Sample Holder Shuttle

Abstract

A sample holder shuttle for holding sample holders for laboratory processes such as PCR thermal cycling, focused acoustic energy manipulation, etc. The sample holders can be received in openings in the shuttle, allowing multiple sample holders to be held by the shuttle and moved or otherwise manipulated simultaneously. A cover can engage with the sample holders, for example, to press the sample holders downward into contact with the shuttle.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] A method and apparatus for a sample holder, such as a shuttle, for simultaneously holding and moving multiple sample tubes. [Background technology]

[0002] Sample holders, including individual tubes or containers, as well as containers in multiwell plates, sometimes called microtiter plates or microplates, are widely used in laboratories and other applications to hold and process liquid samples, e.g., for diagnostic testing and research. These containers are used to expose the samples to a variety of different manipulations, including acoustic energy, heating / cooling cycles such as those used in PCR processing, etc. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some embodiments, a sample holder shuttle for holding one or more sample holders for laboratory processing includes a plate having a plurality of openings, each configured to receive and hold a respective sample holder, such that a lower portion of the sample holder hangs or protrudes from a bottom side of the plate, e.g., such that the lower portion is exposed to receive acoustic, thermal, or other energy for handling the sample in the sample holder. In some embodiments, the plate may be flat or planar and / or may have first and second opposing edges and third and fourth opposing edges, e.g., the plate may have a rectangular shape. In some cases, first and second gripper walls may extend from the plate, e.g., the gripper walls may extend upward from a top side of the plate at the first and second opposing edges, respectively. The first and second gripper walls may be configured to engage a robotic gripper or other automated handler and support the plate and sample holders received in the plurality of openings. For example, the gripper wall can be configured to allow a robotic gripper to lift the shuttle and associated sample holder and move or otherwise manipulate the shuttle and sample holder in a desired manner, for example, between laboratory handling stations within an automated sample material processing system. In some embodiments, the sample holder shuttle can include a machine-readable feature, such as an RFID tag or barcode, configured to identify the source, compatibility, or other features of the shuttle and / or the sample holder held by the shuttle. Such a feature can aid in automated tracking and processing of sample materials held by the shuttle. In some cases, the plate can include a notch extending inward from an edge of the plate, e.g., a first notch can extend inward from a third edge of the plate. In some embodiments, the notch can be configured to align a cover relative to the plate and / or to align the plate relative to another component.

[0004] In some embodiments, the plurality of apertures may be configured in a symmetrical rectangular array, such as an 8x12, 4x6, 6x8, or other rectangular array commonly used for sample tubes or other sample holders in laboratory processing. In some cases, the apertures may be configured in any regular or irregular array or arrangement. In some instances, the plurality of apertures may be configured to engage a rim of a sample holder such that a portion of the sample holder below the rim hangs or depends from the plate. In some embodiments, a portion of a sidewall of the sample holder (e.g., a sidewall of a tube) may engage a plate at a respective aperture such that the sample holder is supported by the plate and the lower portion of the sample holder depends from the lower portion of the plate. For example, the plurality of sample holders may each be configured as a tube having a lower portion and an upper portion, the upper portion configured to engage a portion of the plate adjacent a respective one of the plurality of apertures to support the tube such that the lower portion hangs or depends from the plate. Arranging the tubes to hang or protrude from the plate may expose the tubes to various handling conditions, such as receiving acoustic and / or thermal energy for handling sample material held in the tubes. In some cases, engagement of the sample holder with the plate in the opening may orient the sample holder in a desired direction relative to the plate, for example, in a direction along the plane of the plate (e.g., in the X and Y directions) and in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate (e.g., in the Z direction). For example, the sample holder may have a longitudinal axis along which it extends, and engagement of the sample holder with the opening may orient the longitudinal axis to be perpendicular to the plane of the plate.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first and second gripper walls can each include a gripping surface facing outward, away from the plate, configured to engage with a robotic gripper or other automated handler. For example, the gripping surfaces can be perpendicular to the plane of the plate and / or can include gripping surfaces having anti-slip features configured to engage with a robotic gripper. The anti-slip features can include surface roughness, resilient pads or other elements, and / or grooves. In some cases, the gripper walls can be configured to allow a robotic gripper to clamp onto the gripper wall by exerting a force on the wall inward toward the center of the plate.

[0006] In some cases, a notch on a plate may have a surface that is parallel to one or more other edges of the plate. For example, a notch extending inward from the third edge of the plate may have surfaces that are parallel to the first and second edges of the plate. This may assist the notch in orienting the edge of the plate relative to another component, such as a cover or tube rack.

