Automated multi-purpose analytical chemistry processing center and laboratory work station

A user-programmable automated analytical chemistry processing system and laboratory work station for transferring materials and delivery fluid from a first container to a second container, comprising:

• a base;
• a table having a plurality of fluid containers;
• an arm, and means for supporting said arm over said table and mounted on said base,
• pod carried on said arm means;
• means for moving the pod with respect to said table between preselected position on said table;
• first module for aspirating and dispensing fluid and transferring liquids between said fluid containers, second module including transducer means for detecting and measuring a physical characteristic of a material sample, both modules are selectively attachable to the pod;
• means operable connected to said transducer means for providing an indication of whether said physical characteristic is in a first range of values;
• user-programmable control means for producing a plurality of user-configurable series of instructions for controlling said means for moving to effect relative movement between said table and said pod;
• said control means also controlling the fluid dispensing and aspirating means;
• the control means responsive to an output signal from the transducer means;
• the control means being programmable to include a user-configurable branch among at least a first and second of said series of instructions, wherein the branch is configurable by the user to execute said first series of instructions when said physical characteristic is indicated as being in said first range, and to execute said second series of instructions when said physical characteristic is indicated as not being in said first range, thereby operating in a closed-loop manner whereby the control means, responsive to the output signal of the transducer means, adjusts the operation of the components.

A user-programmable automated analytical chemistry processing system and laboratory work station comprising:

• a plurality of interactive components for the controlled dispensing, aspirating, and transferring of liquid from a first location to a second location, the interactive components including:
• a horizontal base suitable for resting upon a laboratory work bench, a support tray attached to said base for carrying a plurality of fluid container plates, each plate having one or more sample-holding wells;
• a plurality of interchangeably connectable modules;
• an elevator tower affixed to the base;
• an elongated bridge affixed to the tower;
• means for moving the bridge with respect to the tower;
• a pod having the capability of interchangeably securing at least a first and second of said modules, said first module being capable for use as a fluid dispensing, aspirating, and transferring means;
• means for moving the pod relative to the bridge;
• said second module having an optical transducer means for sensing light transmitted from the base, the light being transmitted through a well to illuminate the sample in the well for measuring at least a first physical characteristic of the sample;
• means operable connected to said transducer means, for providing an indication of whether said first physical characteristic is within a first range of values;
• control means including a microprocessor which controls the interactive components according to instructions which are preprogrammed, such control means being programmed such that:
• the preprogrammed instruction including instructions can be entered by a user;
• the preprogrammed instructions being organized to correspond to an experimental assay, the assay having a plurality of assay methods, each assay method capable of at least a first and a second assay procedure, and each assay procedure capable of a variety of assay functions;
• the preprogrammed instructions listing the assay method as primary command protocol of the assay method, and each assay function as tertiary command protocol of the assay procedure;
• some preprogrammed instruction being programmed to branch off into said first procedure when said first physical characteristic is indicated by the transducer means as being within said first range, and to branch off into said second procedure when said first physical characteristic is indicated by said transducer means as being not within said first range, whereby the automated laboratory work station performs chemical and biological assays which depend upon closed loop test results as a means of programming the movements of the interactive components and the manner of fluid dispensing, aspirating, and transferring.

A laboratory work station, for performing biological and chemical assays of fluid samples, comprising:

• a base and an erect elevator tower, the tower extending orthogonally upward from the base;
• a table supported above the surface of the base, the table being capable of carrying a plurality of fluid receptacles;
• an arm on said elevator tower;
• a pod slidably connected to said arm for reciprocal movement along the length of said arm;
• means for moving the table, arm and pod relative to one another;
• a fluid dispensing, aspirating, and transferring system including a pumping system operating through the pod, the pod fitted to support at least one of a plurality of interchangeable modules for transporting fluid from one fluid receptacle to the other, at least a first module fitted to receive disposable tips for the contaminant-free transportation of fluids between receptacles, the first module having a pipetter ejector mechanism for removing pipettes after use;
• a transducer means located in at least a second module for respectively sensing at least a first physical characteristic of fluid samples and examining chemical reactions as the reactions occur;
• means operable connected to said transducer means for providing an indication of whether said physical characteristic is in a first range of values;
• and
• a control means, the control means being programmable to include a user-configurable branch among at least a first and second series of instructions, wherein the branch is configurable by the user to execute said first series of instructions when said physical characteristic is indicated as being in said first range, and to execute said second series of instructions when said physical characteristic is indicated as not being in said first range so as to control the operation of the laboratory work station according to a user programmed set of instructions.

An automated laboratory work station comprising:

• a receptacle containing a sample;
• robotic means for performing various operations with respect to the sample in accordance with user defined instructions, wherein one of the operations is to detect a physical characteristic of said sample;
• means for determining whether said physical characteristic is in a first range of values;
• user-programmable control means for programming a user-configurable branch among at least a first and second series of instructions, wherein the branch is configurable by the user to execute said first series of instructions when said physical characteristic is indicated as being in said first range, and to execute said second series of instructions when said physical characteristics is indicated as not being in said first range so as to control the operation of the robot means.