Receptacle transport system for analytical systems

Abstract

To provide a receptacle transport system for an analytical system.SOLUTION: A receptacle delivery system includes a carriage 20 configured to move from a first location to a second location of an instrument. The carriage 20 may be configured to removably support a receptacle 50 and may include a receptacle clamping mechanism. A receptacle mechanism may be configured to apply clamping force to the receptacle 50 as the carriage 20 moves from the first location to the second location and release the clamping force as the carriage moves from the second location to the first location.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a receptor transport system for an analysis system and a method of using the disclosed receptor transport system.

Background Art

[0002] Today's laboratories are facing increasing pressure to automate operations in order to increase throughput and processing consistency, address shortages of medical technicians, and reduce errors. Some laboratories use sample transport systems such as conveyors to connect the equipment within the laboratory, thereby enabling samples provided in a single sample loading area to be automatically and sequentially delivered to multiple pieces of equipment without human intervention. The equipment connected in this way can be used to perform tests of the same type or different types.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] In some embodiments, a receptacle delivery system for equipment is disclosed. The system may include a pack configured therein to removably support a receptacle. The pack may include a plurality of fingers arranged around a vertical axis, one or more springs connecting the plurality of fingers and thereby biasing the plurality of fingers toward the vertical axis, a support disc, a synchronization disc, and a retaining ring. Each of the plurality of fingers may have a contact surface configured to contact a receptacle seated in the pack. The support disc may include (i) a disc sidewall protruding from the base to define a pocket for seating the receptacle, (ii) a plurality of first cavities formed in the base and extending in the direction of the vertical axis, and (iii) a pack passage extending through opposing portions of the disc sidewall in a direction offset across the vertical axis. Each of the plurality of fingers may be rotatably coupled to the support disc in a corresponding first cavity of the plurality of first cavities. The synchronization disc may be positioned in a pocket of the support disc. Each of the multiple fingers can be coupled to a synchronization disk such that the contact surfaces of the multiple fingers move synchronously toward or away from the vertical axis. The retaining ring can then couple the multiple fingers, the support disk, and the synchronization disk together.

[0004] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may additionally or alternatively include: a plurality of fingers arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to a vertical axis; at least the upper part of the contact surface of each of the plurality of fingers may be inclined; each of the plurality of fingers may include a first end and a second end extending substantially across the first end; the first end may include a contact surface; the second end may include an internal cavity and an external cavity; the internal cavity may be positioned closer to the vertical axis than the external cavity; the synchronization disk may include a plurality of radially extending slots; and each of the plurality of fingers may include a slot and finger of the plurality of radially extending slots. A plurality of fingers may be slidably coupled to a synchronization disk by a first pin extending through an internal cavity of the support disk, each of the plurality of first cavities of the support disk may include a bearing at least partially positioned therein, each of the plurality of fingers may be rotatably coupled to the support disk by a second pin extending through a bearing in the first cavity of the plurality of first cavities of the support disk and in the external cavity of the finger, one end of each second pin may extend through a bearing, the opposite end of the second pin may extend into the corresponding cavity of the retaining ring, and one or more springs coupling the plurality of fingers may be O-rings The O-ring may include an elastomer material, and the pack may further include a first bearing positioned on one side of the support disc and a second bearing positioned on the opposite side of the support disc, and the system may further include a holder, the holder may have a central cavity defined by a holder sidewall and a holder passage extending through the holder sidewall, the holder passage may extend in a direction offset across a vertical axis, the pack is positioned in the central cavity and configured to rotate around a vertical axis relative to the holder, and the holder sidewall is positioned on one side of the central cavity The system may include a first holder sidewall that is cut and a second holder sidewall located on the opposite side of the central cavity, the holder passage may include a first holder passage portion extending through the first holder sidewall and a second holder passage portion extending through the second holder sidewall, the system may further include a signal emitter and a signal detector, the signal emitter may be located at one end of the holder passage, the signal detector may be located at the opposite end of the holder passage, and the signal emitter may be coupled to the first holder sidewall and the signal detector may be coupled to the second holder sidewall, and the system may include one or more of these features.

[0005] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may additionally or alternatively include a first sensor coupled to the holder, configured to rotate the pack around an axis perpendicular to the holder so that a signal from a signal emitter is received by a signal detector when the receptacle is not seated in the pack, aligning the pack passage with the holder passage; the system may further include an electric motor coupled to the support disc of the pack via a belt; the support disc of the pack may include a flange protruding from the base in the opposite direction to the sidewall of the disc; the belt may engage with the flange of the support disc; the system may further include a sign reader configured to read encoded data of a machine-readable sign on a receptacle seated in the pack, the sign reader being a barcode reader, the machine-readable sign being a barcode; the system may further include a carriage configured to move the device from a first position to a second position; the holder may be coupled to the carriage; and the sidewalls of the pack are relative to each other. The pack passage may include a plurality of side wall segments spaced apart and arranged around the pocket, the plurality of side wall segments may include a first side wall segment located on one side of the pocket and a second side wall segment located on the opposite side of the pocket, the pack passage may include a first pack passage portion extending through the first side wall segment and a second pack passage portion extending through the second side wall segment, each of the plurality of first cavities of the pack may be located in a space formed between two adjacent side wall segments of the plurality of side wall segments, and the receptacle is When seated in the pack, the pocket of the support disc may receive the lower part of the receptacle, the multiple fingers may consist of four fingers, each of the multiple fingers may contain anodized aluminum, each of the multiple fingers may contain anodized aluminum coated with polytetrafluoroethylene or a fluoropolymer, the multiple fingers may be joined together such that when the receptacle is inserted into the space between the contact surfaces of the multiple fingers, one or more springs extend and the contact surfaces move away from the vertical axis, increasing the space between the contact surfaces, and the longitudinal axis of the pack passage may be offset from the vertical axis, and,It may also include one or more of the following characteristics: the longitudinal axis of the packing passage can be offset from the vertical axis by a distance of approximately 3 mm to 6 mm.