[0007] In some cases, the cover may be configured to extend over at least a portion of the plate to cover the plurality of openings and / or the sample holder held by the shuttle. In some embodiments, the cover may include an alignment feature configured to engage with the shuttle and / or the sample holder to orient the cover relative to the shuttle. For example, the alignment feature on the cover may engage with a notch in the plate to align the cover with the plate. In some examples, the plate may include first and second notches, and the cover may include first and second alignment features configured to engage with respective ones of the first and second notches to align the cover with the plate. For example, the first and second alignment features may each include wedges disposed at an angle to each other and including opposing sides configured to engage with corresponding surfaces of the respective notches. The first and second notches may each have a surface parallel to the edge of the plate and may be configured to align the cover, for example, relative to the edge of the plate, to engage with a respective side of each one of the wedges.

[0008] In some cases, the cover may be configured to extend over at least a portion of the plate to cover the plurality of openings and / or the sample holders held by the shuttle, and the cover may be configured to press downward on one or more sample holders received in the plurality of openings. For example, the cover may be configured to be supported against the plate by one or more sample holders, and the cover may be configured to have sufficient mass to press the one or more sample holders into engagement with the plate. The engagement force may help the sample holders maintain engagement with the shuttle and / or orient the one or more sample holders relative to the plate. In some embodiments, one or more sample holders may include radially extending flanges positioned on the plate proximate the openings in which the sample holders are received, and the force of the cover on the one or more sample holders may press the flanges into contact with the plate to orient the sample holders relative to the plate.

[0009] In some embodiments, each of the multiple sample holders may be configured as a tube having a lower portion and an upper portion. The upper portion may be configured to engage a portion of the shuttle's plate near a respective one of the multiple openings to support the tube so that the lower portion hangs from the plate. The cover may be configured to engage each of the multiple sample holders to press the multiple sample holders into contact with the plate. In some cases, each of the multiple sample holders may include a cap covering an opening in the upper portion of the sample holder, and the cover may be configured to engage with the cap to press the sample holder into contact with the plate. In some embodiments, each cap may include a recess, and the cover may include multiple protrusions, each configured to engage with a corresponding recess on the cap of a sample holder. Engagement of the protrusions with each cap may orient the cover relative to the shuttle and / or the sample holder relative to the shuttle, and / or may aid in engaging the sample holder shuttle with the shuttle's plate.

[0010] In some cases, the plurality of sample holders may each be configured as a tube having a lower portion, an upper portion, and an interior volume extending from an opening in the upper portion to the lower portion, the upper portion may be configured to engage a portion of the plate of the shuttle near a respective one of the plurality of openings such that the lower portion depends from the plate to support the tube, and the plurality of sample holders may be configured to hold samples within the interior volume for manipulation by focused acoustic energy.

[0011] In some cases, the openings in the shuttle plate may receive a respective sample holder such that the sample holder is relatively easily removed from the opening, e.g., by lifting the sample holder off the shuttle. In some embodiments, the openings in the shuttle may each be configured to engage with a sample holder received therein to lock the sample holder in place relative to the shuttle. For example, the openings may be configured to engage with the sample holder to prevent rotation about and / or movement along the longitudinal axis of the sample holder relative to the shuttle. Such engagement may be useful for automated capping / decapping of the sample holder or to ensure that the sample holder is not separated from the shuttle.

[0012] In some embodiments, a sample holder assembly for holding one or more sample holders for laboratory processing is provided. The assembly can include a shuttle having a plate including a plurality of openings, each configured to receive and hold a respective sample holder, with a lower portion of the sample holder depending from the bottom side of the plate and exposed to receive acoustic energy for manipulating the sample in the sample holder. The assembly and / or shuttle can have any one or more features described above or elsewhere herein, and can include one or more features in any suitable combination. For example, the shuttle can have (or not have) openings configured to lock the sample holder onto the shuttle, can have (or not have) cover alignment notches, etc. The assembly can include (or not have) a cover having any of the described features, such as masses and configurations for pressing the sample holder into contact with the shuttle.

[0013] Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.

