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US 11,169,165 B2Granted
Sample supply system and methods of supplying samples
AssigneeLaboratory Corporation of America Holdings
InventorsDavid Wilson, Jay Krajewski, Kevin Meyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are high-throughput vessel supply systems and methods of supplying sample vessels, such as samples stored in test tubes. A system for supplying a plurality of individual vessels that each contains a sample is disclosed.
Claims18
A system for supplying a plurality of vessels, comprising:
- a feeding unit configured to supply a plurality of vessels to at least one exit position, wherein each of the plurality of vessels is configured to hold a sample, and wherein the feeding unit comprises:
- (i) a feed bin comprising a bottom surface, a substantially open top, a front side, a back side, an A-side, and a B-side, and configured to feed each of the plurality of vessels from an entry position at the top of the feed bin to at least one edge position of the bottom surface of the feed bin;
- (ii) at least one transporter comprising a series of steps positioned on at least one of the A-side or the B-side of the feed bin and configured to receive each of the plurality of vessels from the at least one edge position of the feed bin and transport each of the vessels to at least one transfer point, wherein each step in the series of steps comprises a ledge and a riser configured to individually transfer each of the plurality of vessels from one step to the next step in the series, and wherein each ledge and each riser comprise a surface having the shape of a transverse wave comprising a plurality of peaks and troughs configured to align each of the plurality of vessels in a substantially horizontal orientation with a longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of vessels along the ledge or riser;
- and
- (iii) at least one transfer belt positioned at the exit of the at least one transporter and at or near the top of the feed bin, and configured to receive each of the plurality of vessels from at least one transfer point and transfer individual vessels from the at least one transfer point to a bin exit position within the system.
2 more elements
A method for supplying a plurality of vessels, comprising:
- providing a plurality of vessels;
- transferring the plurality of vessels to a feeding unit, the feeding unit configured to:
- supply a plurality of vessels to at least one exit position, wherein each of the plurality of vessels is configured to hold a sample, and wherein the feeding unit comprises:
- (i) a feed bin, the feed bin being substantially trapezoidal in shape and comprising a bottom surface, a substantially open top, a front, a back, an A-side and a B-side, and configured to feed each of the plurality of vessels from an entry position at the top of the feed bin to at least one edge position of the bottom surface of the feed bin;
- (ii) at least one transporter comprising a series of steps positioned on at least one of the A-side or the B-side of the feed bin and configured to receive each of the plurality of vessels from the at least one edge position of the feed bin and transport each of the vessels to the at least one transfer point, wherein each step in the series of steps comprises a ledge and a riser configured to individually transfer each of the plurality of vessels from one step to the next step in the series, and wherein each ledge and each riser comprise a surface having the shape of a transverse wave comprising a plurality of peaks and troughs configured to align each of the plurality of vessels in a substantially horizontal orientation with a longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of vessels along the ledge or riser;
- and
- (iii) at least one transfer belt positioned at the exit of the at least one transporter and at or near the top of the feed bin, and configured to receive each of the plurality of vessels from at least one transfer point and transfer individual vessels from the at least one transfer point to a bin exit position within the unit;
- and
- transferring each of the plurality of vessels via the at least one transfer belt to a downstream process or unit.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.