Rover-based integrated laboratory system including autonomous mobile robot

Abstract

A rover-based integrated laboratory system including an autonomous mobile robot is disclosed. Namely, a rover-based integrated laboratory system is disclosed, comprising: a workspace; a laboratory component within the workspace, the laboratory component adapted to perform a laboratory technology; a laboratory vessel component within the workspace, the laboratory vessel component adapted to be used in laboratory technology; and a rover component within the workspace, the rover component operably connected to the laboratory component and the laboratory vessel component, the rover component being an autonomous mobile robot.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is related to and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 615,127, filed on January 9, 2018, entitled “ROVIDEO-BASED INTEGRATED LABORATORY SYSTEM INCLUDING AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOT,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present subject matter relates generally to integrated laboratory systems, and more particularly to rover-based integrated laboratory systems including autonomous mobile robots. Background Art

[0004] In the field of laboratory automation, separate automated instruments are often integrated in order to fully automate a workflow, especially in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. Typically, each automated instrument performs a specialized function within that workflow. Integration is achieved by automating the transport of materials between instruments. Integrated laboratory systems are often adapted for high-throughput workflows, benefiting from the high volume of processed materials. The automation of such processes often improves the efficiency of the process, ensures consistency, and reduces human error.

[0005] The instruments used in an integrated laboratory system are unique to the requirements of a particular workflow. Specific laboratory instruments may need to be integrated with a material storage system to increase the amount of work that can be done without human interaction. As an example, a typical liquid handling device may have a fixed capacity to hold labware on its platform. The capacity of such a liquid handling device can be expanded by integrating the device with storage modules for labware, consumables, experimental samples, and waste. Robotic transfer of materials between fixed platform spaces and storage modules is one way to create an integrated system.

[0006] As another example, a typical cell culture workflow in which some aspects of the workflow have been automated may require the following components: environmentally controlled storage for cell samples and reagents, automated liquid handlers for transferring reagents between labware containers, and a robotic microscope for imaging and analyzing cell culture samples. In such an example, although there may be automated solutions for each individual task in the workflow, humans are required to manually schedule operations and transfer materials. In order to automate the entire workflow, an automated system for scheduling operations and transferring materials between each instrument is required. Therefore, if materials can be transferred between each instrument, a fully automated workflow can greatly reduce the need for human involvement and increase the throughput of the workflow.

[0007] A fully automated workflow can be extended by integrating new instruments to unlock additional functionality. To achieve this, each instrument added to the automated workflow must be able to interface with the integrated system. However, this interfaceability affects the modules that can be included in the integrated workflow, as well as the specific products that can be integrated with the overall system. For example, an automation company may produce a suite of automation products as well as an integrated system, with each automation product handling a separate step of a larger workflow, and the integrated system can interface with each of the automation products to automate the overall workflow. However, to integrate a set of instruments that were not specifically designed to integrate in the same way, there are often significant challenges that require very specialized and expensive automation solutions.

[0008] Typical methods of integrating automated instruments may include linear conveyors and robotic arms carrying fixture tools. The robotic arm can move the fixture tool through a complex motion path so that the laboratory ware in the instrument can be used in the same way as a human might use the laboratory ware. Therefore, the robotic arm can be an almost universal tool for transferring materials from one location to another. However, a robotic arm capable of such universal motion is generally extremely expensive for any automation except the largest and profitable workflows. Conveyors can transport laboratory ware, tools, and consumable materials along fixed paths between system components. Conveyors can also transport robotic arms to work at various stations. Continuing with the example of an automated liquid handling system, a liquid handling device with a fixed and limited platform space can be integrated with a robotic arm carrying a fixture tool to move laboratory ware between any position on the instrument platform and a storage module, a conveyor, waste, or some combination thereof. For example, a fixture can move an empty box of pipette tips from a position on the instrument platform to a conveyor platform, and then the conveyor platform moves the empty box of tips to a waste bin, where the empty box is disposed of.

[0009] The typical way of integrating automated instruments, such as robotic arms and conveyors, is arranged and calibrated for a very specific layout and task set of the instruments. In the above example, where the robotic arm is implemented as a way to integrate an automated liquid handler with a conveyor, the robotic arm is specifically calibrated for a specific physical arrangement between the liquid handler device and the conveyor device. Any expansion or adjustment of the layout of the integrated components will require reprogramming the entire workflow. Therefore, these predetermined features of the automated workflow are not easily adapted, expanded, or rearranged within the integrated system. Therefore, the integrated system is generally not used for low-throughput, dynamic workflows that may change in a short period of time.

[0010] Furthermore, if a component within an integrated system fails, the entire workflow may be halted until the failed component can be repaired or replaced. Maintaining such a complex system requires a maintenance representative to visit the system site, which is prepared with any replacement parts needed to repair the failed unit. This can be an expensive and inefficient process for the service provider, and the downtime results in lost productivity for the operator of the integrated system. Additionally, due to the aforementioned sensitivity of the integrated system to changes in component layout, if a failed component must be removed or replaced, recalibration of the robotic components is often required.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need for an automated laboratory integration system that can be easily adapted to accommodate dynamic workflows and rearrangement of components, and that can be repaired more efficiently in the event of a failure.

[0012] Related patents in this field include the following:

[0013] U.S. Patent No. 6,429,016, entitled “System and method for sample positioning in a robotic system,” describes a system of a self-propelled mobile robot that moves along a predetermined track or path for macro-positioning of laboratory vessels between stations, and a micro-positioning mechanism that employs kinematic mounts activated between the mobile robot and the stations to allow the stations to interact with the laboratory vessels.

[0014] U.S. Patent No. 9,182,419, entitled "Conveying system for material samples, especially medical samples," describes a self-propelled sample conveyor driven along a predetermined path of a slot in a work area. The conveyor has pins along the slot path.

[0015] U.S. Patent No. 9,459,273, entitled "Laboratory product transport element and path arrangement," describes a mobile robot that transports samples around a predetermined and specially constructed path.

[0016] U.S. Patent No. 9,772,342, entitled "Dispatching device, sample distribution system and laboratory automation system" and U.S. Patent No. 9,423,410, entitled "Transport device, sample distribution system, and laboratory automation system", both relate to specific laboratory automation platforms that employ mobile labware carriers that travel along a fixed path driven by magnetic forces. The labware carriers can track their position in the fixed path by measuring the RFID code in the current segment of the track.

[0017] U.S. Patent No. 6,099,230, entitled "Automated labware storage system", describes a labware storage system paired with a "labware shuttle" (conveyor) that is capable of moving labware between a first location in the labware storage system and a second location remote from the labware storage system. This is an example of components of a "fixed" integrated system, where labware is transported to fixed locations along a fixed path, and the integrated modules must be designed and assembled in a very specific way in order to transfer labware between specific locations.

[0018] U.S. Patent No. 7,746,229, entitled "Device and method for identifying, locating, and tracking objects on laboratory equipment", describes a laboratory instrument with a fixed platform workbench divided into a grid of fixed positions for placing laboratory vessels, racks or tools. Each position on the platform has an RFID sensor to read the RFID tag on the laboratory vessel, rack or tool placed at each position, so that when the laboratory vessel is placed in the platform, the system can automatically know the location of the specific laboratory vessel.