[0006] In some embodiments, a receptacle delivery system for instruments is disclosed. The disclosed system may include a carriage that supports a pack. The carriage may be configured to move with the pack from a first position to a second position within an instrument having multiple instruments. The first position may be a position configured so that a receptacle supported by the carrier is transported to a pack supported by the carriage. The second position may be a position configured so that fluid from a receptacle seated in the pack is drawn into a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of the instrument.

[0007] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may additionally or alternatively include a pack that rotates relative to the carriage around the vertical axis of the pack, a sign reader configured to read encoded information of a machine-readable sign on a receptacle seated on the pack when the carriage is positioned in a first position, a sensing system coupled to the carriage, the sensing system configured to determine whether a receptacle is seated on the pack, and the sensing system (a) a receptacle seated on the pack The sensing system may be configured to detect whether the longitudinal axis of the carriage is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether a receptacle seated in the pack is inserted to a desired depth, the pack may include a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, the carriage may include a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, the sensing system may include a signal emitter and a signal detector, and when the first and second passages are aligned, the signal detector detects the aligned first and second passages The system may be configured to receive a signal from a signal emitter via a signal emitter, the signal emitter may be an optical emitter, the signal detector may be a photodetector, the signal may be a light beam, the system may further include a conveyor extending adjacent to each of a plurality of devices, the system may further include a carrier configured to support a fluid-containing receptacle, the receptacle moving along the conveyor while supported by the carrier, the system may further include a pick-and-place device configured to transfer the receptacle from the carrier to a pack, the system may further include a rail, the carriage may be configured to move the rail from a first position to a second position, the system may further include a first electric motor operably coupled to the carriage and configured to move the carriage from a first position to a second position, the fluid extraction device may be a pipette, and the system may further include a support mechanism configured to selectively apply force to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned at the second position to prevent the receptacle from being pulled out of the pack when a tip associated with the fluid extraction device is pulled out of the receptacle.The pack may include one or more features, which include a plurality of spring-loaded members configured to detachably support a receptacle between them.

[0008] In some embodiments, a method for delivering receptacles to equipment is disclosed. This method may include: supporting a fluid-containing receptacle on a carrier; transporting the carrier supporting the receptacle on a conveyor extending adjacent to each of a plurality of equipment; transferring the receptacle from the carrier to a pack supported on the carriage when the carriage is positioned at a first position; moving the carriage having the receptacle seated in the pack from a first position to a second position in one of the plurality of equipment; and drawing at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle seated in the pack to a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of the equipment when the carriage is positioned at the second position.

[0009] Various embodiments of the disclosed method additionally or alternatively include rotating the pack relative to the carriage around the vertical axis of the pack, using a sign reader to read encoded information on a machine-readable sign of a receptacle seated in the pack when the carriage is positioned in a first position, and using a sensing system to detect, when it is determined that a receptacle is seated in the pack, whether (a) the longitudinal axis of the receptacle seated in the pack is inclined with respect to the vertical, and / or (b) whether the receptacle seated in the pack is inserted to a desired depth, wherein the pack includes a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, the carriage includes a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, the use of the sensing system includes rotating the pack to align the first and second passages, the sensing system includes a signal emitter and a signal detector, and the first and second passages When the paths are aligned, the signal detector may be configured to receive a signal from a signal emitter via aligned first and second paths when the receptacle is not seated in the pack, the signal emitter may be an optical emitter, the signal detector may be a photodetector, the signal may be a light beam, the transfer of the receptacle from the carrier to the pack may be performed using a pick-and-place device having multiple arms for releasably gripping the receptacle, the movement of the carriage may include operating an electric motor to move the carriage on the rail from a first position to a second position, the fluid extraction device may be a pipette, and this method may further include selectively applying a force to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in the second position, no force being applied to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in the first position, and the transfer of the receptacle from the carrier to the pack may include releasably supporting the receptacle between multiple spring-loaded members of the pack.

[0010] In some embodiments, a receptacle delivery system for equipment is disclosed. The disclosed system may include a carriage configured to move from a first position to a second position, a pack coupled to the carriage, and a receptacle clamping mechanism. The pack may be configured to removably support a receptacle inside. The receptacle clamping mechanism may include a pair of opposing support pads configured to (a) contact a receptacle seated in the pack when the carriage is positioned in the second position, and (b) separate from the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in the first position.

[0011] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may be configured, additionally or alternatively, to include a pair of meshing gears coupled to a pair of support pads, such that when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, the pair of support pads move toward each other and when the carriage moves from a second position to a first position, the pair of meshing gears rotate in opposite directions relative to each other, causing the pair of support pads to move toward each other; a pair of actuator arms, each of which actuator arms may be coupled at one end to a different support pad of the pair of support pads and at the opposite end to a different gear of the pair of meshing gears; a cam arm, such that when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, one end of the cam arm may be coupled to a gear of the pair of meshing gears and the opposite end of the cam arm may move along a downwardly inclined path; and a cam arm The opposite end of the cam arm may include a roller configured to roll along an inclined path as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and further comprising (a) a cam arm having a first end coupled to a first gear of a pair of meshing gears and a second end opposite to the first end, and (b) an inclined path having an inclined surface extending substantially parallel to the path of the carriage from a first position to a second position, wherein as the carriage moves along the path between the first position and the second position, the second end of the cam arm may move along the inclined surface and the first gear A cam arm configured to rotate such that (a) when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, it rotates the first gear of a pair of meshing gears in a first direction and the second gear of a pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and (b) when the carriage moves from a second position to a first position, it rotates the first gear in a second direction and the second gear in a first direction; and a pair of support pads, each of which may include a contoured surface and the support pads face each other.

