Hybrid control architecture for container mover movement control

Abstract

A system and method for a hybrid control architecture for a liquid handler system. The hybrid control system may use a hybrid movement control scheme incorporating position, velocity, and current-based control output to control movement of a container mover of the liquid handler system. The control system may further dynamically control the relative degree to which speed or position based control is applied to the container movers based on the relative position of the container movers along the track system.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 373,359, filed on August 24, 2022, entitled “HYBRIDIZED CONTROL ARCHITECTURE FOR VESSEL MOVER MOVEMENT CONTROL,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Background Art

[0002] Liquid handler is designed to distribute and handle the robot system of reagent, sample or other liquid of selected amount.Some liquid handlers are additionally adapted to use, for example, immunoassay and / or clinical chemistry techniques to analyze samples.Liquid handlers of this type can be referred to as "analyzer" or "analyzer system".Some liquid handlers can include multiple modules (also referred to as stations) and transport systems to move samples between various modules.It is highly desirable that liquid handler transport systems move sample containers in a smooth manner, avoid making sample containers collide with each other and otherwise prevent liquids from overflowing from their containers during transportation.Especially, liquid overflows waste reagents and / or samples (which may potentially affect the integrity of any test being performed), and if overflow occurs on track, liquid may also cause obstacles that may negatively damage the movement of subsequent sample containers.

[0003] Liquid handlers are often used in in vitro diagnostic (IVD) applications. IVD allows laboratories to assist in the diagnosis of diseases based on assays performed on patient fluid samples. IVD includes various types of analytical tests and assays related to patient diagnosis and treatment that can be performed by analysis of liquid samples obtained from the patient's body fluids or abscesses. These assays are typically performed using an automated clinical chemistry analyzer to which a fluid container (such as a tube or vial) containing a patient sample has been loaded. The analyzer extracts a liquid sample from a vial and combines the sample with various reagents in a special reaction cup or tube (generally referred to as a reaction vessel). In some traditional systems, modular solutions are used for analyzers. Laboratory automation systems can shuttle samples between a sample processing module (module) and another module. A module can include one or more stations, including a sample processing station and an analyzer module / test station (e.g., a unit that can specialize in certain types of assays), or a module can otherwise provide testing services to a larger analyzer, which can include an immunoassay (IA) and a clinical chemistry (CC) station. Some traditional IVD automated track systems include systems designed to transport samples from a completely independent module to another independent module. This allows specialization in different types of tests in two different stations / modules, or allows two redundant stations to be linked to increase the amount of available sample throughput. However, these laboratory automation systems are often bottlenecks in multi-station analyzers. Relatively speaking, traditional laboratory automation systems lack a large degree of intelligence or autonomy to allow samples to move independently between stations.

[0004] As further described below, a liquid handler system includes: a control system that controls movement and / or routing of a container mover that transports liquid samples between various modules for processing. Conventional control systems utilize cascade control schemes that tend to be overly conservative when tuned to reject disturbances and, thus, provide reduced performance. Further, variability in the Hall sensor signals causes significant challenges to accurate state estimation, which in turn leads to reduced motion control performance (i.e., poor positioning accuracy and motion smoothness) of the container mover, particularly in the presence of unmodeled dynamics and external disturbances. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved control scheme for a liquid handler system that is robust to external disturbances, provides a smooth velocity profile (so as to avoid spilling or splashing liquid samples) and is very accurate in positioning liquid samples (this is because poorly positioned samples may not be processed by a module or may need to be readjusted, which results in poor efficiency). Summary of the invention

[0005] Systems and methods are described herein for a motion control architecture, particularly a hybrid motion control architecture, for a container mover in a liquid handling machine system.

[0006] In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a liquid handler system for processing a liquid sample, comprising: one or more modules configured to process the liquid sample; a track system interconnecting the modules, configured to support one or more container movers; a sensor assembly configured to detect the one or more container movers; and a coil array associated with the track system, the coil array configured to interact with a magnet to define a linear electromagnetic actuator and propel the container mover along the track system. The container mover includes a magnet and is configured to receive the liquid sample. The liquid handler system further comprises: a control system coupled to the coil array and the sensor assembly, configured to: estimate a state of the container mover, determine a velocity control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, determine a position control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, control movement of the container mover based on a fusion of the determined velocity control output and the determined position control output, determine a position of the container mover relative to a target, adjust the relative effects of the velocity control output and the position control output on the fusion based on the relative position of the container mover, and control movement of the container mover based on the adjusted fusion.

[0007] In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a control system for a liquid handler system for processing liquid samples. The liquid handler system includes one or more modules configured to process the liquid sample and a track system interconnecting the one or more modules, the track system being configured to support one or more container movers thereon. The one or more container movers include a magnet and are configured to receive the liquid sample. The liquid handler system further includes: a sensor assembly configured to detect the one or more container movers; and a coil array associated with the track system, which is configured to interact with the magnet to define a linear electromagnetic actuator and propel the container mover along the track system. The control system is configured to: estimate the state of the container mover, determine a speed control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, determine a position control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, control the movement of the container mover based on a fusion of the determined speed control output and the determined position control output, determine the position of the container mover relative to a target, adjust the relative effects of the speed control output and the position control output on the fusion based on the relative position of the container mover, and control the movement of the container mover based on the adjusted fusion.

[0008] In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method of controlling a liquid handler system for processing a liquid sample, the liquid handler system comprising: one or more modules configured to process the liquid sample; a track system interconnecting the one or more modules, configured to support one or more container movers; a sensor assembly configured to detect the one or more container movers; and a coil array associated with the track system, configured to interact with a magnet to define a linear electromagnetic actuator and propel the container mover along the track system. The one or more container movers include magnets and are configured to receive the liquid sample. The method comprises the following steps (performed by a control system coupled to the coil array and the sensor assembly): estimating a state of the container mover, determining a velocity control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, determining a position control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, controlling movement of the container mover based on a fusion of the determined velocity control output and the determined position control output, determining a position of the container mover relative to a target, adjusting the relative effects of the velocity control output and the position control output on the fusion based on the relative position of the container mover, and controlling movement of the container mover based on the adjusted fusion.