[0019] U.S. Patent No. 7,411,508, entitled “Methods and Systems for locating and identifying labware usingradio-frequency identification tags,” describes a laboratory instrument having a platform with fixed positions, each position having some locating mechanism to register a labware carrier to that particular position, and each position having an RFID reader to read the RFID tags on the carrier or labware to identify what items are on the platform and their positions on the platform. Summary of the invention

[0020] In one aspect, the present invention describes a laboratory integrated system comprising: a workspace; a laboratory component within the workspace, the laboratory component being suitable for performing laboratory techniques; a laboratory vessel component within the workspace, the laboratory vessel component being suitable for use in laboratory techniques; and a rover component within the workspace, the rover component being operably connected to the laboratory component and the laboratory vessel component, the rover component being an autonomous mobile robot.

[0021] In some embodiments, the laboratory components described herein may include a liquid handler device. The liquid handler device may be a multi-channel liquid handler with independent spans and independent Z actuation on each of the channels. In some cases, the liquid handler device is an 8-channel liquid handler with independent spans and independent Z actuation on each of the 8 channels. In some embodiments, the laboratory techniques described herein include pipetting or cell culture.

[0022] In some embodiments, the rover components described herein include up to five rover devices operably connected to the liquid handling device. In some cases, each autonomous mobile robot can be integrable, wherein the autonomous mobile robot includes an omni-directional wheel-based transmission system and can move in any direction without turning around. In some embodiments, each autonomous mobile robot includes one or more navigation cameras. In some cases, the rover components are suitable for transporting and positioning laboratory ware parts or materials contained by laboratory ware parts. In some embodiments, the rover components include a rover device having a laboratory ware part carrier platform with a weighing scale. The rover device described herein may include a fixture tool. In addition, in some embodiments, the rover components may include an omni-directional wheel-based transmission system with or without a gripping tool.

[0023] In some embodiments, the workspace described herein includes a plurality of fiducial markers forming a 2D coordinate system. A navigation camera on each autonomous mobile robot may be adapted to identify the position of the autonomous mobile robot within the workspace by identifying one or more fiducial markers.

[0024] In some cases, the autonomous mobile robot described herein includes a labware component transfer mechanism. In some cases, the labware component transfer mechanism includes a spatula mechanism adapted to transfer labware components from the autonomous mobile robot to a location within a workspace. In some cases, the autonomous mobile robot may include a labware component carrier platform; and a capacitive sensing area that senses the presence or absence of labware components located on the labware component carrier.

[0025] In a further embodiment, the autonomous mobile robot is adapted to move within the workspace using an S-curve velocity motion profile. The S-curve velocity motion profile can reduce "jerkiness", which can minimize or eliminate sloshing or spilling of liquid transported by the autonomous mobile robot.

[0026] In some cases, a workspace, a lab component, a labware component, or any combination thereof described herein may include an RFID tag, and the autonomous mobile robot may include an RFID reader.

[0027] In some embodiments, the fleet controller is suitable for commanding the rover components described herein to engage the laboratory ware components for laboratory technology. In the case where the workspace includes two or more system modules and a fleet controller, the rover components described herein are suitable for generating a map of the workspace and the system modules, and the rover components can freely navigate within the workspace using the map. In some cases, the rover components communicate wirelessly with the fleet controller, and the fleet controller commands the rover components to perform the tasks of the workflow. In some embodiments, the rover components communicate wirelessly with the system modules, and the system modules command the rover components to perform the tasks of the workflow.

[0028] In some cases, the workspace described herein may include a platform adapted to be vertically extended with additional platforms. In some cases, the workspace may include multiple platforms. In addition, in some embodiments, the workspace described herein may include an elevator adapted to raise and lower rover components within the workspace.

[0029] In another aspect, a method for integrating a laboratory system comprises the following steps: providing a laboratory integrated system as described herein; programming a protocol for a laboratory technique using a controller; and commanding a rover component with the controller to execute the protocol. In some embodiments, the protocol comprises transporting and positioning a laboratory vessel component or a material contained by the laboratory vessel component within a workspace.

[0030] Further embodiments of the methods described herein include the step of generating a map of the workspace using the rover component. Furthermore, in some cases, an additional step may include using the map to freely navigate the rover component within the workspace. In some embodiments, the rover component may navigate within the workspace using an S-curve velocity motion profile.

[0031] The methods described herein may also include the step of wirelessly communicating between the rover component and the laboratory component during execution of the protocol by the rover component.

[0032] In some embodiments, commanding steps of the methods described herein may include commanding pipetting techniques. In other embodiments, commanding steps may include commanding cell culture techniques.

[0033] In some embodiments disclosed herein where a workspace includes an autonomous mobile robot navigable surface having an array of fiducial markers defining a coordinate system of the workspace, the described method may further include tracking a current position of the autonomous mobile robot within the workspace using a downward-facing camera positioned on the autonomous mobile robot, and determining the current position of the autonomous mobile robot by identifying one or more of the fiducial markers below the autonomous mobile robot using images captured by the downward-facing camera. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Having generally described the subject matter of the present application, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings (not necessarily drawn to scale), in which:

[0035] Figure 1 A block diagram of an example of an integrated rover-based laboratory system including a liquid handler device in combination with one or more mobile rover devices is shown;

[0036] Figure 2 An example of one instance of an integrated rover-based laboratory system including a liquid handler device in combination with one or more mobile rover devices is shown;

[0037] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Perspective views showing examples of a mobile rover device with and without a housing, respectively;

[0038] Figure 5 and Figure 6Shown with and without housing Figure 3 and Figure 4 A side view of the mobile rover apparatus shown;

[0039] Figure 7 Shows Figure 3 and Figure 4 a perspective view of the underside of the mobile rover apparatus shown;

[0040] Figure 8 An example of a coded marker is shown that can provide visual position feedback information to a mobile rover device in a workspace;

[0041] Fig. 9 It shows the use of Figure 8 An example of a mobile rover device in a workspace encoded with a grid of encoded markers is shown;

[0042] Fig.10 , Fig.11 , Fig.12 and Fig.13 Shows Figures 3 to 7 A side view of the scraper mechanism behavior sequence of the mobile rover device shown in;

[0043] Fig.14 Show Figures 3 to 7 A top view of a mobile rover apparatus as shown in FIG, and showing a labware carrier and its capacitive sensing area;

[0044] Fig.15 Shows Figures 3 to 7 A top view of a mobile rover apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 and showing a labware to be sensed in relation to a capacitive sensing area of ​​a labware carrier;

[0045] Fig.16 A top view showing the concept of capacitive sensing integrated into a labware carrier of a mobile rover device;

[0046] Fig.17 A cross-sectional view showing an example of an arrangement of capacitive sensing areas in a rover device labware carrier;

[0047] Fig.18A and Fig.18B Examples of typical motion profile curves of a subject with and without "jerk" are shown, respectively;

[0048] Fig.19 A block diagram illustrating an example of control electronics for a mobile rover device;

[0049] Fig. 20 , Fig.21 , Fig. 22 and Fig.23 Shows Figures 3 to 7 A perspective view of a sequence of behaviors of a scraper mechanism of a mobile rover device as shown in;

[0050] Fig.24 , Fig.25 , Fig.26 , Fig. 27 and Fig.28 Shown integrated with storage rack Figures 3 to 7 A perspective view of a spatula labware handoff behavior sequence for a mobile rover apparatus shown in;

[0051] Fig.29 A perspective view of a mobile rover device shown animated for illustration purposes only in the following sequence of operations is shown;

[0052] Figure 30 to Figure 66 A series of screen shots are shown illustrating a sequence of operations of a simple liquid handler device in conjunction with one or more mobile rover devices;

[0053] Fig.67 A perspective view of a mobile rover device shown animated for illustration purposes only in the following sequence of operations is shown;

[0054] Figure 68 to Figure 113 A series of screenshots are shown illustrating the operational sequence of a simplified modular cell culture automation system in conjunction with one or more mobile rover devices. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] The subject matter of the present application will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some but not all embodiments of the disclosed subject matter are shown. The same numerals represent the same elements throughout. The disclosed subject matter may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure satisfies applicable legal requirements. Indeed, many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosed subject matter set forth herein will occur to those skilled in the art, with the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that the disclosed subject matter is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

[0056] In some embodiments, an integrated laboratory system based on a mobile robot is described herein, and includes an autonomous mobile robot that transports materials within the system. The mobile robot can be adapted to perform various tasks within the laboratory, such as, but not limited to, retrieval, transportation, and positioning of materials. For purposes of this document, the mobile robot may also be referred to as a mobile rover device or rover device or rover.