[0012] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may additionally or alternatively include: each support pad of a pair of support pads may include a substantially V-shaped groove; the support pads may face each other; each support pad of a pair of support pads may include an elastomer, the elastomer may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and rubber; the receptacle clamping mechanism may further include one or more springs configured to bias the pair of support pads away from each other when the carriage is positioned in a first position; the pair of support pads may be configured to apply a clamping force to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a second position and not apply a clamping force to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a first position; when the carriage is positioned in a second position, the pair of support pads may be configured to apply a clamping force of about 10 N to about 30 N to the receptacle; a first electric motor may be operably coupled to the carriage and may be configured to move the carriage between a first position and a second position; a second electric motor may be operably coupled to the pack. The carriage may be configured to rotate the pack within the carriage when the carriage is positioned in a first position, and the carriage may further include a sensor configured to detect that the pack has rotated to a predetermined position within the carriage, the sensor may be a Hall effect sensor, and a sensing system configured to detect whether a receptacle is seated in the pack, and the pack may include a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, the sensing system may be configured to detect whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated in the pack is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether the receptacle seated in the pack is inserted into the pack to a desired depth, the pack may be rotatably supported within the housing of the carriage, the housing may include a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, the sensing system may include a signal emitter and a signal detector, and when the first and second passages are aligned when the receptacle is not seated in the pack, the signal detectorIt may also include one or more of the following features: it may be configured to receive signals from a signal emitter via aligned first and second paths.

[0013] Various embodiments of the disclosed system additionally or alternatively include the fact that the signal emitter may be an optical emitter, the signal detector may be a photodetector, the signal may be a light beam, and when the first and second paths are aligned, (a) the optical emitter may be configured to direct the light beam to an incident region on the outer surface of a receptacle seated in a pack, and (b) the photodetector may be configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from the optical emitter when the receptacle is not seated in a pack, and when the receptacle is properly seated in a pack, the incident region is the receptacle The incident region may be offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, and when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident region may be offset from the base of the receptacle by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm, the signal emitter and signal detector may be coupled to the carriage, the first shelf may be mounted on the carriage, the second shelf may be positioned in the second position, and when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the first shelf may be positioned below the second shelf. When the carriage is positioned in the second position, the vertical clearance between the first shelf and the second shelf may be approximately 1 mm to approximately 6 mm, the second shelf may define the first opening, and when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the first opening may be aligned with the receptacle seated in the pack, such that the tip associated with the fluid extraction device of the instrument is movable into the receptacle through the first opening, and the first opening may be an inwardly extending recess defined by the side wall of the second shelf, and when the carriage is positioned in the first position, the labeling A rail, on which a carriage is configured to move along the rail between a first position and a second position, and a pick-and-place device configured to transport receptacles from an external position to a pack, and the pick-and-place device may be configured to transport receptacles from a receptacle carrier supported by a receptacle transport conveyor to a pack, the receptacle transport conveyor supports a receptacle carrier that supports receptacles,The pack may include one or more of the following features: configured for transport to locations adjacent to multiple devices, and the pack may include multiple spring-loaded members configured to detachably support receptacles between them.

[0014] In some embodiments, a method for delivering a receptacle to a device is disclosed. This method may include: supporting the receptacle with a carriage; operating an electric motor to move the carriage between a first and second position of the device while the receptacle is supported by the carriage; applying a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first position to the second position; and releasing the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second position to the first position. In some embodiments, applying a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first position to the second position means that the clamping force is applied to the receptacle while the carriage is in the process of moving from the first position to the second position. Similarly, in some embodiments, releasing the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second position to the first position means that the clamping force is released from the receptacle as the carriage is in the process of moving from the second position to the first position.

[0015] Various embodiments of the disclosed method may additionally or alternatively include: applying a clamping force to the receptacle may include applying a force of about 10 N to about 30 N to the receptacle; applying a clamping force to the receptacle may include moving a pair of support pads to contact the receptacle as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position; releasing the clamping force may include moving a pair of contact pads away from the receptacle as the carriage moves from a second position to a first position; applying and releasing the clamping force may include moving the carriage from a first position to a first position. When moving between a first and second position, this may include rotating a pair of meshing gears coupled to a pair of support pads in opposite directions to each other, and rotating the pair of meshing gears may include (a) rotating the first gear of the pair of meshing gears in a first direction and rotating the second gear of the pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and (b) rotating the first gear in a second direction and rotating the second gear in a first direction when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position, a pair Rotating the meshing gears may include (a) moving the first end of the cam arm along a downwardly inclined path as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and (b) moving the first end along an upwardly inclined surface as the carriage moves from a second position to a first position, wherein the second end of the cam arm is coupled to a gear of a pair of meshing gears, and supporting the receptacle within the carriage may include detachably supporting the receptacle within a rotatable pack positioned within the carriage, and the receptacle Removably supporting may include positioning the receptacle between a plurality of spring-loaded members of the pack, the method may further include transporting the receptacle from a receptacle delivery system to the pack using a pick-and-place device, the electric motor may be a first electric motor, the method may further include operating a second electric motor to rotate the pack within the carriage when the carriage is positioned in a first position, and the method may further include using a sensor to detect that the pack has rotated to a predetermined position within the carriage.The present invention may further include, while the pack is rotating, using a sign reader to read encoded information from a machine-readable sign on the receptacle, and further including using a sensing system associated with the carriage to detect whether (a) the longitudinal axis of the receptacle supported by the pack is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether the receptacle supported by the pack has been inserted into the pack to a desired depth, and the present invention may include one or more of the following features: the pack may be rotatably supported within a housing of the carriage, the pack includes a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack, and the housing includes a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack.

[0016] Various embodiments of the disclosed method may additionally or alternatively include a signal emitter and a signal detector, and when the first and second passages are aligned when the receptacle is not seated in the pack, the signal detector may be configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages, the signal emitter may be an optical emitter, the signal detector may be a photodetector, the signal may be a light beam, and using the sensing system is to direct the light beam from the optical emitter to the photodetector, and fewer receptacles seated in the pack The light beam may be positioned at least partially between the light emitter and the photodetector, and may include directing the light beam and determining which portion of the light beam, if any, is received by the photodetector, and directing the light beam may include directing at least a portion of the light beam to the incident region on the outer surface of a receptacle seated in a pack, and when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident region may be offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the vertical axis of the pack, and when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident region may be offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle The carriage may be offset by a distance such that the electric motor is activated, and the carriage may be positioned in a second position such that the first shelf attached to the carriage is positioned below the second shelf coupled to the equipment, and the second shelf may be detachably coupled to the equipment in the second position, and when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the first shelf may be vertically spaced about 1 mm to about 6 mm away from the second shelf, and positioning the carriage in the second position such that the first opening formed in the second shelf is positioned above the receptacle. The method may include positioning the carriage so as to align with the receptacle, and the method may include orienting a tip associated with the fluid extraction device of the instrument toward the receptacle through a first opening and thereby bringing into contact with the fluid contained in the receptacle, further including drawing an aliquot of fluid onto the tip, and after drawing the aliquot of fluid onto the tip, removing the tip from the receptacle to a position above the first opening, and the receptacle may include a passable cap covering the opening of the receptacle, (i) orienting the tip toward the receptacle,(i) the cap may be pierced by the tip, and (ii) removing the tip from the receptacle may include one or more of the following features:

[0017] Various embodiments of the disclosed method additionally or alternatively include: moving the tip to a position above the top surface of a second shelf after removing the tip from the receptacle; lowering the tip to a distance of approximately 1 mm to approximately 5 mm from the top surface of the shelf after moving the tip to a position above the top surface of the second shelf; moving the tip to trace a predetermined path along the surface of the second shelf after lowering; moving the tip to trace a predefined path, which includes moving the tip around an upwardly extending projection on the top surface of the second shelf; removing the tip from above the top surface of the second shelf through a second opening formed in the side wall of the second shelf after moving the tip to trace a predefined path; removing the tip from above the top surface of the second shelf, which includes moving the tip through the second opening without changing the vertical position of the tip on the surface, so that when the tip is removed from the receptacle, a portion of the fluid is suspended from the tip and traces the path. As the tip is moved, at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the tip is deposited on the upper surface of the second shelf, and after the tip has been moved to a position above the upper surface of the second shelf, when the tip is removed from the receptacle, a portion of the fluid suspended from the tip is suspended from the second shelf below the first opening, and activating an electric motor may further include moving the carriage from the second position to the first position after the tip has been moved and traced a predetermined path, thereby suspending the fluid from the upper surfaces of the second shelf and the first shelf The method may include one or more of the following features: cleaving at least a portion of the fluid, depositing the cleaved fluid on the upper surface of the first shelf, and detaching the second shelf from the equipment; removing at least a portion of the fluid deposited on the upper surface of the second shelf after detaching the second shelf from the equipment; connecting the second shelf to the equipment after removing at least a portion of the fluid deposited on the upper surface of the second shelf; and removing at least a portion of the fluid deposited on the upper surface of the first shelf after moving the carriage from the second position to the first position.

[0018] In some embodiments, a receptacle delivery system for equipment is disclosed. The disclosed system may include a carriage, a pack rotatably supported by the carriage, a first electric motor configured to move the carriage between a first and second position of the equipment, and a second electric motor configured to rotate the pack around a vertical axis. The pack may include a plurality of spring loads arranged around the vertical axis and configured to detachably support a receptacle between them.

[0019] Various embodiments of the disclosed system additionally or alternatively include an O-ring that biases a plurality of fingers toward the vertical axis of the pack, the O-ring being made of an elastomer, the elastomer being selected from the group consisting of silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and rubber, each of the plurality of fingers being configured to include an upper portion configured to contact a receptacle and a base portion extending substantially across the upper portion, the base portion of each finger being rotatably coupled to a support disc of the pack at a pivot point, and the base portion of each of the plurality of fingers being around the associated pivot point A sensor configured to rotate, the upper portion of each of the multiple fingers may include an inclined surface, the inclined surfaces of the multiple fingers may be arranged in a funnel-shaped configuration with respect to a vertical axis, the multiple fingers may include four equally spaced fingers, each of the multiple fingers may include anodized aluminum coated at least partially with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), a sensor configured to detect that the pack has rotated to a predetermined position in the carriage, the sensor may be a Hall effect sensor, and the sensing system may be configured to detect whether the receptacle is seated on the pack, the pack The pack may include a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, and the sensing system may be configured to detect whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated in the pack is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether the receptacle seated in the pack is inserted into the pack to a desired depth, the pack may be rotatably supported within the housing of the carriage, the housing may include a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, and the sensing system may include a signal emitter The receptacle may include a signal detector, and when the first and second passages are aligned when the receptacle is not seated in the pack, the signal detector may be configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages, the signal emitter may be an optical emitter, the signal detector may be a photodetector, the signal may be a light beam, and when the first and second passages are aligned, (a) the optical emitter may be configured to direct the light beam to an incident region on the outer surface of the receptacle seated in the pack, and (b) the photodetector may, when the receptacle is not seated in the pack,The device may include one or more of the following features: it may be configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from an optical emitter; when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident region may be offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle; when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident region may be offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the vertical axis of the pack; when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident region may be offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle; and the signal emitter and signal detector may be coupled to the carriage.

[0020] In some embodiments, a receptacle delivery system for equipment is disclosed. The disclosed system may include a carriage configured to move along rails from a first position to a second position of equipment. The carriage may include a bracket having opposing first and second side walls and a base extending between the first and second side walls. The carriage may be configured to support a receptacle. The carriage may also include a pair of opposing support pads and a pair of meshing cam gears rotatably coupled to the first side wall. The pair of support pads may be configured to (a) move toward the receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and (b) move toward the receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the second position to the first position. Each cam gear of the pair of meshing cam gears may be coupled to a different support pad of the pair of support pads.

[0021] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may, additionally or alternatively, include a bracket that is substantially U-shaped, a second side wall of the bracket that includes an elongated slot aligned with a receptacle supported by a carriage, a sign reader configured to read encoded information of a machine-readable sign on the receptacle through the elongated slot when the carriage is positioned in a first position, a rotatable pack including a plurality of spring-loaded fingers configured to support the receptacle between them, the pack being coupled to a bracket below the base such that the plurality of fingers extend through an opening in the base into the space between the first and second side walls of the bracket, a first electric motor being operably coupled to the pack, and when the carriage is positioned in a first position, the carriage is... The carriage may be configured to rotate a pack, a sensor may be configured to detect when the pack has rotated to a predetermined position within the carriage, the sensor may be a Hall effect sensor, the carriage may further include a pair of actuator arms, each actuator arm of the pair of actuator arms may be coupled at one end to a different support pad of a pair of support pads and at the opposite end to a different gear of a pair of meshing gears, the carriage may further include (a) a cam arm having a first end and a second end, and (b) an inclined surface extending substantially parallel to a rail, the first end of the cam arm may be coupled to a gear of a pair of meshing gears, and the second end of the cam arm may be configured to move along the inclined surface of the inclined surface of the inclined surface of the inclined surface of the inclined surface of the carriage as the carriage moves between a first position and a second position.