[0009] According to an aspect of some embodiments, the sensor assembly includes one or more Hall effect sensors. According to another aspect of some embodiments, the control system is configured to adjust the relative influence of the estimated position and the estimated speed by adjusting a first gain applied to the speed control output and a second gain applied to the position control output. According to an aspect of some embodiments, the track system includes at least one printed circuit board (PCB) substrate. According to an aspect of some embodiments, the state of the container mover includes at least one of the position or speed of the container mover. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the written description, serve to explain the principles, characteristics, and features of the present invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top-down view of an exemplary sample processing module according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary sample processing module according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of an exemplary integrated modular automated track system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary automated track system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary automated track system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary automated track system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 7 is a top-down view of an exemplary automated track system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 8 is a diagram of a track segment of a liquid handler system according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0018] Fig. 9 is a diagram of a container mover actuator according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig.10 is a block diagram of a liquid handling machine system having a hybrid motion control architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Fig.11 is a block diagram of a hybrid mobility control architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig.12 is a flow chart of a process of hybrid movement control based on container mover positioning according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Fig.13A is a graph illustrating position and velocity movement distribution for a non-promiscuous position-based movement control scheme.

[0023] Fig. 13B is a graph illustrating position and velocity error rates for a non-promiscuous position-based mobility control scheme.

[0024] Fig.14A is a graph illustrating position and velocity movement distribution for a non-promiscuous velocity-based movement control scheme.

[0025] Fig. 14B is a graph illustrating position and velocity error rates for a non-promiscuous velocity-based motion control scheme.

[0026] Fig.15A is a graph illustrating position and velocity movement distribution for a promiscuous movement control scheme according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 15B is a graph illustrating position and velocity error rates for a promiscuous mobility control scheme according to an embodiment of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present disclosure is not limited to the specific systems, devices, and methods described, as these may vary. The terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope.

[0029] As used herein, the terms "algorithm", "system", "module", "engine" or "architecture" are used herein without limiting any specific implementation for completing and / or performing the actions, steps, processes, etc. that may be attributed to and / or performed thereby. Algorithms, systems, modules, engines and / or architectures may be, but are not limited to, software, hardware and / or firmware or any combination thereof that performs a specified function, including but not limited to any use of general and / or specialized processors in conjunction with appropriate software loaded or stored in a machine-readable memory and executed by the processor. Further, unless otherwise specified, any names associated with a particular algorithm, system, module and / or engine are used for the purpose of convenient reference and are not intended to be limited to a specific implementation. In addition, any functionality attributed to an algorithm, system, module, engine and / or architecture may be equivalently performed by multiple algorithms, systems, modules, engines and / or architectures that are incorporated into and / or combined with the functionality of another algorithm, system, module, engine and / or architecture of the same or different type, or distributed across one or more algorithms, systems, modules, engines and / or architectures of various configurations.

[0030] Automated Liquid Handler Systems A liquid handler or liquid handling robot is a system designed to dispense and handle any type of liquid, including reagents and patient samples. Liquid handlers are particularly adapted to automate workflows in life science laboratories, such as clinical or research laboratories. Some liquid handlers, which may be referred to as "analyzers" or "analyzer systems," are additionally adapted to handle and perform tests on samples using, for example, immunoassays and / or clinical chemistry techniques.

[0031] The liquid handler can include an automation system, either as a whole or as a module coupled to the liquid handler. Some liquid handler systems can include multiple modules or stations adapted to perform different tasks or tests. In these embodiments, the automation system can include: a transport system adapted to transport containers of samples and / or reagents between the various modules or stations. As mentioned above, the transport system can include a friction-based mobile system, a conveyor belt, and a magnetically driven mobile system. The automation system can further include: a sensor assembly for detecting parameters associated with the container or other aspects of the transport system; and a control system configured to control the movement of the container accordingly.

[0032] In some embodiments, the liquid handler system can utilize a modular system including an automated clinical chemistry analyzer module and an automated immunoassay analyzer module, with sample loading capabilities for transporting patient samples to and from the analyzer module(s), where in vitro diagnostic assay analysis is performed. The system can be scalable in multiple configurations of modules that allow for customer annual throughput needs ranging from low volume to very high volume / mega segment markets (i.e., 500,000 to 5M or more tests per year).

[0033] In some embodiments, the automation system may be described as a process control manager (PCM) that manages the processing of samples. This includes providing input and output for samples into and out of the system, temporary storage of samples while awaiting processing, scheduling of samples for processing at various analyzers attached to the PCM, facilitation of movement of samples throughout the automation track (including onto and off the automation track), and in some embodiments, maintenance of the automation system. In various embodiments, the PCM may include a variety of different modules, including a sample handler and a container mover.

[0034] The sample processor provides a means for the user to load and unload regular samples, STAT samples, and control / calibrator vials onto the system. Within the sample processor, the robotic subsystem is responsible for moving these tubes between other subsystems and modules including the sample I / O (drawer trays), control reservoirs, and container movers.

[0035] The container mover subsystem handles the material distribution. Under normal conditions, laboratory technicians never directly operate the container mover track. The container mover manages the carriers on the automated track that move samples or reagents, and each carrier has a dedicated type of bracket. In certain embodiments, the liquid handler system may include: a reagent carrier that is configured to receive a test kit and transport the test kit to a position accessible to the one or more analyzer modules via the automated track. In certain embodiments, the reagent carrier may be adapted to handle reagents from both the immunoassay module and the clinical chemistry module.

[0036] Figure 1 A top-down view of an exemplary sample processing machine 10 that can be used in some embodiments is shown. In this figure, the sample processing machine 10 is oriented so that the front side (i.e., the side that the operator interacts with) is at the bottom of the page, and the back side of the automated track is at the top of the page. The sample processing machine 10 includes a tube characterization station 12 at the robot / track interface. When the tubes are placed on the carriers on the track 14, the tube characterization station 12 characterizes the tubes and the carriers. This allows information to be ascertained about the identification of the tubes placed in each carrier and the physical condition of each tube (e.g., the size of the tube, the liquid level, whether there is a tube top cup, etc.). A control / calibrator storage area 14 is located adjacent to the tube characterization station 12. This allows long-term refrigerated storage of control and calibrator fluids near the track, thereby allowing these fluids to be easily placed into the carriers on the track for movement to relevant locations in the analyzer. The location of the storage 16 also allows the input / output drawer 18 to be placed in front of the sample processing machine 10. In this example, there are four adjacent drawers 18 that can be opened and pulled out individually.

[0037] The robotic arm 20 can move in two dimensions to pick up any of the tubes in the drawer 18 and move those tubes to and from the reservoir 16 and the carriers on the track 14. The robotic arm 20 can be positioned by moving the gantry from the front to the back of the sample processor 10 as the slide carriage moves along the gantry from side to side. The opposable end effector can then be moved vertically to extend downward to pick up the tube, closing them when the end effector is properly positioned to engage the tube.