[0057] In some embodiments, the rover-based integrated laboratory system described herein can provide an autonomous mobile robot suitable for transporting laboratory ware, particularly microplates, between components of the integrated laboratory automation system (e.g., automated laboratory instruments). For example, in some embodiments, each mobile rover device is suitable for carrying a single piece of laboratory ware having a standard footprint of the Society for Biomolecular Screening (SBS) format (127.76 mm in length and 85.48 mm in width), or a laboratory ware rack having such a footprint.

[0058] In some embodiments, a mobile rover device of a rover-based integrated laboratory system described herein can navigate within a workspace without a predetermined track or path. The rover-navigable workspace may include features that allow the rover to use sensors to track its current position within the workspace. For example, a rover-navigable surface of the workspace may include an array of fiducial markers that define a coordinate system of the workspace. Therefore, the rover may be equipped with a downward-facing camera that is suitable for observing the array of fiducial markers and continuously determining the current position of the rover within the workspace.

[0059] In some embodiments, the rover-based integrated laboratory system can support autonomous adjustment of instrument positions within a workspace layout, where instruments can be freely placed within the rover navigable workspace. Each instrument may include at least one container for loading laboratory vessels into the instrument. For example, the container may be a laboratory vessel carrier hand, which is suitable for carrying laboratory vessels for the functions of the instrument, and providing a position for the rover to unload or retrieve laboratory vessels from the instrument. The rover may include sensors, such as outward-facing cameras, so that the rover can identify the instrument and align at the precise position of the instrument laboratory vessel container to deliver the laboratory vessels loaded on the rover. In one example, the rover includes a forward-facing camera, which is suitable for identifying the fiducial markers at each laboratory vessel container of each instrument, and the rover can learn and adapt to the precise position of each laboratory vessel container. If the instrument is removed from the workspace and replaced at approximately the same position, the rover of the above-described embodiment can be adapted to the position of the displaced instrument as part of its normal workflow, thereby eliminating the need for a complex recalibration process that may require manual intervention. The autonomous tuning capability of the rover device enables a streamlined recalibration process if the instrument is significantly displaced from its original trained position in the system.

[0060] In some embodiments, in the rover-based integrated laboratory system described herein, the workspace may be divided into vertically arranged layers, and the workspace may include at least one elevator suitable for moving the rover from one layer to another, e.g. Fig.103 414 shown in FIG. For example, an instrument or storage rack may be arranged vertically between vertically arranged layers of a workspace, and a rover may access the instrument or storage rack from an elevator platform.

[0061] Compared with traditional integrated laboratory systems, the robot-based integrated laboratory system described in this article focuses on improving the convenience and flexibility of laboratory automation system integration. In particular, the robot-based integrated laboratory system can provide enhancements to the following aspects:

[0062] a. Modularity in the design and assembly of integrated laboratory systems.

[0063] 1. Integrate the scalability of laboratory systems to increase functionality or throughput.

[0064] 2. Simplified modifications to integrated laboratory systems.

[0065] b. Reduce the cost of designing and assembling integrated laboratory systems by reducing the number of complex components.

[0066] c. Reduce the footprint of integrated laboratory systems with equivalent functionality.

[0067] d. Simplify the serviceability of this integrated system (remotely replace the mobile robot to solve problems on a single module).

[0068] More specifically, now refer to Figure 1, a block diagram is provided as an example of a closed rover-based integrated laboratory system 100, which includes a fleet controller or manager 105 and a liquid handler device 110 combined with one or more mobile rover devices 115. For the purposes of this document, the fleet controller or manager 105 will be referred to as the "fleet controller 105". Obviously, although this embodiment describes a liquid handler device 110, the system 100 is not limited to this particular instrument, and in other embodiments may include any laboratory instrument inconsistent with the objectives of the present disclosure, such as an air handler device, etc. The air handler device is understood to deliver one or more reaction gases to reactants in a solution within a laboratory vessel (e.g., the previously described laboratory vessel 120). Therefore, the rover-based integrated laboratory system described herein can be used for biological-based procedures and methods, and / or for synthetic procedures, such as synthetic protein synthesis or small molecule synthesis involving liquid and / or gaseous reagents. Therefore, embodiments of the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 can improve existing laboratory automation integrated systems in terms of customization, ease of use, and serviceability. These improvements can be achieved by using an autonomous mobile robot (e.g., rover device 115) to increase the modularity of the integrated system. Various instruments and devices in the integrated laboratory system constitute system modules. The mobile robot constitutes an integrated system for engaging the modules with each other. The autonomous mobile robot (e.g., rover device 115) can be used to locate laboratory vessels (e.g., laboratory vessels 120) within the liquid handler device 110.

[0069] In some preferred embodiments, the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 uses an autonomous mobile robot (e.g., rover device 115) in a laboratory environment. The autonomous mobile robot or rover is capable of executing commands to perform tasks in the integrated system workflow. Typical tasks may include transporting materials between instruments in the integrated system.

[0070] In the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100, system modules are placed into a workspace and the rover is able to maneuver within the workspace to access various modules. In some embodiments, the rover and / or the system is able to generate and maintain a map of the workspace that includes the modules and the locations of the modules within the scope of the rover-navigable area of ​​the workspace. In addition, the rover possesses positioning and ranging technology that allows the rover, system modules, and fleet controllers to always know the location of the rover in the workspace. Therefore, in some embodiments, the rover is able to freely navigate on its own within the specified boundaries of the workspace.

[0071] In some cases, by incorporating one or more vertically positioned platforms, the workspace within the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 can be expanded without increasing the footprint of the system. Such a system can include an elevator to allow the rover to access platforms at different heights. Some instruments can be arranged vertically between, above, or below the platforms so that the rover can engage with these instruments when positioned on the elevator. Therefore, by implementing a rover-based integrated laboratory system, the footprint of the integrated laboratory system can be significantly reduced. Reference Figure 68 to Figure 113 , shows an example of a rover-based laboratory integrated system 100 that includes a workspace comprising a plurality of vertically arranged platforms.

[0072] In some embodiments, the rovers described herein are configured to communicate wirelessly and are not tethered to the system 100 by cables. For example, the rovers may be configured to communicate wirelessly with instruments and other rovers in the system 100 via a fleet controller, such as the fleet controller 105. The rovers may be battery powered and be able to maneuver themselves to a battery charging station arranged in the workspace if the battery level is below a threshold or during an idle period.