[0022] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may additionally or alternatively include a roller at the second end of the cam arm configured to roll on an inclined surface as the carriage moves between a first position and a second position, wherein the cam arm (a) rotates the first gear of a pair of meshing gears in a first direction and the second gear of a pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction as the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and (b) rotates the first gear in a second direction and the second gear as the carriage moves from the second position to the first position. The carriage may be configured to rotate in a first direction, each support pad of the pair may include a contoured surface, each support pad of the pair may include a substantially V-shaped groove, each support pad of the pair may include an elastomer, the elastomer may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and rubber, and one or more springs may be configured to bias the pair of support pads away from each other when the carriage is positioned in a first position, and when the carriage is positioned in a second position A pair of support pads may be configured to apply a clamping force of about 10N to about 30N to a receptacle supported by the carriage; a second electric motor may be operably coupled to the carriage and configured to move the carriage between a first position and a second position; the carriage may further include a sensing system configured to detect whether a receptacle is seated in the pack; the pack may include a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack; and the sensing system may (a) detect whether a receptacle is seated in the pack. The sensing system may be configured to detect whether the longitudinal axis of the septacle is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether a receptacle seated in the pack is inserted into the pack to a desired depth, the pack is rotatably supported within a carriage housing which may include a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, the sensing system may include a signal emitter and a signal detector, and when the first and second passages are aligned when the receptacle is not seated in the pack, the signal detector,It may include one or more of the following features: it can be configured to receive signals from a signal emitter via aligned first and second paths.

[0023] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may, additionally or alternatively, have a signal emitter that is an optical emitter, a signal detector that is a photodetector, a signal that is a light beam, and when the first and second paths are aligned, (a) the optical emitter may be configured to direct the light beam to an incident region on the outer surface of a receptacle seated in a pack, and (b) the photodetector may be configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from the optical emitter when the receptacle is not seated in a pack, when the receptacle is properly seated in a pack, the incident region may be offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle, when the receptacle is properly seated in a pack, the incident region may be offset by a distance of about 3 mm to about 6 mm from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle, when the receptacle is properly seated in a pack, The region may include one or more of the following features: the region may be offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle; a signal emitter and a signal detector may be coupled to the carriage; a first shelf may be mounted on the carriage; a second shelf may be positioned in a second position; when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the first shelf may be positioned below the second shelf; when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the vertical clearance between the first shelf and the second shelf may be approximately 1 mm to approximately 6 mm; the second shelf may define a first opening; and when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the first opening may be aligned with the receptacle supported by the carriage so that a tip associated with the fluid extraction device of the instrument can move into the receptacle through the first opening.

[0024] In some embodiments, a receptacle delivery system for equipment is disclosed. The disclosed system may include a carriage configured to move from a first position of equipment to a second position of equipment, a pack supported by the carriage, and a first shelf positioned at the second position of equipment. The pack may be configured to removably support a receptacle such that the longitudinal axis of the receptacle substantially coincides with the vertical axis of the pack. The shelf may include (a) a base extending substantially across the vertical axis of the pack, and (b) a first opening defined by the base. When the carriage is positioned at the second position, the longitudinal axis of the seated receptacle in the pack may extend through the first opening.

[0025] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may additionally or alternatively include: a shelf being detachably coupled to a housing of equipment, a shelf being detachably coupled to a housing of equipment using one or more magnets, one or more magnets including a pair of corresponding magnets; a shelf including a first projection extending upward from a base; a housing of equipment including a second projection, the first projection including a first magnet of a pair of magnets, the second projection including a second magnet of a pair of magnets; the top surface of the base comprising a passage defined by an internal projection extending upward from the top surface of the base, and a side wall circumscribing the base, the side wall including a second opening, the second opening being sized to allow the distal end of a pipette tip to pass across; the shelf and housing including a fitted alignment element configured to correctly align the shelf of equipment, the fitted alignment element being the shelf The present invention may include one or more of the following features: a third opening and a third projection coupled to the housing, the third projection extending through the third opening when the second shelf is coupled to the housing, the shape of the outer surface of the third projection may substantially match the shape of the third opening, the housing may include a first recess located at the end of the third projection, the shelf may include a fourth projection positioned close to the third opening, the fourth projection may be positioned in the first recess when the second shelf is the housing, the surface of the shelf may include a concave thumb gripper, the carriage may include a second shelf coupled to the upper surface of the carriage, the second shelf may include a recessed area configured to contain fluid, the second shelf may be detachably coupled to the upper surface of the carriage, and when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the vertical clearance between the first shelf and the second shelf may be about 1 mm to about 6 mm.

[0026] In some embodiments, a receptacle clamping mechanism for a device is disclosed. The system may include a carriage configured to move between a first position and a second position of the device. The carriage may include (a) one or more support members configured to removably support a receptacle between them, and (b) a pair of opposing support pads configured to apply a clamping force to the receptacle supported by the carriage when the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and to release the clamping force from the receptacle when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position. The system may also include a sensing system configured to determine whether the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage.

[0027] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may be configured to additionally or alternatively include a sensing system that determines whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a carriage-supported receptacle is inclined with respect to a vertical axis, and / or (b) whether the carriage-supported receptacle is inserted to a desired depth, and the sensing system may include signal emitters and signal detectors positioned at both ends of a linear axis, and when the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the linear axis (a) passes through the side wall of the receptacle, and (b) The signal emitter may be an optical emitter and the signal detector may be a photodetector, (a) the optical emitter may be configured to direct a light beam to an incident region on the outer surface of a receptacle supported by a carriage, and (b) the photodetector may be configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from the optical emitter when the receptacle is not properly supported by a carriage, and when the receptacle is properly supported by a carriage, the incident region may be offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle When the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident area may be offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle, when the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident area may be offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle, a signal emitter and a signal detector may be coupled to the carriage, a pair of support pads may (a) contact the receptacle supported by one or more support members when the carriage is positioned in a second position, and (b) A pair of actuator arms may be configured such that the ridge is separated from the receptacle when positioned in a first position, a pair of support pads move toward each other when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and separate from each other when the carriage moves from a second position to a first position, a pair of meshing gears may be coupled to a pair of support pads, a pair of meshing gears may rotate in opposite directions relative to each other when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, a pair of support pads move toward each other, and a pair of actuator armsOne or more of the features may include a pair of actuator arms, each of the pair of actuator arms being coupled at one end to a different support pad of a pair of support pads and at an opposite end to a different gear of a pair of meshing gears.

