passages are vertically oriented.  
     
     
         10 . The system as defined in  claim 8  wherein said storage passages are oriented at an angle.  
     
     
         11 . The system as defined in  claim 5  wherein said retrieval robot actuates each of said levers associated with each of said passages.  
     
     
         12 . The system as defined in  claim 11  wherein said retrieval robot actuates each of said levers upon engaging each of said levers with a trigger.  
     
     
         13 . The system as defined in  claim 11  wherein said retrieval robot actuates each of said levers via an electromagnet.  
     
     
         14 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said retrieval robot moves in X and Y directions along a plane adjacent said array of storage passages.  
     
     
         15 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said retrieval robot includes a first set of slide plates to move along a first plane in X and Y directions and a second set of slide plates to move along a second plane in X and Y directions.  
     
     
         16 . The system as defined in  claim 15  wherein said first plane and said second plane are parallel to one another.  
     
     
         17 . The system as defined in  claim 15  wherein said first plane and said second plane intersect at an angle.  
     
     
         18 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said retrieval robot identifies the number of vessels retrieved.  
     
     
         19 . The system as defined in  claim 18  wherein said retrieval robot identifies the number of vessels retrieved by passing the vessels through a beam.  
     
     
         20 . The system as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of arrays of storage passages.  
     
     
         21 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said reload robot moves in X and Y directions along a plane adjacent said reloading end of said array of storage passages.  
     
     
         22 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said reload robot reloads said array of storage passages from a plurality of reload passages aligned with said array of storage passages.  
     
     
         23 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said reload robot determines the number of vessels delivered to the array of storage passages.  
     
     
         24 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said reload robot is in communication with a tube gun to deliver vessels through a delivery tube to the reload robot.  
     
     
         25 . The system as defined in  claim 24  wherein said tube gun moves along a plane in X and Y directions to select vessels from a rack containing a plurality of vessels.  
     
     
         26 . The system as defined in  claim 25  wherein said tube gun extracts a vessel from the rack, rotates the vessel about 180°, and delivers the vessel to the reload robot, via said delivery tube.  
     
     
         27 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said retrieval robot retains at least one rack having a plurality of wells, each well operable to receive one of said plurality of vessels.  
     
     
         28 . The system as defined in  claim 27  wherein said retrieval robot is operable to retain a plurality of racks.  
     
     
         29 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said plurality of vessels are a plurality of cylindrical tubes containing DNA.  
     
     
         30 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said retrieval robot is positioned below said array of storage passages and said reload robot is positioned above said array of storage passages.  
     
     
         31 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said retrieval robot is positioned on a first vertical side of said array of storage passages and said reload robot is positioned on a second vertical side of said array of storage passages.  
     
     
         32 . A system for storing and dispensing a plurality of vessels containing biopolymers, said system comprising: 
 a first corrugated sheet defining a first plurality of grooves;    a second corrugated sheet defining a second plurality of grooves; and    the plurality of vessels containing biopolymers, wherein said first corrugated sheet interlocks with said second corrugated sheet to define a storage module having a plurality of separate passages operable to receive and store said plurality of vessels containing biopolymers.    
     
     
         33 . The system as defined in  claim 32  wherein said storage module includes a dispensing end operable to dispense a plurality of vessels and a reloading end operable to receive a plurality of vessels.  
     
     
         34 . The system as defined in  claim 33  wherein each dispensing end of each passage in said storage module is positioned below its corresponding reloading end to allow gravity to slide the plurality of vessels out of said storage module.  
     
     
         35 . The system as defined in  claim 34  wherein said storage passages are vertically oriented.  
     
     
         36 . The system as defined in  claim 34  wherein said storage passages are oriented at an angle.  
     
     
         37 . The system as defined in  claim 32  wherein each of said passages is shaped as a rhombus.  
     
     
         38 . The system as defined in  claim 32  wherein each of said passages is shaped as an elongated cylinder.  
     
     
         39 . The system as defined in  claim 32  wherein each of said passages include a movable bar lever that retains a plurality of vessels in each of said passages.  
     
     
         40 . The system as defined in  claim 39  wherein each of said levers is spring loaded to apply a spring force to retain the plurality of vessels.  
     
     
         41 . The system as defined in  claim 40  wherein each of said levers includes a front end that engages a first vessel and a back end that engages a second vessel, wherein when said spring lever is unengaged, said first end engages said first vessel, and wherein when said spring lever is engaged, said back end engages said second vessel to release said first vessel.  
     
     
         42 . The system as defined in  claim 32  wherein said plurality of vessels are a plurality of cylindrical tubes containing DNA.  
     
     
         43 . The system as defined in  claim 39  wherein said first corrugated sheet and said second corrugated sheet each define clearance regions to enable said movable bar levers to be moved.  
     