[0073] The rovers described herein (e.g., roamer device 115) may perform operations performed by fleet controller 105 (see Figure 1 ) generates commands, and the fleet controller 105 oversees the integrated system to execute the workflow. In some embodiments, the fleet controller 105 can run a scheduler that allows the fleet controller 105 to coordinate the tasks of the entire workflow in a centralized manner. The fleet controller 105 may include control software that schedules tasks for various workflows occurring within a workspace, such as several different cell culture experiments occurring within a cell culture system. For example, the scheduling software on the fleet controller 105 can indicate that certain tasks are to be performed at specific times, and the fleet controller 105 can assign robots to perform the tasks. In another embodiment, commands can also be generated in a distributed manner, where each module in the integrated system develops its own sequence of actions to achieve a specific workflow. In addition, robots in the system can be selected for tasks based on availability and location in the system.

[0074] In some embodiments, the rover device may carry laboratory vessels containing liquid samples or reagents. The rover device must perform its movements in a manner that prevents disturbance and spillage of any liquid in the laboratory vessels it carries. For example, such spill-free movement is achieved by limiting the "jerkiness" of the movement performed. In the field of physics, jerk is a known term for the rate of change of acceleration. In other words, for any movement performed by the rover device, the rate of change of acceleration must be appropriately minimized in order to minimize disturbance of the materials carried by the rover device. Refer to the following Fig.18A and 18B This principle is described in more detail.

[0075] In some embodiments, the rover device described herein is integrable, meaning that the degrees of freedom that can be controlled by the device are equal to the total degrees of freedom of the device. The rover mobile robotic device on the plane of the workspace surface has a total of three degrees of freedom, including the position of the device on the two coordinate axes of the plane and the orientation of the device on the plane. The rover device is integrable if it is possible to control the rover device to move through any of these degrees of freedom simultaneously. For example, by providing three omnidirectional wheels on the rover device, the rover device can be adapted to be integrable. The omnidirectional wheels can be arranged in a manner that enables the rover device to move through three degrees of freedom based on the relative speed and rotation direction of each wheel.

[0076] In addition to its primary role of transporting materials within an integrated system, a rover (e.g., rover device 115) can be adapted for a variety of specialized functions. In one embodiment, the rover device may be provided with a kinematic laboratory vessel carrier. The kinematic laboratory vessel motion carrier will ensure that the laboratory vessel can be placed on the rover device in a repeatable position. The position of the kinematic laboratory vessel carrier can be calibrated relative to the rover positioning sensor and drive mechanism. Using this calibrated kinematic laboratory vessel carrier, the rover can accurately position the laboratory vessel within the instrument without transferring the laboratory vessel to the instrument. For example, in a rover-based integrated system including an automated liquid handling system and a storage module, the rover can retrieve a piece of laboratory vessel containing a sample from a laboratory vessel storage module, transport the laboratory vessel to a liquid handling device, and position itself and the laboratory vessel within the liquid handling device so that the liquid handling device can directly perform liquid handling operations on the sample contained by the laboratory vessel on the rover device.

[0077] In some embodiments, the rover can have a mechanism for transferring materials onto and off the rover without external assistance. For example, such a mechanism can be a labware carrier that can extend forward away from the front of the rover and raise and lower the height of the labware carrier. Such an embodiment provides the rover device 115 with an independent mechanism for retrieving labware from one instrument labware container and placing the labware at another instrument labware container, such as Figure 20-28 As shown in the embodiment shown.

[0078] In some cases, a weighing scale can be provided in the laboratory vessel carrier of the rover device described herein. This weighing scale will allow the rover device to sense the change in the mass of the laboratory vessel on the laboratory vessel carrier. For example, a rover device having this weighing scale in the laboratory vessel carrier can allow the rover to measure the liquid in the laboratory vessel distributed to the laboratory vessel carrier. The rover device can be ordered to transport an empty reagent reservoir from a liquid handling device to a reagent dispensing device in order to refill the empty reservoir. At the reagent dispensing device, the rover positions itself so that the reagent dispensing device can distribute new reagents into the reagent reservoir. When the reagent reservoir is filled by the reagent dispenser, the rover device can use a weighing scale to measure the mass change of the reagent reservoir to determine the amount of the liquid distributed by the reagent dispenser. In the subsequent operation at the liquid handling device, the rover device can use a weighing scale to measure the mass change of the reagent reservoir in order to determine when the reagent storage reservoir is empty and must be refilled.

[0079] In some embodiments, the rover device may include an outward-facing vision sensor capable of reading a barcode printed on a piece of labware. Such a barcode reading sensor may allow the rover to verify the identity of the piece of labware before retrieving the piece of labware. Such a barcode reading sensor may also allow the rover device to obtain an inventory of materials stored in a labware storage module.

[0080] In some cases, the rover device may detect the presence of labware on a labware carrier of the rover device. There are a variety of mechanisms in the art for implementing this feature. For example, the rover device may be provided with a capacitive sensing feature in its labware carrier, which enables the presence of typical labware to be detected. A capacitive sensing feature that can detect whether a labware is correctly located on a labware carrier may also be provided.

[0081] The present disclosure describes various aspects of the entire rover-based laboratory integrated system and methods associated therewith, and the specific technologies required to provide the rover with the above-mentioned capabilities may be beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

[0082] The rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 described herein can provide one or more advantages and / or improvements over conventional integrated systems. For example, due to the ability to freely navigate within a workspace, the rover described herein can switch between tasks according to current needs. For example, in a typical integrated platform, a conveyor and a robotic arm pair are only able to transfer laboratory vessels between two specific modules, while the rover in the rover-based integrated platform described herein can perform the same transfer and then continue to perform a different function. Therefore, the system 100 described herein is dynamic and versatile, where the current task is dictated by the needs of the system, rather than being limited to fixed configuration modules in conventional systems.

[0083] Using a rover (e.g., rover device 115) to locate labware and materials within a device can reduce the footprint of the device. For example, a liquid handling device having a platform for placing locations for labware and materials has a fixed area and a fixed labware capacity associated with the area. The larger the capacity of the platform, the larger the footprint of the device. Floor and counter space in laboratories is limited and extremely valuable, so a smaller instrument footprint is desired. A device designed to use a rover to locate labware and materials inside the rover does not require as many motorized axes or fixed platform positions as similar systems that are incompatible with rovers. The rover can maneuver into the instrument when needed, and transfer materials to and from a storage module when needed, which can utilize vertical space for storage. The footprint of the integrated system can be further reduced by arranging the modules vertically so that the rover device can access the modules via a lift platform.

[0084] The rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 described herein enables flexibility in the layout of the integrated system and simplifies the expansion or modification of such a system. Because the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 does not require a strict layout of conveyors and manipulators, rover-compatible modules can be freely arranged within the rover-navigable space. If additional modules are required or existing modules need to be rearranged, the system enables a new map of the updated workspace to be generated in a streamlined manner. The complexity of rearranging workflows in a typical integrated system can be automated by the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 to improve the user experience and facilitate the deployment of new products.

[0085] The modularity of the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 described herein can enhance the serviceability of the system. In the event of a failure on site, the user can simply remove the rover from the system. The failed rover can be repaired remotely, thereby reducing the need for a service visit to the system site, which may be an expensive task for the service provider. In addition, the integrated system can continue to operate normally without the failed rover because the remaining rovers can take on the tasks originally assigned to the failed rover. This problem may stop all productivity in a traditional laboratory integrated system, while the rover-based integrated system is able to continue to work, although perhaps at a lower throughput.

[0086] Generally, in some embodiments, the rover-based laboratory integrated system described herein may include the following components: at least one laboratory component suitable for performing laboratory techniques; at least one laboratory vessel component suitable for use in laboratory techniques; and at least one rover component operably connected to the laboratory component and the laboratory vessel component, wherein the rover component is an autonomous mobile robot.