[0038] To help the robot arm 20 successfully engage each tube, a drawer vision system 22 is placed above the drawer at the opening to the drawer. This allows a series of images to be taken, looking down at the tubes in the tray as the tray is moved through the drawer vision system. By strobing a series of cameras, multiple images can be captured in the buffer, with each tube appearing in multiple images. These images can then be analyzed to determine the physical characteristics of each tube. For example, the diameter and height of each tube can be determined. Similarly, the capping or uncapping status of each sample can be quickly determined. In addition, the presence or absence of the tube top cup (a small plastic well that is placed on the top of the tube to allow the tube to transport a much smaller volume with a greater sample depth to allow aspiration to occur more easily) can be ascertained. Similarly, the characteristics of any cap can be ascertained by the image. This can include certain color markings on the cap to identify a given sample as a higher priority (STAT) sample.

[0039] The module manager PC can utilize this information to schedule samples to be moved from each tray in the drawer 18 to the carriers on the track 14. The module manager PC can also instruct the robotic arm 20 how to interact with each tube, including identifying the appropriate height for the end effector before engagement and the appropriate force or distance to use when engaging the end effector to accommodate multiple diameters of the tube.

[0040] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sample processing machine 10. In this example, the track 14 is generally parallel to the front of the drawer 18, and the refrigerated storage 16 is a large physical object between the drawer 18 and the track 14. At the same time, much above the height of the drawer 18 and the refrigerated storage 16, the robotic arm 20 is moved on a support. In some embodiments, the sample processing machine 10 may include a tube characterization station 12 and a drawer vision system 22; however, from Figure 2 The view in omits these stations to allow a better understanding of the interior of the sample processing machine 10.

[0041] Figure 3The container mover component of PCM is illustrated, and this PCM moves sample from input area to analyzer module, helps to process those samples in analyzer, and returns process sample to the output area of ​​sample processing machine.Multi-module analyzer system 30 comprises multiple interconnected modules.In this example, system 30 comprises multiple sample processing machines 10.By utilizing multiple sample processing machines, more sample trays can be placed in system, thereby allowing to start larger batches at the beginning of displacement.In addition, this allows twice more samples to be placed on track and taken away from track.This means: for the larger system with multiple analyzer modules that can operate in parallel, input / output throughput can match the analysis throughput of parallel analyzer.For example, if analyzer module can process 500 samples per hour and three analyzer modules are used, the input / output demand for feeding these modules can be up to 1500 samples per hour.In some embodiments, single sample processing machine may not be able to handle this demand, thereby making it necessary to add multiple sample processing machines to keep up with the input / output demand of analyzer module.

[0042] Furthermore, in some embodiments, one of the sample processors may be set up to be used as an input, while the other sample processor may be set up as an output.Using a modular approach, a single sample processor 10 may be used, but for larger systems, two or more sample processors may be used.

[0043] In the exemplary system 30, two analyzer modules are utilized. Analyzer module 32 is an immunoassay (IA) analyzer. Analyzer module 34 is a clinical chemistry (CC) analyzer. The two analyzer modules perform different assays, testing different characteristics of a patient sample.

[0044] Track 14 is a multi-branch track that forms the core of the container mover system. As can be seen, track 14 includes branches and lengths that are integral to sample processing machine 10 and analyzer modules 32 and 34. Figure 5 and 6 Explain the functionality of the individual branches. In addition to the track segments provided by these modules, additional modules 38, 40 and 42 provide short specialized track segments that can be bolted to track sections provided by other modules. Track modules 36, 38, 40 and 42 provide powered track segments without additional hardware associated with the sample handler module or analyzer module. Whereas modules 10, 32 and 34 can be full cabinets extending from the laboratory floor to the height of track 14 and above, track segment modules 36, 38, 40 and 42 can be bolted-on segments extending from the cabinets of other modules without the need for floor-length support. Leveling hardware can be used to modularly connect the sample handler module and the analyzer module to the cabinet. Figure 3Each of the modules in the container mover system is bolted together so that each track segment between adjacent modules forms a nearly seamless track for a carrier to traverse the container mover system.

[0045] In the exemplary system 30, it can be seen that the section 44 of the track of the analyzer module 32 may need to be changed from the corresponding section of the analyzer module 34. In some embodiments, the track sections of the analyzer module are in the same configuration as shown in the analyzer module 34 when they are shipped from the factory. This allows multiple analyzers to be placed in series, thereby simply bolting their corresponding track sections together to form a long chain. In some embodiments where there is an offset between the back track section of the sample processing machine module and the analyzer module, as shown in the system 30, an S-shaped bend may be required to allow the carrier to move from the back track section of the analyzer module to the back track section of the sample processing machine module. In this example, the S-shaped bend is provided by bolting the changed track section in the track section 42 and the area 44. Therefore, it should be understood that the track section in the analyzer module, although indispensable to those modules, can be widely modified when installed, thereby allowing multiple configurations of the track section in the analyzer module. However, it should be understood that these track sections are still very indispensable to those analyzer modules. In some embodiments, the backs of the analyzer modules 32 and 34 are flush with the back of the sample processor 10 , thereby eliminating the need to completely modify the track segments 44 and sections 42 .

[0046] Track segments 38 and 40 are U-shaped track segments that provide a return between the front track segment and the back track segment, allowing traffic to move around the track 14 without crossing the inner chord segments within the sample processing machine or analyzer module. This allows the track 14 to form an outer loop with the main traffic moving along the periphery of the analyzer module. At the same time, the inner track segment bypasses the main loop, providing a direct path between the two sides of each analyzer module (front to back), which acts as a route for local traffic. These chord segments may also be referred to as inner segments / track segments, bypass segments / track segments, or in some cases local track segments. These chord segments bypass the outer loop to provide access to the pipette. This allows the small physical queues associated with each sample processing machine or analyzer module to utilize those inner chord segments without blocking the overall flow of the track 14.

[0047] Specialized track segment modules 36 facilitate sample returns and branches within the track 14 to allow the central computer system of the PCM to direct traffic in a flexible manner. The outer track portion provides a track segment for samples to move from the sample processing machine module 10 to the analyzer module 32 and vice versa. At the same time, the inner chord of the track segment module 36 provides a branch by which the sample can move from the analyzer 32 to the analyzer 34 (in a counterclockwise manner) without moving into the sample processing machine module 10. This facilitates multiple tests on a single sample tube, allowing the sample tube to move freely between the analyzer modules, regardless of how they are arranged on the right hand side of the system 30. This gives the PCM scheduling software flexibility in terms of how the sample is arranged for testing within the analyzer module without increasing the traffic on the track segment associated with sample processing. The track segment 36 provides a boundary between the source and sink (e.g., the sample processing machine module 10) and the processor (e.g., the analyzer modules 32 and 34) by providing a branch loop within the segment 36 (and in some embodiments, the segment 42). The loop allows the sample carrier to move between the source, sink and processor, including allowing the sample to loop without returning to the source and sink.