[0028] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may additionally or alternatively include a cam arm, wherein when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, one end of the cam arm may be coupled to a certain gear of a pair of meshing gears, and the opposite end of the cam arm may be configured to move along a downwardly inclined path. The opposite end of the cam arm may include a roller configured to roll along the inclined path when the carriage moves from the first position to the second position. The cam arm may be configured to (a) rotate a first gear of the pair of meshing gears in a first direction and a second gear of the pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and (b) rotate the first gear in the second direction and the second gear in the first direction when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position. Each support pad of the pair of support pads may include a contoured surface or a V-shaped groove. Each support pad of the pair of support pads may include an elastomer, and the elastomer may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and rubber. The system may further include one or more springs configured to urge the pair of support pads away from each other when the carriage is positioned at the first position, and may be configured to apply a clamping force of about 10 N to about 30 N to a receptacle supported by one or more support members when the carriage is positioned at the second position. One or more of these features may be included.

[0029] In some embodiments, a method of delivering a receptacle to a device is disclosed. The method includes supporting a receptacle with a carriage when the carriage is positioned at a first position of the device, activating a sensing system coupled to the carriage to confirm that the receptacle is supported by the carriage, moving the carriage and the receptacle supported therein to a second position of the device, applying a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, using a fluid extraction device of the device at the second position to extract at least a portion of the fluid contained in the receptacle, moving the carriage and the receptacle supported therein from the second position to the first position, and releasing the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second position to the first position.

[0030] Various embodiments of the disclosed system further include, additionally or alternatively, using a sensing system to determine whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a carriage-supported receptacle is inclined with respect to the vertical axis, and / or (b) whether the carriage-supported receptacle is inserted to a predetermined depth, and applying a clamping force may include applying a force of about 10 N to about 30 N to the receptacle, and applying a clamping force to the receptacle may cause a pair of opposing forces to be applied as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position. Applying and releasing a clamping force may include moving the support pads to contact the receptacle, releasing the clamping force may include moving the pair of support pads away from the receptacle as the carriage moves from a second position to a first position, applying and releasing a clamping force may include rotating a pair of meshing gears coupled to the pair of support pads in opposite directions as the carriage moves between a first position and a second position, and rotating the pair of meshing gears may include (a) the first of the pair of meshing gears as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position Rotating the gear in a first direction and rotating the second gear of the pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and (b) rotating the first gear in a second direction and the second gear in a first direction as the carriage moves from a second position to a first position, wherein rotating the pair of meshing gears means (a) moving the first end of the cam arm in a downwardly inclined path as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and (b) moving the first end of the cam arm as the carriage moves from a second position to a first position The method may include moving the part on an upwardly inclined surface, the second end of the cam arm being coupled to a gear having a pair of meshing gears, supporting the receptacle in the carriage may include detachably supporting the receptacle in a rotatable pack positioned within the carriage, detachably supporting the receptacle may include positioning the receptacle between a plurality of spring load members of the pack, and the method may further include transporting the receptacle from a conveyor located outside the equipment to the pack using a pick-and-place device.It may include one or more of the following characteristics.

[0031] Various embodiments of the disclosed system additionally or alternatively include: rotating the pack on the carriage when the carriage is positioned in a first position; using a sensor to detect that the pack has rotated to a predetermined position on the carriage; using a sign reader to read encoded information of a machine-readable sign on the receptacle while the pack is rotating; using a sensing system to direct a signal from a signal emitter toward a signal detector such that the receptacle supported by the carriage is positioned between the signal emitter and the signal detector; determining which portion of the light beam, if any, is received by the photodetector; directing the signal such that at least a portion of the signal is directed toward an incident region on the outer surface of the receptacle supported by the carriage; the signal emitter may be a light emitter, the signal detector may be a photodetector, the signal may be a light beam, and the incident region may be offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle. When the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident area may be offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle, and moving the carriage and the receptacle supported therein to a second position includes positioning the carriage to the second position such that (a) at least a portion of the carriage is positioned below the second shelf of the equipment positioned in the second position, and (b) the receptacle is positioned below the first opening defined by the second shelf, and the carriage and Moving the receptacle supported therein to a second position may include (a) positioning the carriage to the second position such that a first shelf coupled to the carriage is positioned below a second shelf detachably coupled to the equipment in the second position, and (b) positioning the receptacle to the first opening defined by the second shelf, where the carriage is positioned to the second position, the first shelf may be vertically spaced about 1 mm to about 6 mm from the second shelf, and extracting at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle isThe fluid extraction device may include bringing a tip associated with it toward a receptacle through a first opening to contact the fluid contained in the receptacle, extracting at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle may include drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip, and after drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip, further including removing the tip from the receptacle to a position above the first opening, wherein the receptacle may include a passable cap covering the opening of the receptacle, (i) bringing the tip toward the receptacle may include passing the tip through the cap, and (ii) removing the tip from the receptacle may include moving the tip through the passable cap. Furthermore, after removing the tip from the receptacle, the tip may be moved laterally to a position above the second shelf; after moving the tip to a position above the top surface of the second shelf, the tip may be lowered to a distance of approximately 1 mm to approximately 5 mm above the top surface of the second shelf; after moving the tip laterally to a position above the second shelf, the tip may be moved along a predetermined path above the top surface of the second shelf; and moving the tip along a predefined path may include moving the tip around a projection extending upward from the top surface of the second shelf; and after moving the tip along a predefined path, the tip may be removed from above the top surface of the second shelf through a second opening formed in the side wall of the second shelf.