[0087] Now refer to it again Figure 1 , the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 may include a fleet controller 105 and a liquid handler device 110 in combination with one or more rover devices 115. The controller 105 may be any computing device (e.g., a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet device, a smart phone, a cloud computing device, etc.) capable of controlling the overall operation of the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100. In addition, the fleet controller 105 may be built into the liquid handler device 110 in some cases, or may be separate from the liquid handler device 110 in other cases, both of which are Figure 2 Shown in.

[0088] Figure 2A simplified example of an example of an integrated laboratory system 100 based on a rover is shown, and the integrated laboratory system 100 based on the rover includes a fleet controller 105 and a liquid handler device 110 combined with one or more rover devices 115. Each of the rover devices 115 can be an autonomous mobile robot. The exemplary liquid handler device 110 can be a multi-channel liquid handler, such as an 8-channel liquid handler, and the liquid handler device 110 can have an independent span and an independent Z actuation on each channel. The 8-channel liquid handler is only exemplary and is not limited to 8 channels. In some embodiments, the liquid handler device may have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 or more than 10 channels. Depending on the needs of a particular method or procedure, the liquid handler may have a fixed span or an independent span, with an independent Z actuation on each channel. Using the 8-channel liquid handler device 110 as an example, the 8-channel liquid handler device 110 may also have a capacity for one or more rover devices 115. For example, in some embodiments, the liquid handling device 110 described herein may have a capacity of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, or more than ten rover devices 115. The rover device 115 may be used to position a labware (e.g., labware 120) within the liquid handling device 110 so that the channel performs a pipetting operation. Figures 3 to 28 More details of the rover device 115 are shown and described. Figure 30 to Figure 66 And reference Figure 68 to Figure 113 Further details of an example of a presently disclosed rover-based laboratory integration system 100 are shown and described.

[0089] Reference now Figures 3 to 7 , various views of an example of an example of a mobile rover device 115 are shown, which is an example of an autonomous mobile robot in a rover-based integrated laboratory system 100. That is, Figure 3 and Figure 4 Perspective views of the rover device 115 with and without a housing are shown, respectively. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Side views of the rover device 115 with and without a housing are shown, respectively. Figure 7 A perspective view of the underside of the rover device 115 is shown.

[0090] In some examples, the rover device 115 may include a base plate / chassis assembly 130, and other components may be directly or indirectly coupled to the base plate / chassis assembly 130. For example, a set of four omnidirectional wheels 132 are coupled to the underside of the base plate / chassis assembly 130. In one example, three of the omnidirectional wheels 132 are powered omnidirectional wheels 132, and one of the omnidirectional wheels 132 is a passive omnidirectional wheel 132. Each of the three powered omnidirectional wheels 132 is driven by a wheel motor 134 (e.g., a direct current (DC) motor). In some cases, each omnidirectional wheel 132 can rotate 360° around an axis, but in other cases, each omnidirectional wheel 132 can rotate less than 360° around an axis. In some embodiments, one or two passive omnidirectional wheels 132 can be assembled to the base plate / chassis assembly 130 in a fixed manner. The purpose of the passive omnidirectional wheels 132 is to provide suspension and / or stability.

[0091] Therefore, the rover device 115 described herein can be integrable, which means that the degrees of freedom that can be controlled by the device are equal to the total degrees of freedom of the device. The rover device 115 on the plane of the workspace surface has a total of three degrees of freedom, including the position of the device on the two coordinate axes of the plane and the orientation of the device on the plane. If the rover device 115 can be controlled to move through any of these degrees of freedom simultaneously, the rover device is integrable. In this example, the rover device 115 is integrable due to the three powered omnidirectional wheels 132. The three powered omnidirectional wheels 132 can be arranged in a manner that enables the rover device 115 to move through three degrees of freedom based on the relative speed and rotation direction of each wheel.

[0092] The rover device 115 includes a forward-facing camera 136, a downward-facing camera 138, and a pair of downward-facing infrared light emitting diode (IR LED) illuminators 140 (one on the left and one on the right), such as Figure 7As shown. In some cases, the rover device 115 may include one or more forward-facing IR LEDs, and in some cases may also include one or more rearward-facing IR LEDs. The forward-facing camera 136 and the downward-facing camera 138 are digital cameras, such as CCD or CMOS-based cameras. The rover device 115 may also optionally include a rearward-facing camera (not labeled). The IR LED can illuminate a scene in which the IR LED is facing, and the IR illumination can be detected by one or more of the cameras (e.g., cameras 136 and / or 138) in the direction of the scene. In some embodiments, the IR LED is a component of one or more bar code scanning devices, and the corresponding IR receiving bar code scanning sensor is located on the rover device, such as at the position shown for cameras 136 and 138. The laboratory vessel carrier 142 is mounted on the top of the base plate / chassis assembly 130. The laboratory vessel carrier 142 also includes an integrated laboratory vessel transfer mechanism 144. The integrated laboratory dish transfer mechanism 144 provides vertical movement and has a scraper mechanism 146, which is a slidable scraper mechanism. In the mobile device 115, the scraper mechanism 146 can be used to remove and pick up microplates from the laboratory instrument, wherein the scraper mechanism 146 of the integrated laboratory dish transfer mechanism 144 can be extended out of the mobile robot, as well as raised and lowered, such as Figure 10-13 That is, as needed, the laboratory vessel transfer mechanism 144 can be extended upward by a certain amount and then returned to the lowered position. In one example, the laboratory vessel transfer mechanism 144 has a vertical motion range of up to about 8 mm. In one example, the spatula mechanism 146 has a horizontal motion range of up to about 130 mm.

[0093] In addition, the lab dish carrier 142 may include a motor or any other mechanism (not shown) for driving any movement of the lab dish transfer mechanism 144. The lab dish 120 may be located on top of the spatula mechanism 146 and transported around the workspace via the rover device 115 and manipulated via the lab dish transfer mechanism 144 and spatula mechanism 146 of the lab dish carrier 142.

[0094] The various components of the rover device 115 described herein can be enclosed in a body or housing 150. A camera window 152 can be provided in the body or housing 150 at the front-facing camera 136. The rover device 115 can have any size not inconsistent with the objectives of the present disclosure. In some cases, the rover device 115 may have a length of 120 mm to 250 mm, 150 mm to 225 mm, 175 mm to 200 mm, 120 mm to 225 mm, 120 mm to 200 mm, 120 mm to 185 mm, 120 mm to 150 mm, 135 mm to 250 mm, 150 mm to 250 mm, 175 mm to 250 mm, or 200 mm to 250 mm; a width of 75 mm to 125 mm, 75 mm to 115 mm, 75 mm to 105 mm, 75 mm to 90 mm, 85 mm to 125 mm, 95 mm to 125 mm, or 105 mm to 125 mm; The transfer mechanism 144 has a height of 75 mm to 125 mm, 75 mm to 115 mm, 75 mm to 100 mm, 75 mm to 90 mm, 85 mm to 125 mm, 100 mm to 125 mm, or 110 mm to 125 mm when not extended; and when the laboratory vessel transfer mechanism 144 is extended, the height of the unextended mechanism 144 is increased by 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, or more than 10 mm (for example, if the unextended height is 100 mm and the extended height is 8 mm, the total extended height is 100 mm + 8 mm = 108 mm). In a specific example, the rover device 115 described herein may have a length of approximately 186 mm, a width of approximately 105 mm, a height of approximately 100 mm when the laboratory dish transfer mechanism 144 is not extended, and a height of approximately 108 mm when the laboratory dish transport mechanism 144 is extended.

