Ferromagnetic lyobead handling
AssigneeAts Corporation
InventorsCurtis CALLEJA, Nico SINNIGE, Kevin TANAKA, Chris SCHMID
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Abstract
An automated handling system for ferromagnetic lyobeads can include a plurality of quills that have tips to at least partially receive the ferromagnetic lyobeads. At least one of the quills can include a controllable magnet that can be controlled to vary a magnetic force at the tip of the quill in order to controllably retain or release one of the ferromagnetic lyobeads from the tip.
Claims20
A handling system for ferromagnetic lyobeads comprising:
- a singulation bowl for holding a plurality of ferromagnetic lyobeads, the singulation bowl comprising an opening in a bottom of the singulation bowl;
- a lower quill arranged to pass through the opening of the singulation bowl and comprising a tip shaped to allow a ferromagnetic lyobead of the plurality of ferromagnetic lyobeads in the singulation bowl to rest on the tip when the lower quill passes through the opening of the singulation bowl;
- and
- an upper quill comprising:
- a tip shaped to at least partially contact the ferromagnetic bead on the lower quill;
- and
- a controllable magnet within the tip that is controllable to provide a magnetic force at the tip of the upper quill that can retain the ferromagnetic lyobead against the tip of the upper quill.
A quill for use in an automated handling system of ferromagnetic lyobeads, the quill comprising:
- a tip shaped to contact at least part of a ferromagnetic lyobead;
- and
- a controllable magnet arranged to provide a variable strength magnetic field at the tip, the magnetic field variable between:
- a first strength sufficient to retain the ferromagnetic lyobead in contact with the tip;
- and
- a second strength insufficient to retain the ferromagnetic lyobead in contact with the tip.
A method of controlling an automated handling system for
- ferromagnetic lyobeads, the method comprising:
- controlling a lower quill of the automated handling system to pass through a singulation bowl of the handling system in order to capture a ferromagnetic lyobead within the singulation bowl on a top of the lower quill;
- bring the lower quill with the ferromagnetic lyobead into close proximity with an upper quill of the automated handling system;
- controlling a magnet of the upper quill of the automated handling system to provide a magnetic force at the tip of the upper quill sufficient to retain the ferromagnetic lyobead on the upper quill;
- moving the upper quill to a deposit position;
- and
- controlling the magnet of the upper quill to reduce the strength of the magnetic field in order to release the ferromagnetic lyobead from the upper quill.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.