[0014] Aspects of the present invention are described with reference to the following drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements and in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sample holder shuttle and associated sample holder and cover in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a sample holder shuttle and associated sample holder and cover positioned on an acoustic energy handling device for treating sample material in the sample holder with acoustic energy. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 illustrates a top perspective view of an alternative cover positioned over multiple sample holders held by a sample holder shuttle in another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the cover of FIG. 3, showing protrusions on the bottom of the cover for engaging the sample holder. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a sample holder rack for use with a sample holder shuttle and sample holders held by the shuttle in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 shows an end view of multiple sample holders held by the sample holder shuttle and sample holder rack of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a top view of a sample holder shuttle having an opening configured to engage a sample holder in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a top perspective view of the sample holder shuttle of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 10 illustrates a top view of a sample holder shuttle having an opening configured to engage a sample holder in another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 illustrates a top view of a sample holder shuttle having an opening configured to engage a sample holder in yet another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 11]10 illustrates a top view of a sample holder shuttle having an opening configured to engage a sample holder in yet another exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a sample holder shuttle 2 and associated sample holders 10 and cover 3. Shuttle 2 is configured to hold one or more sample holders 10 and move sample holders 10 between multiple locations, such as different locations where sample material within holders 10 undergoes one or more handling processes. Examples of such processes include, but are not limited to, handling with focused acoustic energy or other sonication, thermal cycling or other temperature adjustment, storage, incubation, pipetting, capping / decapping, etc. Sample holder 10 can be configured in any suitable manner, such as including a container 1 having a rim 13 and an opening at the upper end of container 1 defining an interior volume in which sample material 12 can be held. Sample material 12 can be any suitable liquid, solid, semi-solid, and / or combination of such components, and can include bone or other tissue, leaves, seeds, or other plant material, blood, or any other biological material that can be subjected to one or more laboratory processes and analyses. The sample holder 10 may include a cap 11 for covering an opening to the interior volume of the vessel 1; e.g., the cap 11 may seal the closed interior volume from the external environment. The cap 11 engages the vessel 1 by threaded engagement, an interference fit, welding, etc., and thus the vessel 1 may include threads or other engagement features for engaging with the cap 11 on the interior and / or exterior surfaces of the vessel wall. In some embodiments, the cap 11 may include a recess 14 including, e.g., fins, ribs, notches, or other features useful for automated capping / decapping. For example, a robotic or other tool may be configured to engage the cap 11 to threadably engage the cap 11 and vessel 1, e.g., within the recess 14 or at an engagement feature on another portion of the cap 11, and / or to rotate the cap 11 relative to the vessel 1 to place the cap 11 on or remove it from the vessel 1. The cap 11 and / or the container 1 may include a gasket, such as an O-ring or other mechanism to help seal the opening of the closed container 1, for example, to isolate the sample material 12 within the container from environmental conditions outside the container 1. In some cases, the container 1 may include a sidewall that extends from the rim 13 to the bottom of the container 1, which may be circular, square, etc.Vessel 1 may be made of any suitable material, such as polypropylene, polymethylpentene, or polycarbonate material, to provide the vessel with good compatibility for use in thermal cycling (e.g., as used in PCR processing or other thermal applications) and / or focused acoustic energy handling, such as that performed with a Covaris acoustic handling instrument (Covaris, Woburn, Massachusetts) or other ultrasonic processes. However, vessel 1 may be made of any single material or combination of materials, such as polymethylpentene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, low-density polyethylene (LDP), high-density polyethylene (HDP), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), and / or cyclic olefin polymer (COP) materials (or others), that provide desirable performance for acoustic energy handling or other processing conditions.

[0017] The shuttle 2 may include a plate 21 including first and second opposing edges 22, 23 and third and fourth opposing edges 24, 25. In some cases, the plate 21 may define a rectangle, although other shapes are possible, such as trapezoidal and other polygonal, circular, oval, irregular, etc., and the plate 21 may be made of any suitable material, such as metal, plastic, composite, thermosetting material, etc. The plate 21 may be planar, e.g., the top surface of the plate 21 may be in a single plane, and may include a plurality of openings 26 each configured to receive and hold a respective sample holder 10, with lower portions of the sample holders depending from the bottom side of the plate 21 and exposed to receive acoustic energy, e.g., for manipulating the samples in the sample holders 10. The openings 26 may be arranged in a regular rectangular array, e.g., an 8×12 array, or in any other suitable regular or irregular arrangement. The opening 26 may be sized and / or shaped to position a corresponding sample holder 10 parallel and / or perpendicular to the plane of the plate 21, e.g., to precisely position the sample material 12 for exposure to the focal region of acoustic energy. For example, the sample holder vessel 1 may have a circular cross-sectional shape, and the opening 26 may be sized and / or shaped to fit snugly or otherwise properly with the vessel 1 and position the vessel 1 in a desired manner in one or more directions (e.g., orthogonal directions) along the upper surface of the plate 21. In some cases, the sample holder 10 may have a rim 13 or other feature that engages with the plate 21 so that the sample holder 10 is properly positioned or otherwise oriented relative to the plate 21. For example, the rim 13 of the vessel 1 may have a lower surface that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vessel 1 (e.g., perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vessel's cylindrical shape). The rim 13 may contact the upper surface of the plate 21 around the opening 26 such that the container 1 is positioned to extend from the plate 21 in a desired manner, for example to hang perpendicularly from the plate 21 .Appropriate positioning of the container 1 relative to the plate 21 can be useful, for example, so that the container 1 and sample material 12 are precisely positioned for exposure or other handling relative to the focal region of acoustic energy (e.g., in the form of a circular spot or line).