[0095] Reference now Figure 8 , the exemplary fiducial markers 200 including coded marks can provide visual position feedback information to the mobile rover device disclosed herein in the workspace. That is, each of the fiducial markers 200 includes a coded mark that can be associated with a position in the workspace. For example, now referring to Fig. 9 , workspace 205 includes a path or track 210 that includes an arrangement or grid of fiducial markers 200, wherein each of fiducial markers 200 is uniquely coded to correspond to its physical location within path or track 210. In one example, each of fiducial markers 200 is approximately 15 mm square. In one example, a dot array, such as a 6×6 dot array, is used, such as Figure 8The array of dots shown can be used to uniquely encode each of the fiducial markers 200. In another example, each fiducial marker 200 can include a barcode that can be recognized by one of the cameras 136, 138, or in the case where the rover device 115 includes one or more barcode scanning devices, each barcode can be recognized by a barcode scanning device. In yet another example, each fiducial marker 200 can be a uniquely encoded RFID tag, and the rover device 115 includes a downward-facing RFID reader (not shown) in addition to or in place of the downward-facing camera 138. Fig. 9 An example of a rover device 115 operating in a workspace 205 using a fiducial marker 200 is shown, where information in the fiducial marker 200 may be captured and / or detected using a downward-facing camera 138 .

[0096] Still refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , using the fiducial markers 200 that provide a 2D coordinate system, the rover device 115 can navigate within a workspace without a predetermined track or path. For example, the rover navigable workspace 205 includes features (e.g., fiducial markers 200) that allow the rover device 115 to use sensors to track its current position within the workspace 205. For example, the rover navigable surface of the workspace 205 can include an array of fiducial markers 200 that define a coordinate system for the workspace 205. Therefore, the downward-facing camera 138 of the rover device 115 can be used to observe the array of fiducial markers 200 and continuously determine the current position of the rover device 115 within the workspace 205.

[0097] Now refer to Fig.10 , Fig.11 , Fig.12 and Fig.13 , which shows Figures 3 to 7 14 is a side view of a spatula mechanism behavior sequence of the mobile rover device 115 shown. That is, the laboratory dish transfer mechanism 144 and the spatula mechanism 146 of the laboratory dish carrier 142 are spatula mechanisms in the mobile rover device 115. In the behavior sequence, the laboratory dish transfer mechanism 144 can extend upward from the top of the body or housing 150 (see Fig.11 ) or not extending upward (see Fig.10 ). Similarly, the scraper mechanism 146 may extend laterally from the end of the body or housing 150 (see Fig.13 ) or no lateral extension ( Fig.10 In addition, both the laboratory vessel transfer mechanism 144 and the scraper mechanism 146 can be extended (see Fig.12 ).

[0098] Reference now Fig.14 , which is Figures 3 to 7A top view of a mobile rover device 115 is shown, and shows a labware carrier 142 and a capacitive sensing area. That is, the sensing area senses the presence and absence of a labware 120 and / or senses an obstacle. Capacitive sensing (sometimes capacitance sensing) is a technology based on capacitive coupling that can detect and measure anything that is conductive or has a dielectric different from air. In a mobile rover device 115, capacitive sensing can be used, for example, to detect and measure the proximity, position, and / or displacement of a labware 120 and / or any obstacle in the path of the rover device 115.

[0099] In some examples, the scraper mechanism 146 can be formed in whole or in part by a printed circuit board (PCB) including certain sensing electrodes. For example, one electrode can form a ground reference area 160, another electrode can form a labware presence detection area 162, another electrode can form a front labware edge detection area 164F, and another electrode can form a rear labware edge detection area 164R. In addition, another electrode can form a left front edge collision detection area 166L, and another electrode can form a right front edge collision detection area 166R. In some embodiments, the scraper mechanism 146 can have all of these sensing electrodes, but in other embodiments, the scraper mechanism 146 can have less than all of these sensing electrodes. In addition, the ground reference area 160 can be set relative to each of the labware presence detection area 162, the front labware edge detection area 164F, the rear labware edge detection area 164R, the left front edge collision detection area 166L, and the right front edge collision detection area 166R.

[0100] Reference now Fig.15 , Figures 3 to 7 The illustrated mobile rover device 115 can have lab ware 120 sensed in relation to the capacitive sensing area of ​​the lab ware carrier 142. In this example, the lab ware presence detection area 162 can be used to generally detect the presence of the lab ware 120. Then, the front lab edge detection area 164F and the rear lab edge detection area 164R can be used to more accurately detect the location of the lab ware 120 on top of the spatula mechanism 146 of the lab ware carrier 142.

[0101] Further targeting this example, Fig.16 A top view of the concept of capacitive sensing integrated into the labware carrier 142 of the mobile rover device 115 is shown. In addition, Fig.17 Shown along Fig.16 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of , which shows an example of an arrangement of capacitive sensing areas in a labware carrier 142 . Fig.16 and Fig.17The labware 120 is shown in relation to certain capacitive sensing regions, such as labware presence detection region 162, front labware edge detection region 164F, and rear labware edge detection region 164R. Fig.17 Electric field lines 168 are shown between the electrodes, which are electric field lines that may be interrupted and / or altered by the presence and / or absence of labware 120 .

[0102] In the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100, the rover device 115 is adapted to carry laboratory vessels containing liquid samples or reagents. Therefore, the rover device 115 must perform its movements in a manner that prevents disturbance and spillage of any liquid in the laboratory vessels it carries. This spill-free movement is achieved by limiting the "jerkiness" of the performed movement. In the field of physics, jerkiness is a known term that represents the rate of change of acceleration. In other words, for any movement performed by the rover device, the rate of change of acceleration must be appropriately minimized in order to minimize disturbance of the materials carried by the rover device.

[0103] Reference now Fig.18A and Fig.18B , respectively, show typical motion profile curves of a subject with and without "jerk". For example, curve 170 shows a typical motion profile curve of a subject with jerk. Conversely, curve 172 shows a typical motion profile curve of a subject without jerk. In the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 described herein, a "subject" may be, for example, Figures 3 to 7 The moving rover device 115 is shown. Because the rover device 115 must move in a manner that prevents the liquid in the laboratory vessel from "sloshing," its motion must appropriately minimize the "jerk," or rate of change of acceleration. In other words, the rover device 115 must move with an "S-curve" motion profile, where the velocity profile is not a trapezoid.

[0104] Mobile rover device 115 (such as Figures 3 to 7 Each of the rover devices 115 shown includes certain control electronics. For example, Fig.19 A block diagram of an example of rover control electronics 125 of a mobile rover apparatus 115 is shown. In this example, the rover control electronics 125 includes a processor 180, a motor driver 182, an image processing algorithm 184, a positioning algorithm 186, a capacitance detection algorithm 188, a communication interface 190, and a weighing scale 192. All of the control electronics may be powered by a battery power source 194, which may be any rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery power source.

[0105] Processor 180 is the main controller for managing the overall operation of mobile rover device 115. Processor 180 may be any standard controller or microprocessor device capable of executing program instructions. Some amount of data storage (not shown) may be associated with processor 180, such as a memory storage device.

[0106] The rover device 115 can execute commands generated by the processor 180, which oversees the execution of the workflow of the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100. In one example, the processor 180 can run a scheduler that allows it to coordinate the tasks of the entire workflow in a centralized manner. In another example, commands can also be generated in a distributed manner, where each module in the integrated system develops its own sequence of actions to implement a specific workflow. The rover device 115 in the system can be selected for a task based on availability and location in the workspace.

