Receptacle transport system for an analytical system
Delivering a receptacle to an instrument comprises supporting a receptacle in a carriage when the carriage is positioned at a first location of the instrument, activating a sensing system coupled to the carriage to confirm that the receptacle is supported by the carriage, moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, to a second location of the instrument, applying a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first location to the second location, at the second location, extracting at least a portion of a fluid contained in the receptacle using a fluid extraction device of the instrument, moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, from the second location to the first location, and releasing the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second location to the first location.
1 . A method of delivering a receptacle to an instrument, comprising:
supporting a receptacle in a carriage when the carriage is positioned at a first location of the instrument;
activating one or more sensors coupled to the carriage to confirm that the receptacle is supported by the carriage;
moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, to a second location of the instrument;
applying a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first location to the second location;
at the second location, extracting at least a portion of a fluid contained in the receptacle using a pipettor of the instrument;
moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, from the second location to the first location; and
releasing the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second location to the first location.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the one or more sensors to determine (a) whether a longitudinal axis of the receptacle supported by the carriage is inclined with respect to a vertical axis, and/or (b) whether the receptacle supported by the carriage is inserted to a predetermined depth.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the clamping force comprises applying a force of from about 10N to about 30N to the receptacle.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the clamping force to the receptacle comprises moving a pair of opposed support pads into contact with the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first location to the second location.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein releasing the clamping force comprises moving the pair of support pads away from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second location to the first location.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein applying the clamping force and releasing the clamping force each comprise rotating a pair of meshed gears coupled to the pair of support pads in opposite directions relative to each other as the carriage moves between the first and second locations.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein rotating the pair of meshed gears comprises (a) rotating a first gear of the pair of meshed gears in a first direction and a second gear of the pair of meshed gears in a second direction opposite the first direction when the carriage moves from the first location to the second location, and (b) rotating the first gear in the second direction and the second gear in the first direction when the carriage moves from the second location to the first location.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein rotating the pair of meshed gears comprises (a) moving a first end of a cam arm on a downwardly inclined path when the carriage moves from the first location to the second location and (b) moving the first end of the cam arm on an upwardly inclined surface when the carriage moves from the second location to the first location, and wherein a second end of the cam arm is coupled to a gear of the pair of meshed gears.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein supporting the receptacle in the carriage comprises removably supporting the receptacle in a rotatable puck positioned in the carriage.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein removably supporting the receptacle comprises positioning the receptacle between a plurality of spring-loaded members of the puck, and wherein the method further comprises transferring the receptacle to the puck from a conveyor located outside of the instrument using a pick-and-place device.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising rotating the puck in the carriage when the carriage is positioned at the first location.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising using a puck sensor to detect when the puck has rotated to a predetermined position in the carriage.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising using a label reader to read information encoded in a machine-readable label on the receptacle as the puck is rotating.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the one or more sensors comprises:
directing a signal from a signal emitter toward a signal detector, wherein the receptacle supported by the carriage is positioned between the signal emitter and the signal detector; and
determining what portion of the signal, if any, is received by the signal detector.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter, the signal detector is an optical detector, and the signal is an optical beam.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, to the second location comprises positioning the carriage at the second location such that (a) at least a portion of the carriage is positioned below a second shelf of the instrument positioned at the second location and (b) the receptacle is positioned below a first opening defined by the second shelf.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein extracting at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle comprises directing a tip associated with the pipettor through the first opening and into the receptacle to contact the fluid contained in the receptacle, and drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising, after drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip, removing the tip from the receptacle to a position above the first opening.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising, after removing the tip from the receptacle, laterally moving the tip to a position above the second shelf.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the receptacle comprises a pierceable cap that covers an opening of the receptacle, and wherein (i) directing the tip into the receptacle comprises piercing the cap with the tip, and (ii) removing the tip from the receptacle comprises moving the tip through the pierced cap.
21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, to the second location comprises positioning the carriage at the second location such that (a) a first shelf coupled to the carriage is positioned below a second shelf removably coupled to the instrument at the second location and (b) the receptacle is aligned with a first opening defined by the second shelf.
22 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the receptacle from the carriage using a pick-and-place device after releasing the clamping force from the receptacle.