[0018] The shuttle 2 may include first and second gripper walls 27 extending upward from the plate 21, for example, at or near the first and second opposing edges 22, 23, respectively. The first and second gripper walls 27 may be configured to engage with a robotic gripper or other device so that the sample holder 10 held by the shuttle 2 can be lifted, moved, and / or placed in a desired manner. The gripper walls 27 may thus support the plate 21 and sample holder 10 received in the plurality of openings 26 for any suitable movement. The gripper walls 27 may each have a gripping surface configured to engage with a robotic gripper or other device facing outward, away from the plate 21, so that the robotic gripper can exert an inwardly directed clamping force on the walls 27. Alternatively or additionally, the gripper walls 27 may have gripping surfaces arranged in other manners, facing downward and toward the plate 21, facing inward and parallel to the plane of the plate 21, defined by holes or grooves in the walls 27, etc. In some cases, gripper walls 27 may each include a gripping surface including an anti-slip feature 27a configured to engage a robotic gripper, such as a suitable surface roughness, a resilient pad, or one or more grooves. Gripper walls 27 may extend along all or a portion of edges 22, 23 and may extend upward relative to plate 21 to any suitable extent. In some cases, gripper walls 27 may be centered along respective edges 22, 23. Gripper walls 27 may include a single wall element and / or multiple wall elements separated from one another by one or more gaps.

[0019] In some cases, the cover 3 may be configured to extend over at least a portion of the plate 21 to cover at least some of the openings 26 and / or sample holders 10 held by the shuttle 2. In some cases, the cover 3 may help cover openings of vessels 1 held by the shuttle 2, for example, where the openings of the vessels 1 are not covered by the caps 11. Alternatively or additionally, the cover 3 may cover the caps 11 of the sample holders 10, for example, to help prevent the accumulation of foreign matter on the caps 11 and / or plate 21 and / or to help maintain the sample holders 10 properly held in place on the shuttle 2. In some cases, the shuttle 2 and / or cover 3 may include alignment features to help accurately position the cover 3 relative to the shuttle 2. For example, the cover 3 may include one or more alignment features 31 configured to engage corresponding notches 28 or other alignment features on the shuttle 2 to align the cover 3 with the plate 21. In some cases, the cover may include first and second alignment features 31 configured to engage with respective ones of the first and second notches 28 to align the cover 3 and the plate 21. Each of the alignment features 31 may include wedges disposed at an angle relative to one another and including opposing sides configured to engage with corresponding surfaces of the respective notches 28. In some cases, the notches 28 may have surfaces parallel to the first and second edges 22, 23 of the plate 21, respectively, and may be configured to engage with respective sides of each one of the wedges. Thus, when the cover 3 is lowered onto the shuttle 2 such that the leading or lowest ends of the wedges 31 are positioned within the notches 28, the wedges 31 and the notches 28 may interact to properly align the cover 3 with the shuttle 2 as the cover 3 is lowered onto the shuttle 2. Other alignment features are possible, including conical engagement features on the cover and shuttle, alignment pins, etc. A machine-readable mechanism 29 on the shuttle 2, such as an RFID tag, a bar code, alphanumeric text, or the like, may be provided to identify the source of the shuttle or the suitability of the shuttle.For example, a handling device intended to be used to handle sample material 12 held by sample holders 10 on a shuttle 2 may read the machine-readable mechanism 29 to ensure that the shuttle 2 and associated sample holders 10 are suitable for use with the handling device and / or to help track the shuttle / sample holder location and processing of the sample material 12 within the sample holders 10. This may be employed as part of an automated sample tracking and handling process that tracks the movement and handling progress of sample holders 10 and shuttle 2 as they move through a multi-step laboratory process. In some cases, sample holders 10 may also include a machine-readable mechanism that can be read to enable sample holders 10 to be associated with a particular shuttle 2, e.g., so that sample holders 10 can be tracked in their movement and processing after they are associated with the shuttle 10, without having to read each individual sample holder 10.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the shuttle 2 and cover 3 of FIG. 1 , along with two sample holders 10 held by the shuttle 2. In some embodiments, the cover 3 can be positioned to extend over the shuttle 2 to cover at least some of the openings 26 in the shuttle 2 and the sample holders 10 held by the shuttle 2. The cover 3 can be configured to press downward onto one or more sample holders 10 received in the openings 26, e.g., to orient the sample holders 10 relative to the plate 21. For example, the cover 3 can contact the cap 11 or other portion of the sample holder 10 to press downward onto the sample holder 10. This downward force, or the force on the sample holder 10 directed toward the plate 21, can help to keep the sample holder 10 engaged with the shuttle 2. In some cases, the cover 3 can be configured to have sufficient mass to press the sample holder 10 into engagement with the plate 21, e.g., to orient the sample holder 10 relative to the plate 21. For example, each sample holder 10 may include a radially extending flange or other portion that contacts the plate 21 proximate the opening 26 through which the sample holder 10 is received. The force of the cover 3 on the sample holder 10 may press the flange or other sample holder portion into contact with the plate 21 to orient the sample holder 10 relative to the plate 21. In some cases, the force of the cover 3 on the sample holder 10 may cause the sample holder vessel 1 to hang from the plate 21 such that the longitudinal axis of the vessel 1 is perpendicular to or properly oriented relative to the plate 21 or the plane of the plate 21. Properly orienting the sample holder 10 may help to properly position the vessel 1 and sample material 12 for handling.