[0107] The motor driver 182 may be any motor driver circuit or module for controlling any motor (e.g., a servo motor) within the rover device 115. Examples of motors driven by the motor driver 182 may include the wheel motors 134 and any motors in the labware carrier 142 (not shown).

[0108] The image processing algorithm 184 is an algorithm for controlling and / or processing digital image information from any camera in the rover device 115, such as the forward-facing camera 136 and the rearward-facing camera 138. In one example, the processor 180 and / or the image processing algorithm 184 processes image information of the fiducial marker 200 captured by the forward-facing camera 136 and / or the rearward-facing camera 138 to continuously determine the current position of the rover device 115 within the workspace. In another example, the processor 180 and / or the image processing algorithm 184 processes image information from the forward-facing camera 136, wherein the rover device 115 can learn and adapt to the precise position of the instrument in the workspace. If the instrument is removed from the workspace and replaced at approximately the same position, the rover device 115 can adapt to the displaced instrument position as part of its normal workflow, thereby eliminating the need for a complex recalibration process that may require manual intervention. The autonomous tuning capability of the rover device 115 enables a streamlined recalibration process if the instrument is significantly displaced from its original training position in the workspace. Thus, in the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 described herein, laboratory instruments can be freely placed in the rover-navigable workspace.

[0109] The positioning algorithm 186 is an algorithm for controlling and / or processing position information collected by various sensors on the rover. For example, the position information may include information generated by the image processing algorithm 184 from images captured by one or more of the cameras 136, 138 located on the rover device 115. The positioning algorithm 186 can identify specific features or patterns in the information that correspond to specific features or patterns (e.g., fiducial markers 200) in the workspace with known positions and / or coordinates, and determine the position of the rover device 115 at that moment based on these features and patterns.

[0110] Capacitive detection algorithm 188 is an algorithm for processing information from any capacitive sensing electrodes in rover device 115, such as labware presence detection area 162, front labware edge detection area 164F, rear labware edge detection area 164R, left front edge collision detection area 166L, and right front edge collision detection area 166R.

[0111] The communication interface 190 may be any wired and / or wireless communication interface for connecting to a network (not shown), and through the communication interface 190, information may be exchanged with other devices connected to the network. For example, using the communication interface 190, any rover device 115 may wirelessly communicate with any other rover device 115 and / or with the fleet controller 105 of the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100. Examples of wired communication interfaces may include, but are not limited to, USB ports, RS232 connectors, RJ45 connectors, Ethernet, and any combination thereof. Examples of wireless communication interfaces may include, but are not limited to, intranet connections, the Internet, ISM, technology, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, IEEE402.11 technology, radio frequency (RF), infrared data standards association (IfDA) compatible protocol, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), shared wireless access protocol (SWAP), any combination thereof, and other types of wireless network protocols.

[0112] Thus, the rover device 115 is not tied to the system by a cable. That is, the rover device 115 can communicate wirelessly with instruments in the system and with other rover devices 115 via the processor 180 and the communication interface 190. In addition, the rover device 115 can be battery powered (e.g., battery power source 194) and can maneuver itself to a battery charging station (not shown) arranged in the workspace when the battery level is below a threshold or during an idle period.

[0113] The weigh scale 192 may be mounted in the spatula mechanism 146 or in any other location of the labware carrier 142. The weigh scale 192 may be used to measure changes in mass of material carried by the rover device 115. For example, the weigh scale 192 may be used to measure the amount of liquid added to or removed from a piece of labware located on top of the spatula mechanism 146.

[0114] In the example of using weighing scale 192, rover device 115 can be ordered to transport empty reagent reservoir from liquid handling device to reagent dispensing device, so that refill empty reservoir. At reagent dispensing device, rover device 115 positions itself so that reagent dispensing device can dispense new reagent into reagent reservoir. Then, when reagent reservoir is filled by reagent dispenser, rover device 115 can use weighing scale 192 to measure the mass change of reagent reservoir, so that the amount of fluid distributed by reagent dispenser can be judged. In addition, rover device 115 can use weighing scale 192 to measure the mass change of reagent reservoir, to determine when reagent reservoir is empty and must be refilled.

[0115] In some embodiments, the rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 may include RFID technology. For example, the liquid handler device 110 and / or the rover device 115 may be equipped with RFID technology. In this example, the processor 180 has the ability to process RFID data from one or more RFID readers (not shown) in the liquid handler device 110 and / or the rover device 115.

[0116] Now refer to Fig. 20 , Fig.21 , Fig. 22 and Fig.23 , which is publicly available for Figures 3 to 7 The scraper mechanism behavior sequence of the mobile rover device 115 is shown. In the rover device 115, the scraper mechanism is, for example, a laboratory dish transfer mechanism 144 and a scraper mechanism 146 of a laboratory dish carrier 142. In addition, Fig.24 , Fig.25 , Fig.26 , Fig. 27 and Fig.28 Integrated with a labware storage rack or stand 198 is shown. Figures 3 to 7 A sequence of spatula labware handover behaviors for the mobile rover device 115 is shown.

[0117] Now refer to Fig.29 , which is only Figures 35 to 66 A perspective view of the mobile rover device 115 is shown animated for illustration purposes in the following sequence of operations shown. That is, Figures 35 to 66A series of screen shots are shown which illustrate the sequence of operations of a simple liquid handling device 310 in combination with one or more rover devices 115. The simple liquid handling device 310 is Figure 1 An example of a liquid handler device 110 of a rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 is shown.

[0118] exist Figures 35 to 66 In the sequence shown, a basic liquid handling protocol is programmed on a pipetting instrument 314 designed to interface with a rover (e.g., rover device 115) carrying labware (e.g., labware 120). In operation, a first labware 120 is loaded onto the rover device 115, where the labware 120 may include, for example, a pipette tip, a 96-well deep well source block, and a 96-well destination plate. Using the protocol described above with reference to Fig.14 , Fig.15 , Fig.16 and Fig.17 The capacitive sensing described above, the rover device 115 can detect the presence of a laboratory dish 120 placed on the rover device 115. The user then programs the liquid handling protocol using a software graphical user interface (GUI) (e.g., GUI 312). When the user is ready to start the process, the pipetting instrument 314 is commanded to execute the protocol. The rover device 115 can maneuver itself into the pipetting instrument 314 and position the laboratory dish 120 so that the pipetting instrument 314 can interact with the laboratory dish 120. The pipetting instrument 314 performs a series of liquid transfer operations, including, for example, first picking up a pipette tip, then sucking liquid from a deep well block, and then dispensing the liquid into a 96-well plate. Finally, the results of the liquid handling operation are completed by the pipetting instrument 314 and delivered to the user.

[0119] Now refer to Fig.67 , another animation is shown for illustration purposes only. Figure 68 to Figure 113 The mobile rover device 115 in the following sequence of operations shown. That is, Figure 68 to Figure 113 A series of screen shots are shown showing the sequence of operations of a simplified modular cell culture automation system 410 in combination with one or more rover devices 115. The simplified modular cell culture automation system 410 is Figure 1 An example of a liquid handler device 110 of a rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 is shown.

[0120] exist Figure 68 to Figure 113 In the sequence shown, a rover (e.g., rover device 115) may be adapted with an omni-directional wheel-based drive system and be able to move in any direction without turning around. Rover device 115 may also be adapted with a gripper tool to pull laboratory vessels from a passive storage device.