[0048] exist Figure 3 The central computer including the system instrument manager software component is not shown. The instrument manager software merges information from lower level modules (such as, sample processing machine 10 and analyzer modules 32 and 34) to present the information to the operator. The instrument manager receives information from other modules via a network (e.g., an internal Ethernet network) within the system. Information can be requested and provided asynchronously between the modules and the central computer. The central computer can also work between the LIS and the container mover system to schedule samples and their movement within the system. The central computer can also work between the container mover system and the individual modules to switch the control of the samples and initiate the testing of the samples once they arrive at the location.

[0049] Additional information related to in vitro diagnostic systems can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 319,306, filed on Jan. 18, 2019, entitled AUTOMATED CLINICAL ANALYZER SYSTEM AND METHOD, published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0277869A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0050] Automated PCB-based track configuration Various liquid handlers can include a variety of different transport systems, including magnetic drive systems, friction-based track systems, or conveyor belts. For example, some liquid handlers include tracks with multiple synchronously controlled magnetic coils. In these analyzer systems, the automated track is configured to move sample carriers via synchronously controlled magnetic coils that propel sample carriers along track segments of the analyzer system. However, conventional magnetically driven transport systems use metal substrates for automated tracks. Metal substrates have several disadvantages, including cost and weight, as discussed generally above. Accordingly, embodiments of the transport systems described herein include PCB-based substrates for automated tracks. In these embodiments, each track segment may include: one or more PCBs; and a coil array configured to electromagnetically actuate a container mover to transport the container mover along them.

[0051] In some embodiments, the track section is divided into multiple coil plates. The coil plate includes a linear array of coils that can be mounted to the PCB substrate of the track. For the straight section of the track, each coil plate is straight, and in a corner or curve, the coil plate includes coils of appropriate layout to match the curve. All coil plates are controlled by the main board and the node controller. In some embodiments, each main board can control up to four different coil plates. At the same time, the node controller is centralized. A single node controller can control the entire container mover track. In some embodiments, multiple distributed node controllers can be used for scalability. For example, in a larger system where the track extends for several meters, multiple node controllers can be used, and as the carrier traverses different areas of the track network, control of them can be switched.

[0052] Figure 4 Shown is a perspective view of the track system 160. The track system 160 is configured with a single sample handler unit and two analyzer modules. Figure 5 A track system 160 is shown in a fully operational analyzer system 162 including a sample processing machine module 10 and two analyzer modules 32 and 34. As can be seen, the track system 160 is contained within the module itself so that the track is not easily accessible to the operator. However, track 160 and analyzer system 162 utilize modular design, whereby track components reside in each module, and each module can be easily linked together to connect track segments by placing adjacent modules nearby and linking them. The cover above track 160 can be removed during installation or maintenance to facilitate the linking of the track. In certain embodiments, track segments can be expanded by placing modules adjacent to each other and bolting the track segments of each module together, thereby forming a single multi-branch track system, such as track 160. Signal cables can be daisy-chained together for convenient expansion control.

[0053] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of a track segment 170 is shown. Track segment 170 may be a track segment used in track 160. In this embodiment, the carrier rides on a track surface 174 between rails 172. In some embodiments, rails 172 are aluminum extrusions that also include vertical sides outside of the track components below track surface 174. These aluminum extrusions may include brackets to easily bolt internal components to these side pieces to form a track unit. In the embodiments described herein, track surface 174 is a PCB. In various embodiments, PCB track surface 174 may include one or more coatings or other components. A substrate 176 resides at the bottom of the side components of rail 172. Substrate 176 may be mounted to a module containing track segment 170 and provide support for the track system.

[0054] A series of coils 180 reside below the track surface 174. The longitudinal direction of the track section 170 enters the page; as you travel along the track section 170, you encounter additional coils 180. The coils 180 are preferably mounted to a coil plate 182, and are preferably transversely rectangular to allow for greater coil density in the longitudinal direction of the track. In some embodiments, the coil plate 182 is a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes several coils 180 in the longitudinal direction. An exemplary coil plate is 250 mm in length, thereby accommodating all the coils 180 required for a 250 mm track. Therefore, a typical track section will have several coil plates 182, including dozens of coil plates 182 to make up the entire track system. In some embodiments, the coil plate 182 receives a control signal to indicate the trajectory of the carrier and the 24 VDC power supply to be applied to the carrier traveling along the coil plate. The coil plate 182 includes: coils 180; a motor driver for driving those coils; and one or more sensors for detecting the presence of a carrier crossing the track surface above the coil plate by detecting the magnet of the carrier. These sensors may include Hall effect sensors to detect the presence and position of a carrier traveling along the coil plate. Accordingly, there may be more sensors than coils, thereby allowing fine resolution of the position of a carrier traversing the track surface 174. In addition, an RFID receiver may be utilized to receive an RFID signal identifying a carrier traveling along the track surface. In some embodiments, a magnetic feature unique to each carrier may be detected by a Hall effect sensor to magnetically determine the identification of the carrier. For example, a carrier traversing an array of Hall effect sensors may be characterized at the time of manufacture to identify the unique features of the carrier based on the rise time and signal artifacts detected by the Hall effect or sensor array as the magnet in the carrier travels above the array. In some embodiments, a magnet smaller than the main drive magnet may be placed in the bottom portion of the carrier to intentionally create unique features for each carrier at the time of manufacture. The magnetic feature may be associated with the identification of each carrier in the software for the container mover system. An exemplary linear synchronous motor drive system is described in U.S. Patent No. 9,346,371.

[0055] Figure 7A top view of an exemplary track system 160 is shown in which individual track segments are identified. There are generally four types of track segments that make up the modular design of the track system 160. A switching segment 184 is a branch in the track. The track surface for the switching segment 184 is generally T-shaped with a rounded inner edge. At the same time, the track of the switching segment 184 includes a straight track (the top of the T), a rounded track (an inner corner of the T), and a rounded track (another inner corner of the T) including a switching mechanism. The switching mechanism is a movable track component that can be tuned to a predetermined degree to act as a switch (e.g., 20-30 degrees, depending on the geometry). On one side of the track component, it acts as a straight track. On the other side of the track component, the track presents itself as a rounded track that forms an outer corner of a turn. By switching the movable track component, the movable track component can provide an outer side of a turn or a simple straightaway track. Therefore, the moving component provides a binary switch, whereby, depending on the control signal, the switching segment 184 presents itself as a turn or a straight segment. This can be used to turn individual carriers based on the state of the switching segment. It should be noted that although the track can be bidirectional, only one end of the T can be connected to the central portion of the T to form a turn. Therefore, although the switching segment 184 can have three ports, in essence, one port can be switched to either of the other two ports, but those two ports cannot be coupled together.