[0021] For example, FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an acoustic handling system 100 that can be used to handle sample material 12 held on a shuttle 2 by a sample holder 10. In some embodiments, the acoustic handling system 100 includes an acoustic energy source having an acoustic transducer 14 (e.g., including one or more piezoelectric elements) capable of generating an acoustic field (e.g., at a focal region 17) suitable for causing, for example, cavitation-induced mixing and / or other effects on a sample contained in the container 1. The container 1 held by the shuttle 2 can be lowered from the position shown in FIG. 2 so that at least a portion of the container 1 is in contact with a coupling medium 16 of the acoustic handling system 100. Acoustic energy can be transferred from the transducer 14 to the container 1 through the coupling medium 16, such as a liquid (e.g., water), a gel, or other semi-solid, or a solid, such as silica, a metal, or other material. Thus, the transducer 14 can be spaced from the container 1 and can transmit acoustic energy from outside the container volume for transfer into the container 1 through the coupling medium 16. If the binding medium 16 is a liquid, a binding medium container 15 may be used to hold the binding medium 16. Proper positioning of the sample holder 10 with respect to the shuttle 2 may help ensure that the vessel 1 and sample material are positioned at a known location relative to the acoustic field, e.g., at least partially within the focal region 17 of the acoustic energy. While FIG. 2 depicts the focal region 17 as having a spherical shape, it is possible to generate a linear focal region or multiple focal regions 17, for example, extending across multiple vessels 1 held by the shuttle 2 for handling multiple samples simultaneously. The system control circuitry 101 may control various functions of the system 100, including operation of the acoustic transducer 14, positioning the shuttle 2 and vessels 1 held by the shuttle 2, receiving operator input (e.g., commands for system operation), outputting information (e.g., indicator lights, sample handling status information in electronic data format, etc., to a visible display screen), etc. Accordingly, the system control circuitry 101 may include any suitable components for performing the desired control, communication, and / or other functions.For example, system control circuitry 101 may include one or more general purpose computers, a network of computers, one or more microprocessors, etc., for performing data processing functions; one or more memories (including, e.g., volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as optical disks and disk drives, semiconductor memory, magnetic tape or disk memory) for storing data and / or operating instructions; communication buses or other communication devices (including, e.g., various wires, switches, connectors, Ethernet communication devices, WLAN communication devices, etc.) for wired or wireless communication; software or other computer-executable instructions (including, e.g., instructions for implementing functions related to controlling load current control circuits for transducer 14 and other components); It may include a power supply or other power source (such as a plug for connecting to an electrical outlet, battery, transducer, etc.), relays and / or other switching devices, mechanical linkages, one or more sensors or data input devices (such as sensors for detecting the temperature and / or presence of media 16, video cameras or other imaging devices for capturing and analyzing image information about container 1 or other components, position sensors for indicating the position of acoustic transducer 14 and / or container 1, etc.), user data input devices (such as buttons, dials, knobs, keyboards, touch screens, or the like), information display devices (such as LCD displays, indicator lights, printers, etc.), and / or other components to provide desired input / output and control functions. For details regarding the structure and operation of acoustic transducers and their control, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,948,843 and 6,719,449 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0022] 3 shows another exemplary arrangement for a cover 3 for use with a sample holder shuttle 2 and associated sample holder 10. In some embodiments, the cover 3 may include gripper walls 37, e.g., in a similar style to those provided on the shuttle 2. This allows the cover 3 to be movable by a robotic gripper or other automated device, e.g., so that the cover 3 can be placed on the shuttle 2 to help hold the sample holder 10 in place and / or removed from the shuttle 2 to allow the sample holder to be placed on and / or removed from the shuttle 2. In some cases, the cover 3 may include feet 32 ​​or other features to help define the distance between the lower side of the cover 3 and the sample holder 10, to help support the cover 3 on the shuttle 2, and / or to allow the cover 3 to be placed on a surface away from the shuttle 2 while avoiding contact between the cover 3 and the lower surface. This may help reduce the risk of potential contamination of the sample material, as the cover 3 may be less likely to lift and deposit foreign matter on the sample holder 10 and / or shuttle 2. The legs 32 can also help maintain a desired distance between the shuttle 2 and the cover 3 and an orientation of the cover 3 relative to the shuttle 2 when less than all of the openings 26 of the shuttle 2 receive sample holders 10. For example, if only a few sample holders 10 are received at one end of the shuttle 2, the cover 3 may contact the sample holders 10, but otherwise the cover 3 may not be supported relative to the shuttle 2. The legs 32 can contact the plate 21 in areas where no sample holders 10 are located and support the cover 3 while maintaining a desired orientation and position of the cover 3 relative to the shuttle 2. In some cases, the cover 3 may be configured to latch or otherwise engage or connect with the shuttle 2, for example, such that the cover 3 is locked or held in place relative to the shuttle 2 unless the latch or other engagement mechanism is released.This may allow, for example, a robotic gripper to grasp only the cover 3 and lift it along with the attached shuttle 2 and sample holder 10 engaged with the cover 3. As an example, the cover 3 may include a latch including an arm pivotally attached to the cover 3 at a pivot. The latch arm may have a lower end below the pivot that is positionable adjacent the shuttle 2 on which the cover 3 is placed, for example, such that the lower end of the latch arm is adjacent a portion of the gripper wall 27 of the shuttle 2. The lower end of the latch arm may have a hook extending inward from the lower end of the latch arm that is engageable with an opening in the gripper wall 27 or other surface. The upper end of the latch arm may extend above the pivot, for example, to a location where a portion of the upper end of the latch arm is adjacent to the gripper wall 37 of the cover 3. The latch arms may be spring biased to pivot about a pivot axis such that the lower ends of the latch arms are biased to move inward toward the gripper wall 27 of the shuttle 2 and the upper ends of the latch arms are biased away from the gripper wall 37 of the cover 3. Thus, when the cover 3 is placed on the shuttle 2, hooks on the lower ends of the latch arms may engage with openings or other features in the gripper wall 27 of the shuttle 2 under the spring bias such that the cover 3 is coupled to the shuttle 2. This engagement may be lifted, for example, by a robotic gripper grasping the gripper wall 37, and the cover 3 may support the shuttle 2 such that the shuttle 2 moves with the cover 3. To release the cover 3 from the shuttle 2, the upper ends of the latch arms may be moved inward toward the cover 3 to release the hooks on the latch arms from the shuttle 2. This may be done, for example, by the robotic gripper grasping or otherwise contacting the upper ends of the latch arms such that the upper ends are moved inward against the spring bias to release the lower ends from the shuttle 2. This allows the cover 3 to be released from the shuttle 2. It should be noted that latch arms may be provided on opposite sides of the cover 3 extending downwardly from both gripper walls 37, for example, so that the shuttle 2 may be engaged at or near both gripper walls 27.Other arrangements for releasably engaging the cover 3 and shuttle 2 are possible.

