Scalable, mobile, and reconfigurable modules for processing biological and chemical materials

1 . A system comprising:

a plurality of modules, each module comprising:

an enclosure having a height extending in a first direction and a width extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the enclosure defining and bounding a volume having a front, a bottom, a first side, and a second side opposite the first side,

a work station connected to the enclosure and comprising equipment that, at least when positioned within the volume of the enclosure, is configured to perform a process on a chemical material or a biological material and/or dispense a chemical material or a biological material,

a first transportation segment connected to the enclosure, spanning across at least the width of the enclosure, and having connection features configured to form a connection with a second transportation segment separate from the module, wherein the first transportation segment is configured to transport at least a carrier of the biological material or the chemical material, to be in direct contact with the second transportation segment, and to be connected to, and disconnected from, the second transportation segment using the connection features such that, in response to the first transportation segment being in direct contact with and connected to the second transportation segment using the connection features, at least the carrier of the biological material or the chemical material can be transported from the first transportation segment to the second transportation segment, and wherein the first transportation segment has a first end, a second end, and a length greater than the width of the enclosure such that, in a view perpendicular to the length, the first end extends past the first side and the second end extends past the second side,

a pick and place robot connected to the enclosure and configured to secure and move at least the carrier or an object on the carrier that is pickable between the first transportation segment and the work station at least when the work station is positioned within the volume of the enclosure, the object being or containing the biological material or the chemical material,

a movement mechanism connected to the enclosure and configured to allow the work station, the first transportation segment, and the pick and place robot to be moved as a single unit, and

a moveable shelf connected to the enclosure and having an upper surface defining the bottom of the volume of the enclosure; and

a controller having at least one processor and a memory storing instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the operation of the plurality of modules,

wherein:

for each module, the work station is connected to the moveable shelf and supported on the upper surface such that a height of the work station extends from the upper surface in the first direction;

for each module, the moveable shelf and the work station are configured to be moved as a single unit between a first position and a second position such that in the first position, the moveable shelf and the work station are located within the volume of the enclosure, and in the second position, the moveable shelf and the work station are located at least partially outside the volume of the enclosure; and

the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to cause:

the plurality of modules to run a batch process, and

the plurality of modules to continue running the existing batch process in the plurality of modules while a subset of the plurality of modules is reconfigured to remove the subset of the plurality of modules from the existing batch process and added to a second batch process.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein for each module:

the work station is positioned at least partially inside the volume, and

the first transportation segment is positioned outside the volume.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein for each module, the movement mechanism is configured to allow the work station, the first transportation segment, and the pick and place robot to be moved as a single unit in horizontal directions.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein for each module, the work station is one of a cell transfection unit, a cell transformation unit, a cell transduction unit, an electroporation unit, a microinjection unit, a cell deformation unit, a centrifuge, a cytometer, a deionizer, a dispenser, an evaporator, a freezer, a heater, an imager, an incubator, a liquid handler, a mixer, a nucleic acid purifier, a pipettor, a sonicator, a thermal cycler, a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reactor (qPCR), a polymerase chain reactor (PCR) machine, a cell dispenser, a colony picker, a high-performance liquid chromatography unit, a mass spectrometer, a microfluidics unit, a fermenter, an autoclave, a barcode printer, a barcode applier, a barcode reader, a capper, a decapper, a counter, an air knife, a docking station, a carousel, a hotel, a pierce tool, a plate reader, a plate sealer, a plate peeler, a plate washer, a stacker, a tube sorter, or a biosafety cabinet.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

each module further comprises a tunnel located over the first transportation segment, and

for each module, the tunnel is configured to cover the first transportation segment.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the carrier or the object includes a container configured to hold the biological material or the chemical material; and

for each module, the work station further comprises equipment configured to house or store the container or perform a process on the container.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to recompute a batch process schedule to continue operation with remaining modules when the subset of the plurality of modules in the system becomes unavailable.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the plurality of modules to continue running the existing batch process without requiring redesign of the second transportation segment.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the plurality of modules to continue running the existing batch process while a module is disconnected from the system.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the plurality of modules to continue running the existing batch process while a module is removed from the system.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the plurality of modules to continue running the existing batch process while a module is repositioned from one location to another location.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the plurality of modules to run different protocols for different processes on the plurality of modules at the same time.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the plurality of modules to run the second batch process while continuing to run the existing batch process.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to cause:

the carrier to move across the modules,

each pick and place robot of a module to move an element between the transportation segment and the work station of the module, and

each work station to perform a process on or house the biological or chemical material or on the material container.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each module further comprises a bumper connection that:

extends away from the enclosure by a first horizontal distance,

includes a bumper surface at an end of the bumper connection that is farthest from the enclosure, wherein the bumper surface is configured to be in contact with a part of another module, and

includes second connection features configured to form a connection with the part of the another module.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein for each module:

the part of the another module is a bumper surface of a bumper connection of that another module, and

the bumper connection of the module is configured to connect with the bumper connection of the another module with second connection features that connect to and secure the bumper connections together.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein for each module, the pick and place robot further comprises a gripper having gripping surfaces configured to grip the carrier or the object on the carrier while the pick and place robot transports the carrier or the object between the work station and the first transportation segment.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the gripper includes alignment features configured to contact alignment surfaces on the carrier in order to grip the carrier or the object on the carrier.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the alignment features are pins that extend away from a frame of the gripper.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the gripper further includes a frame and flaps that extend towards each other and away from the frame at a different angle than the pins.

21 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the gripper includes:

a frame having a first extension and a second extension that both extend in a direction parallel to a first axis,

the gripping surfaces positioned between the first extension and the second extension,

a first alignment feature connected to the first extension and extending away from the first extension in a direction parallel to a second axis different than the first axis,

a second alignment feature connected to the second extension and extending away from the second extension in the direction parallel to the second axis,

a first flap connected to the first extension, extending away from the first extension, extending towards the second extension, and extending in a direction parallel to a third axis different than the first and second axes, and

a second flap connected to the second extension, extending away from the second extension and towards the first extension, and in the direction parallel to the third axis.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein:

the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis, and

the third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.