[0056] The simplest type of track segment is a straight segment, such as the outer straight segment 186 or the inner straight segment 188. The basic components of the straight segments 186 and 188 are the track surface and rails with a series of coil plates that provide linear power along the direction of the straight segment. Figure 7 Straight segments 186 and 188 are separately identified in the figure because in some embodiments the internal straight segment 188 can be operated under the control of a local module rather than a container mover controller that controls the entire track 160. This allows each local module to independently operate the track segment 188 to act as a local random access queue. The container mover controller can switch control to the local module after moving the carrier from the switching segment 184 to the local internal straight segment 188. Similarly, when the local module has completed the wish on the sample residing on the internal straight segment 188, the module can move the sample carrier into the switching segment 184 and switch control to the container mover controller. In some embodiments, the internal track segment 188 is still operated under the control of the container mover controller that controls the entire track system 160. In order to control the local queue on the internal straight segment 188, the local module can communicate directly with the container mover controller to request the movement of the carrier in the track segment 188. This allows the local module to indicate the control of the carrier in its queue by using a request to affirmatively respond to the communication system, thereby allowing the container mover controller to have expertise in moving individual carriers and operating the track system 160.

[0057] The fourth type of track segment is a curved track segment 190. The curved track segment 190 provides a 90° bend (or other angle bend) with a predetermined diameter. The radius is preferably the same as the radius used in the turn when the switching track segment 184 is switched to a curve. The radius is selected to minimize the spatial impact of the curve while allowing the carrier to move quickly around the curve without encountering sharp lateral forces. Therefore, the space requirements and speed requirements of the automation track 160 can determine the radius of the curved segment 190.

[0058] Electrically, the curved segment 190 is substantially identical to the straight segments 186 and 188. Each of these segments includes a plurality of coils that are activated in sequence to provide a linear motor in conjunction with magnets in the base of the carrier. Each coil is activated to provide a push or pull force on a drive magnet placed in the base of each carrier. The speed at which the coils are activated in sequence determines the speed of the carrier on that section of the track. In addition, the carrier can be moved into position and stopped at a predetermined position with high resolution by activating the coils at that position.

[0059] Figure 8 An illustrative embodiment of a track segment 201 of an automated track system 200 is shown, such as an Figure 4-7 . As generally described above, the automated track system 200 is configured to support one or more container movers 202, which are configured to receive containers 204 (also referred to as "carriers" or "sample carriers") therein. The track segment 201 may include: a riding surface 206, which is an upper surface of the track segment 201, which supports the container mover 202 thereon and along which the container mover 202 is transported between modules or components of the automated track system 200. In some embodiments, the riding surface 206 may include an active area 207 along which the container mover 202 is intended to move. As shown, the active area 207 is the area between the dotted lines. The active area 207 may generally correspond to the inner portion of the riding surface 206. If any liquid contaminants are present on the active area 207, they may negatively affect or otherwise impair the movement of the container mover 202, as mentioned above. In some embodiments, the track segment 201 may include a PCB substrate, as generally described above.

[0060] Furthermore, if Fig. 9As shown in , the track system 200 may include one or more coil arrays 208 associated with each track segment 201. The coil arrays 208 may be configured to generate a magnetic field that interacts with magnets 203 located within the base of the container mover 202. The coil arrays 208 and the container mover magnets 203 may together define a linear electromechanical actuator. By synchronously controlling the coil arrays 208, the track system 200 may advance the container mover 202 (and therefore, the container 204 containing any sample or other liquid held thereby) across the track segments 201 to a desired module or other component of the liquid handler system.

[0061] Additional information regarding transport systems for liquid handling machines may be found in US Patent Application No. 16 / 319,306, incorporated by reference above.

[0062] Hybrid Motion Control Architecture for Liquid Handler Systems Liquid handling machine systems traditionally utilize position-based or speed-based control schemes for controlling the movement of container movers throughout the liquid handling machine system. In a position-based control scheme, the control system is intended to make the end position of the container mover 202 meet a predetermined target within a specified error boundary. In a speed-based control scheme, the control system is intended to match the speed of the container mover 202 to a predetermined speed distribution. However, these traditional mobile control schemes have problems. In particular, position control schemes tend to exhibit high accuracy in the final or target position of the container mover. However, such position control schemes also tend to exhibit inconsistent speed distributions for the container mover, which may lead to inefficiencies in the routing of the container mover and potentially lead to overflows due to rapid changes in the speed of the container mover. This is particularly true in situations where position sensing is noisy, resulting in unsmooth speed estimates. Smoothing of position and speed estimates using an observer or state estimator will be at the expense of the accuracy of the state estimate, and thus at the expense of the accuracy of trajectory tracking. The noisy estimate of speed also limits the speed controller gain to reduce speed ripple or unsmoothness. This in turn limits the tracking performance achieved by motion control. In contrast, speed control schemes tend to exhibit smooth speed profiles for container movers. However, such speed control schemes also exhibit relatively low accuracy in the final or target position of the container mover. These problems may be particularly problematic in the context of high throughput liquid handler systems, because inefficiencies in routing or the need for additional correction movements in systems that are processing thousands of samples may exacerbate sample processing delays, which in turn may significantly reduce the processing efficiency of the liquid handler system. Further, because these systems are processing liquid samples, the movement control schemes need to be specifically customized to provide a smooth speed profile that avoids applying sudden movements of the container mover that may cause sample overflow. For all of these reasons, a hybrid movement control scheme is described herein that provides all of the advantages of both position and speed control schemes without any of the corresponding disadvantages of those movement control schemes.

[0063] Fig.10is a block diagram of an illustrative liquid handler system 250 utilizing a hybrid motion control architecture 300. As generally described above, the liquid handler system 250 may include: one or more modules 252 configured to process liquid samples; a track system 200 interconnecting the various modules 252; a container mover 202 that receives liquid samples and transports the liquid samples between the various modules 252 along the track system 200; and a coil array 340 associated with the track system 200 configured to drive the container mover 202 along the track system 200. The liquid handler system 250 may further include: a control system 254 coupled to the coil array 340 and configured to control the coil array 340 in order to control the movement and routing of the container mover 202 along the track system 200 in order to transport the liquid samples between the modules 252 in a specific order and with specific timing depending on the type of liquid samples being processed by the liquid handler system 250.