[0121] also, Figure 68 to Figure 113 The simplified modular cell culture automation system 410 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a rover-based integrated laboratory system 100 that includes a workspace divided into vertically arranged layers. For example, as described below, the workspace can include one or more elevator platforms 414 for moving the rover device 115 from one layer to another.

[0122] As shown in the sequence, the rover device 115 may begin by entering a cell incubator chamber 411 that stores cell culture samples in SBS format labware in a passive hotel system. The rover (e.g., rover device 115) will then retrieve a sample plate 412. The rover device 115 may then maneuver onto an elevator platform 414 ( Figure 70 to Figure 75 ), the elevator platform raises the rover device 115 to the level of the desired sample plate 412. The rover device 115 can then maneuver itself to the desired storage location to retrieve the sample plate 412 from the storage rack 416. The elevator can then return the rover device 115 to ground level ( Figure 70 to Figure 75 ), and the rover device 115 can exit the incubation chamber through the airlock 418. The rover device 115 can then navigate itself to the imager module 420. Another elevator platform 414 can raise the rover device 115 to the appropriate height to engage with the imager module 420, and the rover delivers the sample plate 412 to the imager module 420. The imager module 420 can then continue to analyze the cell culture sample.

[0123] In parallel, a second rover device 115 may be equipped with a pipette tip tank holder 422 and navigate itself to the consumables storage module via another elevator platform 414. The second rover device 115 may retrieve the pipette tip tank 424 from the storage and may then navigate itself to the pipette instrument 426. In parallel, the first rover 115 may retrieve the sample plate 412 from the imager module 420 and may then navigate itself to the pipette instrument 426. At the pipette instrument 426, multiple rover devices 115 may manipulate the labware and the consumables within the pipette instrument 426 to be able to transfer reagents and samples between labware ( Figure 77 to Figure 96 After the sample is received by the pipette instrument 426, the rover device 115 can navigate the sample plate 412 to the reagent dispenser 428 ( Figures 97 to 100 Then, the reagent dispenser 428 can deliver the desired volume of reagent to the sample plate 412. Finally, the sample plate 412 can be returned to the cell incubation chamber 411 ( Figures 101 to 113 ).

[0124] Following long-standing patent law convention, when used in this application, including the claims, the terms "a," "an," and "the" mean "one or more." Thus, for example, reference to "a subject matter" includes plural subject matter unless the context clearly dictates otherwise (e.g., plural subject matter), and so forth.

[0125] Throughout the specification and claims, the terms "include," "comprising," and "consisting of" are used in a non-exclusive sense, unless the context requires otherwise. Likewise, the term "include" and its grammatical variations are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to the listed items.

[0126] For the purposes of this specification and the appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers used in the specification and claims to represent quantities, sizes, dimensions, ratios, shapes, formulas, parameters, percentages, numbers, characteristics and other numerical values ​​should be understood to be modified by the term "about" in all cases, even if the term "about" may not be explicitly presented with the value, quantity or range. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and the appended claims are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and / or larger or smaller as needed, thereby reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, etc., and other factors known to those skilled in the art, depending on the desired characteristics sought to be obtained by the subject matter of the present disclosure. For example, when referring to a value, the term "about" may be meant to include changes of ±100% in some embodiments, ±50% in some embodiments, ±20% in some embodiments, ±10% in some embodiments, ±5% in some embodiments, ±1% in some embodiments, ±0.5% in some embodiments, and ±0.1% in some embodiments from the specified amount, because such changes are suitable for performing the disclosed method or using the disclosed composition.

[0127] In addition, when used in conjunction with one or more numbers or numerical ranges, the term "about" should be understood to refer to all of these numbers, including all numbers within the range, and to modify the range by extending the boundaries above and below the given values. Numerical ranges expressed by endpoints include all values ​​contained within the range, for example, integers, including fractions thereof (for example, the expression 1 to 5 includes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and fractions thereof, for example, 1.5, 2.25, 3.75, 4.1, etc.) and any range within the range.

[0128] Although the foregoing subject matter has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automated laboratory system for liquid handling, comprising: (i) a workspace, the workspace comprising: fiducial markers, the fiducial markers forming a 2D coordinate system; a rover component capable of freely navigating in the 2D coordinate system; multiple vertically arranged layers; an elevator for raising and lowering the rover component to each of the plurality of vertically arranged levels; a piece of labware within the workspace, the piece of labware comprising an RFID tag; and Laboratory Techniques for Pipetting (ii) the rover component within the workspace, the rover component comprising: an RFID reader configured to read an RFID tag on the labware component; one or more cameras, wherein the one or more cameras are used to identify the position of rover components within the workspace by identifying fiducial markers within the workspace; A drive system based on omnidirectional wheels, which can move in any direction without turning around; a labware component carrier platform having a capacitive sensing area for sensing the presence of a labware component located on the labware component carrier platform; and a spatula mechanism adapted to transfer the labware component from the rover component to a position within the workspace; (iii) a fleet controller for commanding the rover component within the workspace to engage the labware component of the laboratory technology for pipetting operations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the labware component comprises a liquid handler device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the liquid handler device is a multi-channel liquid handler having independent spans and independent Z-actuation in each channel.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the liquid handler device is an 8-channel liquid handler having independent spans and independent Z-actuation on each of the 8 channels.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising the scraper mechanism being a slidable scraper mechanism providing vertical movement.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the rover component having an omni-wheel based transmission system is configured with an S-curve velocity motion profile.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein laboratory instruments are freely placeable in the workspace.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising control software on the fleet controller that schedules tasks for various workflows occurring within the workspace, including cell culture experiment tasks.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a battery charging station within the workspace, wherein the rover component is capable of being powered by a battery and is capable of maneuvering itself to the battery charging station disposed in the workspace.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the labware component carrier platform on the rover component comprises a weighing scale.

11. A method for automated laboratory use in liquid handling, comprising: (i) providing a workspace, the workspace comprising: fiducial markers, the fiducial markers forming a 2D coordinate system; a rover component capable of freely navigating in the 2D coordinate system; multiple vertically arranged layers; an elevator for raising and lowering the rover component to each of the plurality of vertically arranged levels; a piece of labware within the workspace, the piece of labware comprising an RFID tag; and Laboratory Techniques for Pipetting (ii) engaging the rover component within the workspace, the rover component comprising: an RFID reader configured to read an RFID tag on the labware component; one or more cameras, wherein the one or more cameras are used to identify the position of rover components within the workspace by identifying fiducial markers within the workspace; A drive system based on omnidirectional wheels, which can move in any direction without turning around; a labware component carrier platform having a capacitive sensing area for sensing the presence of a labware component located on the labware component carrier platform; and a spatula mechanism adapted to transfer the labware component from the rover component to a position within the workspace; (iii) The laboratory technique of commanding the rover components within the workspace to perform pipetting operations using a fleet controller via wireless communication.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the labware component comprises a liquid handler device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid handler device is a multi-channel liquid handler having independent spans and independent Z-actuation in each channel.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the liquid handler device is an 8-channel liquid handler having independent spans and independent Z-actuation on each of the 8 channels.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing the scraper mechanism with vertical movement as a slidable scraper mechanism.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the rover component having an omni-wheel based transmission system is configured with an S-curve velocity motion profile.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein laboratory instruments are freely placeable in the workspace.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising a battery charging station within the workspace, wherein the rover component is capable of being powered by a battery and is capable of maneuvering itself to the battery charging station disposed in the workspace.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising scheduling tasks for various workflows occurring within the workspace, including cell culture experiment tasks, on control software on the fleet controller.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the labware component carrier platform on the rover component comprises a weighing scale.

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