[0023] 4, cover 3 may include alignment features 31 in the form of one or more protrusions, e.g., frustoconical elements, depending downwardly from the lower surface of cover 3. Alignment features 31 may engage with the respective cap 11 or other portion of sample holder 10 to help hold holder 10 in place and / or align holder 10 relative to shuttle 2. By way of example, the frustoconical alignment features 31 in FIG. 4 may engage with recesses 14 in cap 11 of sample holder 10 such that sample holder 10 is properly aligned in directions along the plane of plate 21 (e.g., horizontal) and / or perpendicular to the plane of plate 21 (e.g., vertical).

[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates a tube rack 5 that, in some embodiments, can be used to receive sample holder vessels 1 held by a shuttle 2. The tube rack 5 in FIG. 5 is merely one of many possible components that can receive sample holders 10 held by a shuttle 2, including an acoustic handling system 100 such as that of FIG. 2, a PCR thermocycler, etc. The tube rack 5 can be employed for multiple purposes, such as supporting the shuttle 2 and associated sample holders 10 when the sample holders 10 are loaded onto the shuttle 2, and assisting in automated capping / decapping of the sample holder vessels 1. For example, in some cases, the tube rack 5 can include multiple cavities 51, each for receiving a corresponding vessel 1. Each cavity 51 can include one or more tabs 52 or engagement features for engaging with a corresponding vessel 1 received in the cavity 51, as shown, for example, in FIG. 6. In some cases, the vessels 1 can include one or more fins 1a or other engagement features configured to engage with the tabs 52 or other engagement features in the cavities 52 of the tube rack 5. Engagement of container fins 1 a with tabs 52 (or other engagement mechanism) can help resist rotation of container 1 within cavity 52 more than a certain amount, for example, rotation of container 1 greater than 30 to 90 degrees can be resisted. Thus, cap 11 on container 1 can be engaged, for example by an automated capper / decapper, such that cap 11 is rotatable relative to container 1 for removal of cap 1 from and / or engagement of cap 11 with container 1.