[0064] In this embodiment, the control system 254 may include a hybrid motion control architecture 300 configured to implement a hybrid speed and position based motion control scheme for controlling the movement of the container mover 202 by electrically controlling the coil array 340, which drives the container mover 202. In one embodiment, the control system 254 may include a processor 260, a memory 262, and / or other hardware, software, or firmware components for executing the hybrid motion control architecture 300. In one embodiment, the hybrid motion control architecture 300 may be embodied as instructions stored in the memory 262, which when executed by the processor 260 causes the control system 254 to perform the following corresponding steps: control the coil array 240 to move the container mover 202 as specified by the hybrid motion control architecture 300. As mentioned above, the liquid handler system 250 may further include a sensor assembly 256 (e.g., one or more Hall effect sensors) configured to sense the position and / or movement of the container mover 202 (e.g., via magnets embedded therein) along the track system 200. The control system 254 can receive output (e.g., data or signals) from the sensor assembly 256 to track the state (e.g., position and speed) of the container mover 202. Based on the output from the sensor assembly 256, the control system 254 can control the movement of the container mover 202 accordingly.

[0065] Fig.11is a block diagram of an illustrative hybrid mobile control architecture 300. The hybrid mobile control architecture 300 and / or its components may be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. In this embodiment, the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 may include: a state estimation 302 configured to estimate the state of the container mover 202 of the liquid handling machine system 250. The "state" of the container mover 202 may include, for example, the position or velocity of the container mover 202. The state estimator 302 may include: a sensor fusion block 304 that receives data and / or signals from the sensor assembly 256 (e.g., a Hall effect sensor) and fuses the sensor data and / or signals together to create a measurement signal. The state estimator 302 may further include: a filter 306 (e.g., a Kalman filter) that uses the raw fused sensor data together with a model of the plant dynamics to output a measurement result of the estimated state of the container mover 202.

[0066] As mentioned above, the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 utilizes a hybrid scheme to control the movement of the container mover 202 using both position-based control and speed-based control. In this embodiment, the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 may further include: a speed controller 310, which is configured to control the speed of the container mover 202; and a current controller 320, which is configured to control which of the coils of the coil array 340 the current is applied to, which in turn controls the position of the container mover 202. In this embodiment, the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 may control the relative influence of speed- and position-based control via proportional gains 314, 324 applied to the outputs of the speed controller 310 and the current controller 320. In some embodiments further described below, the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 may adjust the relative influence of position and speed control by adjusting the proportional gains 314, 324 applied to the outputs of the speed controller 310 and the current controller 320. The values ​​of the proportional gains 314, 324 may be numbers from 0.0 to 1.0, for example. Note that in some implementations, one of the proportional gains 314, 324 may be cleared to zero to shift to a non-hybrid control scheme.

[0067] In some embodiments, either or both of the speed controller 310 and the current controller 320 may further include a disturbance observer 312, 322 configured to identify the presence of any external disturbance and / or the effect of any external disturbance on the movement of the container mover 202. The external disturbance may include, for example, the presence of any spillage or other contaminants on the track system 200. In some embodiments, transient or permanent changes in the frictional resistance on the container mover 202 may be modeled as disturbances. The disturbance observer is capable of classifying the nature of the disturbance and modifying the existing control scheme or selecting an alternative control scheme to minimize the effect on the container mover motion objectives.

[0068] The hybrid mobile control architecture 300 may further include a hybrid mobile controller 330 configured to receive the outputs of the speed controller 310 and the current controller 320 (including the proportional gains 314, 324 applied thereto) and hybridize the outputs to generate a single control output for the container mover 202 based on a combination of the two outputs. In some instances, the controller gains may not be proportional. Accordingly, the hybrid mobile controller 330 may be coupled to the coil array 340 to cause the container mover 202 to move accordingly. In some embodiments, a low bandwidth position control block with gain scheduling may be placed between the state estimation 302 and the speed controller 310. In some embodiments, the speed controller 310 may be fed into the current controller 320 so that they operate serially rather than in parallel. In some embodiments, the hybrid mobile controller 330 is optional.

[0069] An exemplary hybrid motion control consists of a weighted combination of position and velocity tracking control such that during the main phase of motion toward the end state (target), control is primarily velocity tracking control with slow / small corrections to position tracking errors. This is accomplished using a low bandwidth position controller in series with a velocity tracking controller, where the resulting output of the higher level controller is a weighted fusion output of the two. Further, the weighting can be dynamically adjusted based on the motion state. In one embodiment of the scheme, the control gain for position control is set low during the main course of motion to ensure low bandwidth (slow) corrections to position tracking errors in motion while the motion control is primarily in velocity tracking mode. This provides a smooth velocity control profile while minimizing position tracking errors during movement. During the end phase of motion when the container mover is within a certain range of its target state, the control gain for position control is appropriately increased to accurately track the end position target to a desired level. The dynamic adjustment of the weighting of velocity and position tracking control is actively managed by a supervisory hybrid control scheme that can, for example, run the algorithm briefly described above.

[0070] The end result is smooth motion tracking during the primary course of the container mover's motion with in-motion position errors maintained within acceptable limits and achieving the end position target position to the desired level of accuracy and precision during the final (settlement) phase of the motion. The higher level hybrid control feeds into the current controller which provides the coil voltage inputs required to develop the required electromechanical thrust to drive the desired motion.

[0071] The major departure of this control architecture with respect to the commonly deployed motor control paradigm is as follows: Conventional nested architecture based motor control consists of an outer position control loop whose output serves as a reference input to a velocity control second stage which then further feeds into a current control third stage. As described earlier, in situations where the feedback for control consists of position sensing and the position measurements are noisy, such schemes suffer from non-smooth velocity profile tracking and / or limited bandwidth of control, which in turn degrades motion tracking performance and quality.

[0072] On the other hand, the hybrid control architecture actively manages the tradeoff between position and velocity tracking in a dynamic manner in order to achieve a smooth motion trajectory for the container mover(s) while simultaneously achieving the end position target to the desired level of accuracy and precision. It is noteworthy that the hybrid control strategy can be incorporated into a control scheme that can use more advanced techniques from traditional PID control, such as disturbance observer-based control (deployed in studies involving hybrid control schemes) and adaptive control that gives improved disturbance rejection capabilities and improved tracking performance.

[0073] It should be noted that although the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 is primarily described as controlling the container mover 202, it should be understood that this is only for simplicity. In an implementation, the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 can control the movement of multiple container movers 202 simultaneously or in parallel with each other. Accordingly, the block diagram of the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 can be applied to control the movement of any number of container movers 202. Therefore, the content in this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 to controlling the movement of a single container mover 202.

