A system for automatically supplying a dried reagent pellet to each well of a cartridge comprising a plurality of wells, wherein the system comprises:
- a pellet supply reservoir containing a supply of dried reagent pellets;
- a cartridge support configured to hold a cartridge;
- a pellet transfer head disposed above the pellet supply reservoir and a cartridge disposed on the cartridge support, wherein the pellet transfer head comprises:
- a plurality of vacuum nozzles and the number and arrangement of the vacuum nozzles corresponds to the number and arrangement of wells of the cartridge, and wherein each vacuum nozzle comprises a downwardly-facing vacuum port in selective communication with a vacuum source;
- and
- one or more downwardly-facing pressure ports in selective communication with a pressure source;
- a vertical actuator system configured to selectively move the pellet transfer head up or down;
- a vision sensor system including a vision sensor camera, wherein the vision sensor camera is disposed above the pellet supply reservoir and the cartridge disposed on the cartridge support;
- a horizontal actuator system configured to effect relative horizontal movement between the vision sensor camera and the pellet transfer head and the pellet supply reservoir and the cartridge support;
- and
- a controller connected to the vacuum source, the pressure source, the vertical actuator system, the horizontal actuator system, and the vision sensor system, wherein the controller is configured to execute operational commands of a control algorithm, wherein the operational commands comprise:
- (A) activate the horizontal actuator system to position the pellet transfer head above the pellet supply reservoir;
- (B) after command (A), activate the vertical actuator system to lower the pellet transfer head to a pellet pickup position with respect to the pellet supply reservoir;
- (C) with the pellet transfer head in the pellet pickup position, activate the pressure source to supply gas flow at the one or more pressure ports of the pellet transfer head to fluidize the supply of pellets within the pellet supply reservoir and activate the vacuum source to create a vacuum at each vacuum port to draw a pellet from the pellet supply reservoir to each vacuum port;
- (D) after command (C), activate the vertical actuator system to raise the pellet transfer head from the pellet pickup position with respect to the pellet supply reservoir;
- (E) after command (D), activate the horizontal actuator system to position the pellet transfer head within a field of view of the vision sensor camera;
- (F) after command (E), activate the vision sensor system to detect whether a dried reagent pellet is disposed at each of the vacuum nozzles;
- (G) after command (F), activate the horizontal actuator system to position the pellet transfer head above the cartridge so that each vacuum nozzle is aligned with a corresponding well of the cartridge;
- (H) after command (G), activate the vertical actuator system to lower the pellet transfer head to a pellet dispensing position with respect to the cartridge;
- and
- (I) after command (H), deactivate the vacuum source to terminate the vacuum at each vacuum port to release the pellet from each vacuum nozzle into the corresponding well of the cartridge.