[0025] In some embodiments, sample holder vessel 1 can be received into opening 26 of shuttle 2 such that vessel 1 can be relatively easily removed from opening 26 (e.g., by vertically lifting) and / or rotated about a longitudinal or vertical axis while held within opening 26 of shuttle 2, but shuttle 2 can be configured to engage vessel 1 such that vessel 1 cannot be easily removed from opening 26 and / or rotated about a longitudinal or vertical axis. Such engagement can be useful, for example, in ensuring that vessel 1 does not release from shuttle 2, rotate relative to shuttle 2 (e.g., for automated capping / decapping purposes), and / or move along a vertical or longitudinal axis (e.g., when a relatively light vessel 1 is immersed in a water bath of an acoustic handling system and vessel 1 "floats" upward relative to shuttle 2). FIGS. 7 and 8 show a shuttle 2 including opening 26 configured to engage with sample holder vessel 1 such that the vessel is locked in place relative to shuttle 2 when received within opening 26. Thus, engagement of the container 1 with the shuttle 2 at the opening 26 can prevent rotation of the container 1 relative to the shuttle 2 about a vertical axis (or an axis perpendicular to the plate 21) and / or movement of the container 1 along the vertical axis relative to the plate 21. In some embodiments, the opening 26 can have an elliptical or elongated shape, for example, two opposing portions of the opening 26 along its minor axis defining a partial circular shape having a radius shorter than the radius of the cylindrical portion of a container received in the opening 26, and two other opposing portions of the opening along its major axis configured to avoid contact with a container received in the opening 26. The opposing portions defining the partial circular shape are configured to engage with the cylindrical portion of the container such that the container is crushed and potentially deformed between the opposing wall portions. This firmly engages the container with the opposing circular wall portions and prevents rotation and / or vertical movement of the container 1 relative to the shuttle 2. Of course, the configuration of the opening 26 in FIGS. 7 and 8 is only one possible arrangement, and others can be employed for the same purpose. For example, Figure 9 shows the opening 26 of the shuttle 2 having a circular shape with a toothed or sawtooth feature extending around the opening.The tooth or sawtooth features are configured to engage the container wall and deform the container to, for example, prevent rotational and / or longitudinal movement of the container relative to shuttle 2, and / or the tooth / saw features cut into the container wall. FIG. 10 shows an arrangement in which opening 26 has a generally circular shape with three spikes or triangular protrusions extending radially inward from the opening wall. The spikes or triangular protrusions are configured to cut into the container wall and / or deform the container wall when a container is engaged in the opening. FIG. 11 shows another arrangement in which the opening has a generally circular shape and a generally rectangular shape extending radially inward from the opening wall. These tabs, like teeth, sawtooth, or spikes, are configured to cut into the container wall and / or deform the container wall when a container is received to securely engage the container with shuttle 2.

[0026] While aspects of the present invention have been described with reference to various exemplary embodiments, such aspects are not limited to the described embodiments. As such, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations of the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of aspects of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. A sample holder shuttle for holding one or more sample holders for laboratory processing, comprising: a plate including first and second opposing edges, third and fourth opposing edges, and a plurality of openings each configured to receive and hold a respective sample holder, a lower portion of the sample holder depending from a bottom side of the plate and exposed to receive acoustic energy for manipulating a sample in the sample holder; first and second gripper walls extending upwardly from a top side of the plate at the first and second opposing edges, respectively, the first and second gripper walls configured to engage a robot gripper and support the plate and a sample holder received in the plurality of openings; a first notch extending inwardly from the third edge configured to align the cover with the plate; a sample holder shuttle comprising:

2. The sample holder shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures are arranged in a symmetric rectangular array.

3. 2. The sample holder shuttle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings are configured to engage the rim of the sample holder such that a portion of the sample holder below the rim hangs from the plate.

4. further comprising a plurality of sample holders; 2. The sample holder shuttle of claim 1, each configured as a tube having a lower portion and an upper portion, the upper portion configured to engage a portion of the plate adjacent a respective one of the plurality of openings to support the tube so that the lower portion hangs from the plate.