[0032] Various embodiments of the disclosed system additionally or alternatively include: a portion of the fluid extracted from the receptacle is suspended from the chip before the chip moves along a predefined path; at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the chip is deposited on the upper surface of a second shelf while the chip moves along a predefined path; at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the chip before the chip moves along a predefined path is suspended from a second shelf below the first opening after the chip has moved along a predefined path; and moving the carriage and the receptacle supported therein from a second position to a first position cleaves at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the second shelf directly below the first opening. The present invention may include, when the carriage moves from a second position to a first position, depositing cleaved fluid on the upper surface of a first shelf supported by the carriage, detaching the second shelf from the equipment, removing at least a portion of the fluid deposited on the upper surface of the second shelf after detaching the second shelf from the equipment, coupling the second shelf to the equipment after removing at least a portion of the fluid deposited on the upper surface of the second shelf, removing at least a portion of the fluid deposited on the first shelf after moving the carriage to the first position, and removing the receptacle from the carriage using a pick-and-place device after releasing the clamping force from the receptacle.

[0033] In some embodiments, a method for delivering a receptacle to a device is disclosed. This method may include positioning a carriage to a first position of the device, the carriage may include a rotatable pack and may be configured to move the device from the first position to a second position. The pack may be configured to seat the receptacle therein. This method also includes rotating the pack around a vertical axis within the carriage to position the pack to a desired rotational position, using a first sensor to determine whether the receptacle is seated in the pack, and calibrating the sensing sensor if it is determined that the receptacle is not seated. The sensing system may be configured to determine whether the receptacle is seated in the pack. This method may include calibrating the sensing system, seating the receptacle on the pack, using the sensing system to determine whether the receptacle is properly seated on the pack, and, after determining that the receptacle is properly seated on the pack, moving the carriage from a first position to a second position.

[0034] Various embodiments of the disclosed system may additionally or alternatively include determining whether a receptacle is properly seated in a pack by determining (a) whether the longitudinal axis of a seated receptacle in a pack is inclined with respect to a vertical axis, and / or (b) whether the seated receptacle in a pack is inserted to a desired depth, wherein the pack may include a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, and the carriage may extend across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack The method may include a second passage which is aligned, and calibrating the sensor assembly may include rotating the pack to align the first and second passages, and the sensing system may include a signal emitter and a signal detector, and once the first and second passages are aligned, the signal detector may be configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages, the signal emitter may be an optical emitter, and the signal detector may be a photodetector, and the method may include performing brightness calibration of the light beam from the optical emitter after the first and second passages have been aligned. Furthermore, the first sensor may be an indicator reader for the device, and determining whether the receptacle is seated on the pack may include using the indicator reader to detect an indicator on the carriage, the indicator may be positioned out of the line of sight of the indicator reader when the receptacle is seated on the pack, rotating the pack to position it in a desired rotational position may include stopping the rotation of the pack when the Hall effect sensor indicates that the pack is in a desired rotational position, and moving the carriage from a first position to a second position may include the carriage Positioning the carriage to a second position may include positioning the carriage to a second position such that a first shelf attached to the ridge is positioned below a second shelf positioned in a second position, positioning the carriage to a second position may include positioning the carriage to a second position such that the first shelf is vertically separated from the second shelf by a distance of approximately 1 mm to approximately 6 mm, positioning the carriage to a second position may include positioning the carriage to align with a receptacle seated in the pack so that it is positioned below and aligned with a first opening defined by the second shelf.The invention may further include bringing a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of an instrument toward a receptacle through a first opening into contact with a fluid contained in the receptacle, drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip, and, after drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip, removing the tip from the receptacle to a position above the first opening, and the receptacle may include a passable cap covering the opening of the receptacle, and the invention may include one or more of the following features: (i) bringing the tip toward the receptacle may include passing the tip through the cap, and (ii) removing the tip from the receptacle may include moving the tip through the passable cap.

[0035] Various embodiments of the disclosed system additionally or alternatively include moving the chip laterally to a position above the second shelf after removing it from the receptacle, moving the chip to a position above the top surface of the second shelf and then lowering the chip to a distance of about 1 mm to about 5 mm above the top surface of the shelf, moving the chip laterally to a position above the second shelf and then moving the chip along a predefined path above the top surface of the second shelf, moving the chip along a predefined path, moving the chip around a projection extending upward from the top surface of the second shelf, moving the chip along a predefined path and then removing the chip from above the top surface of the second shelf through a second opening formed in the side wall of the second shelf, and a portion of the fluid drawn from the receptacle may be suspended from the chip before it moves along a predefined path, and at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the chip may be deposited on the top surface of the second shelf while the chip is moving along a predefined path, The device may include one or more of the following features: at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the chip before the chip is moved along a predetermined path may be suspended from a second shelf directly below a first opening after the chip has been moved along a predetermined path; moving the carriage from a second position to a first position after the chip has been moved along a predetermined path may include cleaving at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the second shelf below the first opening and depositing the cleaved fluid on the upper surface of the first shelf once the carriage has been moved from the second position to the first position; detaching the second shelf from the device; removing at least a portion of the fluid deposited on the upper surface of the second shelf after the second shelf has been detached from the device; connecting the second shelf to the device after at least a portion of the fluid deposited on the upper surface of the second shelf has been removed; and removing at least a portion of the fluid deposited on the upper surface of the first shelf after the carriage has been moved to the first position.

[0036] In some embodiments, a method is disclosed for supplying fluid to an instrument located adjacent to a conveyor for transporting receptacles between multiple modules. The method comprises: (a) supporting a sample receptacle in an upright orientation on a first carrier; (b) transporting the first carrier on a conveyor extending adjacent to each of the multiple modules, wherein at least one of the modules is an analytical instrument; (c) stopping the first carrier at a position adjacent to the analytical instrument; (d) after step (c), while the first carrier remains on the conveyor, removing the sample receptacle from the first carrier and transporting the sample receptacle to a pickup position in the analytical instrument; (e) transporting the sample receptacle from the pickup position to a pipetting station located inside the analytical instrument; and (f) aspirating the fluid contained in the sample receptacle at the pipetting station and supplying the aspirated fluid to The method may include the steps of: (g) transferring to a reaction receptacle supported by an analytical instrument; (h) aspirating fluid from the sample receptacle and then transporting the sample receptacle from the pipetting station to a pickup position; (i) performing an assay on the aspirated fluid using an analytical instrument to determine the presence or absence of an analyte in the aspirated fluid; and (j) transporting the second carrier supporting the sample receptacle on the conveyor to one or more modules other than the analytical instrument.

