# US 11,906,494 B1 · Automated coupon lifting device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,906,494 B1 - Document ID: US11906494B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/160,934 - Filed: 2021-01-28 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-20 - Assignees: Center for Pharmaceutical Cleaning Innovation Corp - Applicants: Center for Pharmaceutical Cleaning Innovation Corp. - Inventors: Andrew Walsh; Isaac Downey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11906494B1 ## CPC - G01N 33/00: Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00 - B08B 3/08: the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect - B25J 15/0028: {with movable, e.g. pivoting gripping jaw surfaces} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract A device for moving a coupon comprising a coupon retainer for retaining a coupon on which a target solution is to be tested, a coupon manipulator for engaging the coupon retained in the coupon retainer with the target solution, and a first controller for controlling a movement of the coupon manipulator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for moving a plurality of coupons comprising: a plurality of coupon retainers, each for retaining a corresponding coupon on which a corresponding target solution is to be tested; a plurality of coupon manipulators each configured for engaging and disengaging the coupon retained in a corresponding coupon retainer with the corresponding target solution; a first controller for controlling a movement of at least one of the plurality of coupon manipulators, a plurality of temperature sensors, each for detecting a temperature associated with a corresponding target solution; a plurality of heaters, each heater associated with a corresponding target solution, and a temperature controller for independently controlling each of the plurality of heaters such that a first of the plurality of heaters maintains a first of the target solutions at a first temperature and a second of the plurality of heaters maintains a second of the target solutions at a second temperature different than the first temperature, wherein the first controller independently controls the movement of each of the coupon manipulators and thereby controls a time at which each coupon manipulator engages or disengages the corresponding coupon with the corresponding target solution. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of stirrers for stirring the target solutions, and a second controller for controlling at least one of the stirrers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2 further comprising a housing for maintaining a position of the coupon manipulators relative to the corresponding target solutions and the stirrers, and for supporting a moving of the coupon manipulators. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2 wherein a single user interface controls the first controller and the second controller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature controller independently controls each heater of the plurality of heaters based on temperature data acquired at the corresponding temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5 wherein each temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors is a temperature probe adjacent at least one of the coupon retainers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of independently controllable stirrers for stirring each of the plurality of target solutions and a housing for maintaining the position of each of the plurality of coupon manipulators relative to a corresponding stirrer, and wherein a second controller controls an agitation applied to each target solution by its corresponding stirrer independently and wherein the first controller disengages each coupon with the corresponding target solution simultaneously. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7 wherein each target solution contains a different detergent solution for cleaning the corresponding coupon. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein each coupon manipulator disengages its corresponding coupon from the corresponding target solution sequentially at intervals controlled by the first controller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9 wherein the intervals are defined by an exponential variable. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 further comprising a housing for maintaining the position of the coupon manipulators relative to the target solution, and for supporting relative movement of the coupon manipulators, wherein the housing has a plurality of stirrer bays for retaining a plurality of stirrers, and wherein the housing suspends the coupon manipulators above corresponding stirrer bays of the plurality of stirrer bays. ### Claim 12 A system for moving a plurality of coupons relative to target solutions, the system comprising: a coupon moving device comprising: a plurality of coupon retainers, each for retaining a corresponding coupon on which a target solution is to be tested; a plurality of controllable coupon manipulators, each for engaging a corresponding coupon with a corresponding target solution by way of the corresponding coupon retainer; and a first controller for controlling movements of the coupon manipulators, thereby causing at least one of the coupon manipulators to engage and disengage a corresponding coupon with the corresponding target solution; and a stirrer comprising: a plurality of independently controllable stirrers, each for stirring a corresponding target solution; and a second controller for controlling the independently controllable stirrers, and a user terminal for controlling both the first and second controllers, wherein each of the coupon manipulators corresponds to one of the independently controllable stirrers, and wherein the first controller independently controls the movement of each of the coupon manipulators and thereby controls a time at which each coupon manipulator engages or disengages the corresponding coupon with the corresponding target solution.