Robot-based rack processing system

Abstract

A robot-based system for processing racks used for transportation of articles in connection with an inactivation procedure, such as sterilization, disinfection, and decontamination. Robots are used to move full and empty racks between a plurality of a locations within soiled and clean areas of a workspace, including, but not limited to, a loading station where soiled medical instruments are loaded on the racks, washer/disinfectors for processing the medical instruments, and an unloading station where clean medical instruments are unloaded from the racks for sorting into trays.

Having described the invention, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for processing racks in a workspace having a soiled area and a clean area isolated from the soiled area, the method comprising:
 transmitting a pick up request from a loading station to a computer system, the pick up request requesting pick up of a full rack from the loading station; and   determining whether an inactivation apparatus is available for processing a rack, wherein
 if an inactivation apparatus is available, then transmitting instructions from the computer system to a first robot located in the soiled area to pick up the full rack from the loading station and transport the full rack to the available inactivation apparatus, and 
 if the inactivation apparatus is not available, then transmitting instructions from the computer system to the first robot to pick up the full rack from the loading station and transport the full rack to a first buffer storage. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method for processing racks of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining whether an inactivation apparatus is available for processing a rack and whether the full rack is located at the first buffer storage, wherein if the inactivation apparatus is available and the full rack is located at the first buffer storage, transmitting instructions from the computer system to the first robot to pick up the full rack from the first buffer storage and transport the full rack to the available inactivation apparatus.   
     
     
         3 . The method for processing racks of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining whether a processing cycle of the inactivation apparatus is complete and whether storage is available at an unloading station, wherein
 if the processing cycle of the inactivation apparatus is complete and storage is available at the unloading station, then transmitting instructions from the computer system to a second robot located in the clean area to pick up the full rack from the inactivation apparatus and transport the full rack to the unloading station, and 
 if the processing cycle of the inactivation apparatus is complete and storage is not available at the unloading station, then transmitting instructions from the computer system to the second robot to pick up the full rack from the inactivation apparatus and transport the full rack to a second buffer storage. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method for processing racks of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining whether a full rack is located at a second buffer storage, wherein if the full rack is located at the second buffer storage, then transmitting instructions from the computer system to a second robot located in the clean area to pick up the full rack from the second buffer storage and transport the full rack to an unloading station.   
     
     
         5 . The method for processing racks of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining whether a request has been received from the unloading station for a pick up of an empty rack at the unloading station, wherein if the request has been received from the unloading station, then transmitting instructions from the computer system to a second robot located in the clean area to pick up the empty rack at the unloading station and transport the empty rack to a return line for returning the empty rack to the soiled area.   
     
     
         6 . A method for processing racks in a workspace having a soiled area and a clean area isolated from the soiled area, the method comprising:
 obtaining status information indicating whether an inactivation apparatus has completed a processing cycle, and   determining whether storage is available at an unloading station, wherein
 if the processing cycle of the inactivation apparatus is complete and storage is available at the unloading station, then transmitting instructions to a robot to pick up a rack from the inactivation apparatus and transport the rack to the unloading station, and 
 if the processing cycle of the inactivation apparatus is complete and storage is not available at the unloading station, then transmitting instructions to a robot to pick up the rack from the inactivation apparatus and transport the rack to a buffer storage. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method for processing racks of  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises recharging the robot at a docking station in the clean area. 
     
     
         8 . A method for processing racks in a workspace having a soiled area and a clean area isolated from the soiled area, wherein the racks are processed by a rack processing system including:
 a loading station in the soiled area for loading racks with soiled medical instruments;   a first buffer storage in the soiled area for storing racks loaded with soiled medical instruments;   at least one inactivation apparatus for carrying out an inactivation procedure on racks loaded with soiled medical instruments, said at least one inactivation apparatus having a loading side in the soiled area and an unloading side in the clean area;   a rack return line for returning racks from the clean area to the soiled area, said rack return line having a loading side in the clean area and an unloading side in the soiled area;   a first robot located in the soiled area for transporting racks between a plurality of locations that include two or more of the following: (i) the loading station, (ii) the first buffer storage, (iii) the inactivation apparatus, and (iv) the rack return line;   an unloading station in the clean area for unloading medical instruments from racks processed by the inactivation apparatus;   a second buffer storage in the clean area for storing racks loaded with medical instruments processed by the inactivation apparatus; and   a second robot located in the clean area for transporting racks between a plurality of locations that include: (i) the inactivation apparatus, (ii) the unloading station, (iii) the second buffer storage, and (iv) the rack return line,   said method comprising:
 generating a pick up request from the loading station requesting pick up of a rack from the loading station, and determining whether an inactivation apparatus is available for processing the rack, wherein
 if the inactivation apparatus is available, transmitting instructions to the first robot to pick up the rack from the loading station and transport the rack to the inactivation apparatus that is available, and 
 if the inactivation apparatus is not available, transmitting instructions to the first robot to pick up the rack from the loading station and transport the rack to the first buffer storage; and 
 
 obtaining status information indicating whether the inactivation apparatus has completed a processing cycle, and determining whether storage is available at the unloading station, wherein
 if the processing cycle of the inactivation apparatus is complete and storage is available at the unloading station, then transmitting instructions to the second robot to pick up the rack from the inactivation apparatus and transport the rack to the unloading station, and 
 if the processing cycle of the inactivation apparatus is complete and storage is not available at the unloading station, then transmitting instructions to the second robot to pick up the rack from the inactivation apparatus and transport the rack to the second buffer storage. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The method for processing racks of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises recharging the first robot at a first docking station in the soiled area. 
     
     
         10 . The method for processing racks of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises recharging the second robot at a second docking station in the clean area. 
     
     
         11 . The method for processing racks of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises determining whether an inactivation apparatus is available for processing a rack and whether a rack is located at the first buffer storage, wherein if the inactivation apparatus is determined to be available and the rack is located at the first buffer storage, transmitting instructions to the first robot to pick up the rack from the first buffer storage and transport to the available inactivation apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . The method for processing racks of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises determining whether a full rack is located at a second buffer storage, wherein if the full rack is located at the second buffer storage, transmitting instructions to the second robot to pick up the full rack from the second buffer storage and transport the full rack to the unloading station. 
     
     
         13 . The method for processing racks of  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises generating a request at the unloading station for a pick up of an empty rack at the unloading station, and transmitting instructions to the second robot to pick up the empty rack at the unloading station and transport the empty rack to the return line for returning the empty rack to the soiled area.