     
         44 . The system as defined in  claim 32  wherein said storage module includes at least a first refrigeration unit to refrigerate the plurality of vessels stored in said storage module.  
     
     
         45 . The system as defined in  claim 32  further comprising a retrieval robot to retrieve at least one vessel of the plurality of vessels from at least one passage in said storage module.  
     
     
         46 . The system as defined in  claim 45  wherein said retrieval robot is positioned adjacent to a dispensing end of said storage module.  
     
     
         47 . The system as defined in  claim 39  wherein said retrieval robot actuates each of said levers associated with each of said passages.  
     
     
         48 . The system as defined in  claim 47  wherein said retrieval robot actuates each of said levers upon engaging each of said levers with a trigger.  
     
     
         49 . The system as defined in  claim 47  wherein said retrieval robot actuates each of said levers via an electromagnet.  
     
     
         50 . The system as defined in  claim 45  wherein said retrieval robot moves in X and Y directions along a plane adjacent said storage module.  
     
     
         51 . The system as defined in  claim 50  wherein said retrieval robot includes a first set of slide plates to move along a first plane in X and Y directions and a second set of slide plates to move along a second plane in X and Y directions.  
     
     
         52 . The system as defined in  claim 51  wherein said first plane and said second plane are parallel to one another.  
     
     
         53 . The system as defined in  claim 51  wherein said first plane and said second plane intersect at an angle.  
     
     
         54 . The system as defined in  claim 32  further comprising a reload robot to reload at least one vessel of the plurality of vessels into at least one passage in said storage module.  
     
     
         55 . The system as defined in  claim 54  wherein said reload robot moves in X or Y directions along a plane adjacent said storage module.  
     
     
         56 . The system as defined in  claim 55  wherein said reload robot reloads said storage passages from a plurality of reload passages aligned with said storage passages.  
     
     
         57 . The system as defined in  claim 54  wherein said reload robot is in communication with a tube gun to deliver vessels through a delivery tube to the reload robot.  
     
     
         58 . The system as defined in  claim 57  wherein said tube gun moves along a plane in X and Y directions to select vessels from a rack containing a plurality of vessels.  
     
     
         59 . The system as defined in  claim 58  wherein said tube gun extract a vessel from the rack, rotates the vessel about 180°, and delivers the vessel to the reload robot, via said delivery tube.  
     
     
         60 . The system as defined in  claim 32  further comprising a retrieval robot positioned below said storage module and a reload robot positioned above said storage module.  
     
     
         61 . The system as defined in  claim 32  further comprising a retrieval robot positioned on a first vertical side of said storage module and a reload robot positioned on a second vertical side of said storage module.  
     
     
         62 . A method for storing and dispensing a plurality of vessels containing a biopolymer, said method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of corrugated sheets;    interlocking the plurality of corrugated sheets to form a plurality of storage passages;    loading the plurality of vessels into the plurality of storage passages; and    dispensing at least one of the vessels from at least one of the storage passages by allowing gravity to slide the at least one vessel out of the at least one storage passage.    
     
     
         63 . The method as defined in  claim 62  further comprising loading the plurality of vessels into the plurality of storage passages with a reload robot.  
     
     
         64 . The method as defined in  claim 62  further comprising dispensing the at least one vessel from the at least one passage with a retrieval robot.  
     
     
         65 . The method as defined in  claim 62  further comprising vertically orienting the plurality of storage passages.  
     
     
         66 . The method as defined in  claim 62  further comprising orienting the storage passages at an angle.  
     
     
         67 . The method as defined in  claim 64  further comprising actuating a movable lever with the retrieval robot to dispense the at least one vessel from the at least one passage.  
     
     
         68 . The method as defined in  claim 67  further comprising engaging the movable lever with a trigger on the retrieval robot.  
     
     
         69 . The method as defined in  claim 67  further comprising actuating the movable lever with an electromagnet associated with the retrieval robot.  
     
     
         70 . The method as defined in  claim 64  further comprising moving the retrieval robot in X and Y directions along a plane adjacent the plurality of storage passages.  
     
     
         71 . The method as defined in  claim 63  further comprising delivering the plurality of vessels to the reload robot via a delivery tube.  
     
     
         72 . The method as defined in  claim 63  further comprising loading the plurality of vessels into the plurality of storage passages by aligning a plurality of reload passages with the plurality of storage passages.  
     
     
         73 . The method as defined in  claim 64  further comprising dispensing the at least one vessel from the at least one passage into a rack held by the retrieval robot.  
     
     
         74 . The method as defined in  claim 73  further comprising delivering the rack to the retrieval robot with a service robot.