Vertical conveying device, laboratory sample distribution system and laboratory automation system

{
  "publication_number": "US9810706B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Vertical conveying device, laboratory sample distribution system and laboratory automation system",
  "abstract": "A vertical conveying device for the transport of sample container carriers having sample tubes received therein between a bottom level and a top level of a sample distribution system is presented. The vertical conveying device comprises a plurality of conveying surfaces which are movable along a circulating path. A sample distribution system having such a vertical conveying device and to a laboratory automation system having such a sample distribution system are also presented.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A sample distribution system, the sample distribution system comprising: a plurality of sample container carders for receiving one or more sample containers, wherein a sample container carrier comprises at least one magnetically active element to interact with a magnetic field generated by at least one electromagnetic actuator such that a driving force is applied to the sample container carrier; a bottom transport surface and a top transport surface arranged vertically higher in relation to the bottom transport surface, the bottom transport surface and the top transport surface carry the sample container carriers; a plurality of first electromagnetic actuators arranged in a stationary manner under the bottom transport surface, wherein the plurality of first electromagnetic actuators move a sample container carder arranged on the bottom transport surface by applying a magnetic force to the sample container carrier; a plurality of second electromagnetic actuators arranged in a stationary manner under the top transport surface, wherein the plurality of second electromagnetic actuators move a sample container carder arranged on the top transport surface by applying a magnetic force to the sample container carrier; a vertical conveying device configured to transport the sample containers contained in the sample container carriers between the bottom transport surface and the top transport surface, the vertical conveying device comprises: a plurality of conveying elements having conveying surfaces for placing on and carrying at least one sample container carrier; a circulating device to circulate the conveying elements between the bottom level and the top level in operation such that the conveying surfaces continuously remain aligned horizontally during the circulation; and at least one electromagnetic actuator to apply a driving force to a sample container carrier to be driven on one of the conveying surfaces; and a control device configured to actuate the electromagnetic actuators arranged under the bottom transport and top transport surface such that a respective sample container carrier is moved along a definable movement path on the bottom transport and top transport surface, to actuate the at least one electromagnetic actuator to apply a driving force to a sample container carrier to be driven on one of the conveying surfaces such that the sample container carrier is moved from the bottom transport surface or top transport surface in the direction of one of the conveying surfaces or from one of the conveying surfaces in the direction of the bottom transport surface or top transport surface, and to control the circulating device such that the sample container carrier is transported between the bottom transport surface and the top transport surface level.",
    "2. The sample distribution system according to claim 1, wherein an electromagnetic actuator assigned to the conveying element is arranged below a conveying surface.",
    "3. The sample distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the circulating device circulates the conveying elements in operation along a circulating path which is described by all the conveying elements.",
    "4. The vertical conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the conveying elements are arranged spaced apart from one another at regular distances along the circulating path.",
    "5. The vertical conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the circulating path comprises a first vertical portion and a second vertical portion parallel to the first vertical portion, the first vertical portion and the second vertical portion extending between the bottom level and the top level.",
    "6. The vertical conveying device according to claim 5, wherein, in operation, the circulating device moves the conveying elements along the first vertical portion from the bottom level to the top level and moves the conveying elements along the second vertical portion from the top level to the bottom level.",
    "7. The sample distribution system according to claim 1, wherein each conveying element comprises a detection device for a sample container carrier situated on the conveying surface of the conveying element.",
    "8. A laboratory automation system, the laboratory automation system comprising: a plurality of pre-analytical, analytical and/or post-analytical stations to process sample containers and/or samples contained in sample containers; and a sample distribution system for distributing the sample containers between the pre-analytical, analytical and/or post-analytical stations according to claim 1."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure generally relates to a vertical conveying device for the transport of sample containers, which are received in respective sample container carriers, to a sample distribution system having such a vertical conveying device and to a laboratory automation system having such a sample distribution system.\n\nSample containers are typically elongated vessels, which are open at the one end, produced in the majority of cases from transparent glass or plastics material and are used for preserving and for transporting in the majority of cases liquid samples. These types of samples are, for example, blood samples. Sample distribution systems are used, for example, in laboratory automation systems in order to transport samples in sample containers to a plurality of different stations of the laboratory automation system.\n\nTherefore, this is a need for to provide a vertical conveying device by way of which sample container carriers can be transported between different levels of a sample distribution system, to provide a sample distribution system having such a vertical conveying device, and to provide a laboratory automation system having such a sample distribution system.\n\nAccording to the present disclosure, a vertical conveying device to transport sample containers contained in sample container carriers between a bottom level and a top level of a sample distribution system is presented.",
  "cpc": [
    "G01N 35/10",
    "B65G 15/58",
    "B66B 11/04",
    "G01N 2035/0477",
    "G01N 2035/0484",
    "G01N 35/04"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 15/58",
    "B66B 11/04",
    "G01N 35/04",
    "G01N 35/10"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Christian Riether",
    "Hans Schneider"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-03-23",
  "publication_date": "2017-11-07",
  "grant_date": "2017-11-07",
  "priority_date": "2014-03-31",
  "application_number": "US-201514665415-A",
  "family_id": "50478206",
  "cited_by_count": 30,
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