[0074] As briefly mentioned above, in some embodiments, the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 can adjust the relative influence of speed- and position-based mobile controls (e.g., proportional gains 314, 324) based on the relative position of the container mover 202. In one embodiment, the relative position of the container mover 202 can include the position of the container mover 202 relative to a target (such as, a destination or endpoint for the container mover 202). This can be beneficial because, for example, it will allow the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 to increase the relative influence of speed-based mobile controls when the container mover 202 is moving away from the target when a smooth speed profile is desired. Further, the hybrid mobile control architecture 300 can increase the relative influence of position-based mobile controls when the container mover 202 is approaching the target when a high degree of accuracy in the positioning of the container mover 202 is desired (e.g., so that the container mover 202 arrives exactly at the intended destination). In Fig.12An example of such a process 400 is shown in FIG. The illustrated process 400 or its individual steps may be performed by, for example Fig.10 and 11 In one embodiment, process 400 may be stored as instructions in memory 262 that, when executed by processor 260, cause control system 254 to perform the described steps.

[0075] Accordingly, the control system 254 performing the process 400 may estimate 402 (e.g., via the state estimator 302) the state of the container mover 202. Based on the estimated state, the control system 254 may determine 404 a speed control output and determine 406 a position control output associated with controlling the container mover 202 according to a speed-based control scheme and a position-based control scheme, respectively. The speed control output and the position control output may be determined 404, 406 using known techniques utilizing closed-loop controllers (e.g., proportional-integral-derivative controllers) and / or open-loop controllers. The control system 254 may fuse the speed and position control outputs and control 408 the movement of the container mover 202 accordingly, i.e., as a hybrid of the speed and position control outputs using a classical cascade scheme.

[0076] In addition to generally controlling the movement of the container mover 202 using a promiscuous control scheme, the control system 254 can monitor the container mover 202 as it moves between the modules 252 along the track system 200 and adjust the manner in which the container mover 202 is moved based on their relative positions. Accordingly, the control system 254 can determine 410 the position of the container mover 202 relative to a target. The target can include, for example, an endpoint or destination for the container mover 202. The endpoint can include, for example, a location within or adjacent to a module 252 suitable for processing a liquid sample carried by the container mover 202. In one embodiment, the control system 254 can determine the position of the container mover 202 via the sensor assembly 256. Based on the determined 410 position of the container mover 202, the control system 254 can adjust 412 the relative influence of the speed and position control outputs on the promiscuous movement control and control 414 the movement of the container mover 202 accordingly. In one embodiment, the control system 254 may adjust 412 their relative influences by adjusting the proportional gains 314, 324 applied to the individual control outputs, as described above in conjunction with Fig.11As mentioned above, varying the position and speed control components of the hybrid movement control scheme can be beneficial because, in certain situations, it can be beneficial to increase the degree of speed-based control on the container movers 202 (e.g., when the container movers 202 are relatively far from their destinations) or to increase the degree of position-based control on the container movers 202 (e.g., when the container movers 202 are relatively close to their destinations). Further, the steps of determining 410 the relative position of the container movers and adjusting 412 the relative influence of the speed and position control outputs can be performed continuously or repeatedly throughout the movement of the container movers 202, thereby allowing the control system 254 to dynamically react to the continuously changing state of the liquid handler system 250 and accurately and efficiently control the routing of the container movers 202.

[0077] In some embodiments, control parameters for individual position and velocity controllers may be adaptively changed (in real time) based on inferred or sensed changes to the system (e.g., the state of the tracking surface), the environment, or workflow requirements. For example, a demand for higher throughput at certain busy times may result in the selection of a different motion profile with changes to motion parameters, while a more energy efficient slower motion profile may be used at other times.

[0078] Example To illustrate the various mobility control concepts described above, a proof-of-concept study was performed to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the hybrid control architecture described herein relative to position-based and velocity-based control schemes alone. In particular, Fig.13A and 13B Graphs illustrating position and velocity movement distributions and error rates are shown for a position-only control scheme for controlling a simulated container mover, respectively. As can be seen, the position-based control scheme provides good position accuracy with respect to a final position 502 (i.e., target) achieved with an error of only approximately 0.5 mm. However, the position-based control scheme exhibits a non-smooth velocity profile 500, which may pose a potential risk of splashing or spilling the liquid sample payload. Correspondingly, Fig.14A and 14B Graphs illustrating position and velocity movement distributions and error rates are shown for a velocity-only control scheme for controlling a simulated container mover, respectively. As can be seen, the velocity profile 500 is smooth, but the control scheme exhibits a relatively high error (approximately 8 mm) in the end position 502 of the container mover 202. Finally, Fig.15A and 15BGraphs illustrating position and velocity movement distributions and error rates are shown, respectively, for a hybrid control scheme for controlling a simulated container mover. As can be seen, the hybrid control scheme described herein exhibits both a smooth velocity profile 500 and a high accuracy (approximately 0.8 mm error) in the end position 502 of the container mover 202. Accordingly, the hybrid control scheme described herein can provide all of the advantages of individual position- and velocity-based control schemes without the corresponding disadvantages. These advantages are particularly valuable in the context of a liquid handler system 250 because such a system requires both: avoiding spilling or splashing liquids as they are handled by the system; and having a high accuracy in positioning the container mover 202 so that samples are properly and efficiently processed.

[0079] Although various illustrative embodiments incorporating the principles of the present teachings have been disclosed, the present teachings are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, the present application is intended to cover any variation, use, or adaptation of the present teachings, and to use their general principles. Further, the present application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure that are within known or customary practices in the art to which these teachings belong.

[0080] In the above detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part thereof. In the accompanying drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar parts, unless the context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the present disclosure are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It should be readily understood that the various features of the present disclosure as generally described herein and as illustrated in the figures may be arranged, replaced, combined, separated, and designed in many different configurations, all of which are expressly contemplated herein.

[0081] This article describes aspects of the technical solution with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the technical solution. It should be understood that each frame of the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0082] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine such that the instructions executed via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing device, and / or other device to function in a particular manner, such that the computer-readable storage medium having the instructions stored therein includes an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks.

[0083] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram boxes.

[0084] The flow charts and block diagrams in each figure illustrate the architecture, function and operation of the possible implementation of the system, method and computer program product according to the various embodiments of the present technical solution. In this regard, each frame in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, segment or instruction portion, which includes one or more executable instructions for realizing (one or more) specified logical functions. In some alternative implementations, the function pointed out in the frame may not occur in the order pointed out in each figure. For example, depending on the function involved, the two frames shown in succession can in fact be substantially executed simultaneously, or the frame can sometimes be executed in reverse order. It should also be noted that each frame of the block diagram and / or flow chart diagram and the combination of the frames in the block diagram and / or flow chart diagram can be realized by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or action or implements a combination of special hardware and computer instructions.