5. 2. The sample holder shuttle of claim 1, wherein the first and second gripper walls each include a gripping surface facing outwardly away from the plate and configured to engage the robotic gripper.

6. The sample holder shuttle of claim 5 , wherein the grip surface is perpendicular to the plane of the plate.

7. 10. The sample holder shuttle of claim 1, wherein the first and second gripper walls each include a gripping surface including a non-slip mechanism configured to engage the robotic gripper.

8. The sample holder shuttle of claim 7 , wherein the anti-slip features include surface roughness, resilient pads, or grooves.

9. The sample holder shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the first notch has a surface that is parallel to the first and second edges.

10. 10. The sample holder shuttle of claim 1, further comprising an RFID tag configured to identify the source of the shuttle or the suitability of the shuttle.

11. a cover configured to extend over at least a portion of the plate to cover the plurality of openings; The sample holder shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes an alignment feature configured to engage the first notch to align the cover with the plate.

12. a second notch extending inwardly from the fourth edge; 12. The sample holder shuttle of claim 11, wherein the cover includes first and second alignment features configured to engage respective ones of the first and second notches to align the cover with the plate.

13. 13. The sample holder shuttle of claim 12, wherein the first and second alignment features each comprise a wedge disposed at an angle to one another and including opposing sides configured to engage corresponding surfaces of the respective notches.

14. 14. The sample holder shuttle of claim 13, wherein the first and second notches each have a surface parallel to the first and second edges and configured to engage a respective side of a respective one of the wedges.

15. a cover configured to extend over at least a portion of the plate to cover the plurality of openings; The sample holder shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the cover is configured to press downwardly on one or more sample holders received in the plurality of openings.

16. the cover is configured to be supported relative to the plate by the one or more sample holders; 16. The sample holder shuttle of claim 15, wherein the cover is configured to have sufficient mass to press the one or more sample holders into engagement with the plate to orient the one or more sample holders relative to the plate.

17. each of the one or more sample holders includes a radially extending flange positioned on the plate proximate the opening in which the sample holder is received; 17. The sample holder shuttle of claim 16, wherein the force of the cover on the one or more sample holders presses the flange into contact with the plate to orient the sample holder relative to the plate.

18. further comprising a plurality of sample holders, each configured as a tube having a lower portion and an upper portion; the upper portion is configured to engage a portion of the plate adjacent a respective one of the plurality of openings to support the tube such that the lower portion depends from the plate; 16. The sample holder shuttle of claim 15, wherein the cover is configured to engage each of the plurality of sample holders to urge the plurality of sample holders into contact with the plate.

19. each of the plurality of sample holders includes a cap covering an opening in the upper portion of the sample holder; 20. The sample holder shuttle of claim 18, wherein the cover is configured to engage the cap to force the sample holder into contact with the plate.

20. each cap includes a recess; 20. The sample holder shuttle of claim 19, wherein the cover includes a plurality of protrusions each configured to engage with the recess of a corresponding cap of a sample holder.

21. a plurality of sample holders each configured as a tube having a lower portion, an upper portion, and an interior volume extending from an opening in the upper portion to the lower portion; the upper portion is configured to engage a portion of the plate adjacent a respective one of the plurality of openings such that the lower portion depends from the plate to support the tube; The sample holder shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sample holders are configured to hold samples within the interior volume for manipulation by focused acoustic energy.

22. 2. The sample holder shuttle of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of openings is configured to engage a sample holder received in the opening to lock the sample holder in place relative to the shuttle.

23. 23. The sample holder shuttle of claim 22, wherein the opening is configured to engage the sample holder to prevent rotation about and movement along a longitudinal axis of the sample holder relative to the shuttle.

24. 1. A sample holder assembly for holding one or more sample holders for laboratory processing, comprising: a shuttle having a plate including a plurality of openings, each opening configured to receive and hold a respective sample holder; a lower portion of the sample holder depending from a bottom side of the plate and exposed to receive acoustic energy for manipulating a sample in the sample holder; Sample holder assembly.

25. a cover configured to extend over at least a portion of the plate to cover the plurality of openings; 25. The assembly of claim 24, wherein the cover is configured to press downwardly on one or more sample holders received in the plurality of openings.

26. 26. The assembly of claim 25, wherein the cover is configured to be supported relative to the plate by the one or more sample holders and has sufficient mass to press the one or more sample holders into engagement with the plate to orient the one or more sample holders relative to the plate.

27. 25. The assembly of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of openings is configured to engage a sample holder received therein to lock the sample holder in place relative to the shuttle.

28. 28. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the opening is configured to engage the sample holder to prevent rotation about and movement along a longitudinal axis of the sample holder relative to the shuttle.

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