[0085] A second action may be said to be "responsive to" a first action, regardless of whether the second action results directly or indirectly from the first action. A second action may occur at a substantially later time than the first action and still be responsive to the first action. Similarly, a second action may be said to be responsive to a first action even if intervening actions occur between the first and second actions and even if one or more of the intervening actions directly cause the second action to be performed. For example, if a first action sets a flag and a third action later initiates the second action whenever the flag is set, the second action may be responsive to the first action.

[0086] The present disclosure should not be limited in terms of the specific embodiments described in this application, which are intended to be illustrations of various figures. Without departing from its spirit and scope, many modifications and variations can be made, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In addition to those methods and devices listed herein, functionally equivalent methods and devices within the scope of the present disclosure will also be apparent to those skilled in the art from the above description. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to ad hoc methods, reagents, compounds, components or biological systems, which can certainly vary. It should also be understood that the terms used herein are only used to describe the purpose of specific embodiments, and are not intended to be limited.

[0087] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and / or application. Various singular / plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for the sake of clarity.

[0088] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in general, the terms used herein are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least", the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", etc.). Although various compositions, methods, and apparatus are described in terms of "comprising" various components or steps (interpreted to mean "including but not limited to"), the compositions, methods, and apparatus may also "substantially consist of" or "consist of" various components and steps, and such terms should be interpreted as defining groups of substantially closed members.

[0089] As used in this document, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Nothing in this disclosure should be construed as an admission that the embodiments described in this disclosure are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

[0090] In addition, even if specific numbers are explicitly stated, those skilled in the art should recognize that such a statement should be interpreted as meaning at least the stated number (e.g., a bare statement without other modifiers in "two statements" means at least two statements or two or more statements). In addition, in those instances where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, generally, such a construction is intended to be made in the sense that a person skilled in the art will understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" will include but is not limited to systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, generally, such a construction is intended to be made in the sense that a person skilled in the art will understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" will include but is not limited to systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that, whether in the description, sample embodiments or drawings, almost any disjunctive word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms should be understood to contemplate the possibility of including one of the terms, either one of the two terms, or both of the two terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" should be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0091] In addition, where features of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also specifically described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.

[0092] As those skilled in the art will appreciate, for any and all purposes, such as for providing a written description, all scopes disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible sub-ranges and combinations of sub-ranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily considered to fully describe the same range and enable the same range to be decomposed into at least equal half, one-third, one-quarter, one-fifth, one-tenth, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be easily decomposed into lower third, middle third, and upper third, etc. As those skilled in the art will also appreciate, all languages ​​such as "up to", "at least", etc. include the recorded numbers and refer to the scope of the sub-ranges that can be subsequently decomposed into as discussed above. Finally, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, the scope includes each individual member. Therefore, for example, a group with 1-3 components refers to a group with 1, 2 or 3 components. Similarly, a group with 1-5 components refers to a group with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 components, and the like.

[0093] Various of the above disclosed and other features and functions or their alternatives can be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various currently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be covered by the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A liquid handling system for processing a liquid sample, the liquid handling system comprising: one or more modules configured to process the liquid sample; a track system interconnecting the one or more modules, the track system configured to support one or more container movers thereon, the one or more container movers including magnets and configured to receive the liquid sample; a sensor assembly configured to detect the one or more container movers; a coil array associated with the track system, the coil array configured to interact with the magnet to define a linear electromagnetic actuator and propel the container mover along the track system; as well as a control system coupled to the coil array and the sensor assembly, the control system being configured to: estimating a state of the container mover, determining a speed control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, determining a position control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, controlling movement of the container mover based on a fusion of the determined velocity control output and the determined position control output, determining a position of the container mover relative to a target, adjusting the relative effects of the velocity control output and the position control output on the fusion based on the relative position of the container mover, and Movement of the container mover is controlled based on the adjusted fusion.

2. The liquid handler system of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly comprises one or more Hall effect sensors.

3. A liquid handling machine system as described in claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to adjust the relative influence of the estimated position and the estimated speed by adjusting a first gain applied to the speed control output and a second gain applied to the position control output.

4. The liquid handler system of claim 1, wherein the track system comprises at least one printed circuit board (PCB) substrate.

5. The liquid handler system of claim 1, wherein the state of the container mover comprises at least one of a position or a speed of the container mover.

6. A control system for a liquid handling system for processing a liquid sample, the liquid handling system comprising: one or more modules configured to process the liquid sample; a track system interconnecting the one or more modules, configured to support one or more container movers thereon, the one or more container movers including magnets and configured to receive the liquid sample; a sensor assembly configured to detect the one or more container movers; and a coil array associated with the track system, configured to interact with the magnets to define a linear electromagnetic actuator and propel the container mover along the track system, the control system being configured to: estimating a state of the container mover, determining a speed control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, determining a position control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, controlling movement of the container mover based on a fusion of the determined velocity control output and the determined position control output, determining a position of the container mover relative to a target, adjusting the relative effects of the velocity control output and the position control output on the fusion based on the relative position of the container mover, and Movement of the container mover is controlled based on the adjusted fusion.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the sensor assembly includes one or more Hall effect sensors.

8. The control system of claim 6, wherein the control system is configured to adjust the relative influence of the estimated position and the estimated velocity by adjusting a first gain applied to the velocity control output and a second gain applied to the position control output.

9. The control system of claim 6, wherein the track system comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate.

10. The control system of claim 6, wherein the state of the container mover comprises at least one of a position or a speed of the container mover.

11. A method of controlling a liquid handler system for processing a liquid sample, the liquid handler system comprising: one or more modules configured to process the liquid sample; a track system interconnecting the one or more modules, configured to support one or more container movers thereon, the one or more container movers including magnets and configured to receive the liquid sample; a sensor assembly configured to detect the one or more container movers; and a coil array associated with the track system, configured to interact with the magnet to define a linear electromagnetic actuator and propel the container mover along the track system, the method comprising: estimating, by a control system coupled to the coil array and the sensor assembly, a state of the container mover, determining, by the control system, a speed control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, determining, by the control system, a position control output based on the estimated state of the container mover, controlling, by the control system, movement of the container mover based on a fusion of the determined velocity control output and the determined position control output, determining, by the control system, a position of the container mover relative to a target, adjusting, by the control system, the relative effects of the velocity control output and the position control output on the fusion based on the relative position of the container mover, and Movement of the container mover is controlled by the control system based on the adjusted fusion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensor assembly comprises one or more Hall effect sensors.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the relative influence of the estimated position and the estimated velocity comprises: A first gain applied to the velocity control output and a second gain applied to the position control output are adjusted by the control system.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the rail system comprises at least one printed circuit board (PCB) substrate.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the state of the container mover comprises at least one of a position or a speed of the container mover.

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