[0037] Various embodiments of the disclosed method may, additionally or alternatively, include a first carrier being a pack having a cylindrical base and a pocket formed on the upper surface of the base for seating a sample receptacle, the pack having a plurality of upwardly extending fingers for supporting the sample receptacle in an upright orientation, a conveyor including a mounting track for supporting the first carrier during step (b), the first carrier being propelled on the track by magnetic attraction between the first carrier and the conveyor, an analytical instrument being an instrument for carrying out a nucleic acid-based amplification reaction, step (c) being carried out using a stop element operably associated with the conveyor, the stop element being actuated from a closed position allowing the first carrier to pass over the conveyor to the closed position during step (c), the stop element immobilizing the first carrier in the closed position, the sample receptacle being removed from the first carrier and gripping equipment The method may include one or more of the following features: the sample receptacle may be transported to a pickup position using a carrier; the method may further include the step of determining whether the height and orientation of the sample receptacle are acceptable; step (d) may include the step of a receptacle holder supported by a carriage being able to receive the sample receptacle at the pickup position, the pickup position being located outside the housing of the analytical instrument; step (d) may include the step of the carriage being able to transport the sample receptacle from the pickup position to the pipetting station; the method may further include the step of fixing the sample receptacle to the carriage when the sample receptacle has been transported from the pickup position to the pipetting station, thereby preventing vertical movement of the sample receptacle; the first carrier and the second carrier may be the same carrier; and the assay may include exposing the sample to reagents and conditions for carrying out a nucleic acid-based amplification reaction. The present invention provides, for example, the following: (Item 1) A method for supplying fluid to equipment located adjacent to a conveyor for transporting receptacles between multiple modules, wherein the method is: (a) A step of supporting the sample receptacle in an upright orientation with a first carrier, (b) A step of transporting the first carrier on a conveyor extending adjacent to each of a plurality of modules, wherein at least one of the modules is an analytical instrument, (c) The step of stopping the first carrier at a position adjacent to the analytical instrument, (d) After step (c), while the first carrier remains on the conveyor, the sample receptacle is removed from the first carrier and transported to the pickup position of the analytical instrument, (e) Transporting the sample receptacle from the pickup position to a pipetting station located within the analytical instrument, (f) The step of aspirating the fluid contained in the sample receptacle at the pipetting station and transferring the aspirated fluid to the reaction receptacle supported by the analytical instrument, (g) After aspirating the fluid from the sample receptacle, transport the sample receptacle from the pipetting station to the pickup position, (h) A step of removing the sample receptacle from the pickup position and transporting the sample receptacle to a second carrier located on the conveyor adjacent to the analytical instrument, wherein the second carrier supports the sample receptacle in an upright orientation, (i) The step of performing an assay on the aspirated fluid using the analytical instrument, thereby determining the presence or absence of an analyte in the aspirated fluid, (j) A method comprising the step of transporting the second carrier supporting the sample receptacle of the conveyor to one or more of the plurality of modules that are not analytical instruments. (Item 2) The method according to item 1, wherein the first carrier is a pack having a cylindrical base and a pocket formed on the upper surface of the base for seating the sample receptacle. (Item 3) The method according to item 2, wherein the pack has a plurality of upwardly extending fingers for supporting the sample receptacle in an upright orientation. (Item 4) The method according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the conveyor comprises stationary tracks for supporting the first carrier during step (b). (Item 5) The method according to item 4, wherein the first carrier is propelled on the track by a magnetic attraction between the first carrier and the conveyor. (Item 6) The method according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the analytical instrument is an instrument for performing nucleic acid-based amplification reactions. (Item 7) The method according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein step (c) is performed using a stop element operably associated with the conveyor, the stop element being operated during step (c) from an open position that allows the passage of the first carrier of the conveyor to a closed position, and the stop element immobilizes the first carrier in the closed position. (Item 8) The method according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein the sample receptacle is removed from the first carrier and transported to the pickup position using a gripping device. (Item 9) The method according to any one of items 1 to 8, further comprising the step of determining whether the height and orientation of the sample receptacle are acceptable. (Item 10) The method according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein in step (d), a receptacle holder supported by a carriage receives the sample receptacle at the pickup position. (Item 11) The method according to item 10, wherein the pick position is located outside the housing of the analytical instrument. (Item 12) The method according to item 10 or 11, wherein in step (d), the carriage transports the sample receptacle from the pickup position to the pipetting station. (Item 13) The method according to item 12, further comprising the step of securing the sample receptacle to the carriage when the sample receptacle is transported from the pickup position to the pipetting station, thereby preventing vertical movement of the sample receptacle. (Item 14) The method according to any one of items 1 to 13, wherein the first carrier and the second carrier are the same carrier. (Item 15) The method according to any one of items 1 to 14, wherein the assay comprises exposing the sample to reagents and conditions for performing a nucleic acid-based amplification reaction. (Item 16) A receptacle delivery system for equipment, A pack configured to removably support a receptacle inside, wherein the pack is A plurality of fingers arranged around a vertical axis, wherein each of the plurality of fingers has a contact surface configured to contact a receptacle seated on the pack, One or more springs that connect the plurality of fingers and thereby bias the plurality of fingers toward the vertical axis, A support disc comprising: (i) a disc sidewall protruding from a base and defining a pocket for seating a receptacle; (ii) a plurality of first cavities formed in the base and extending in the direction of the vertical axis; and (iii) pack passages extending across the vertical axis and offset from the vertical axis through opposing portions of the disc sidewall, each of the plurality of fingers being rotatably coupled to the support disc in a corresponding first cavity of the plurality of first cavities; A synchronization disk positioned in the pocket of the support disk, wherein each of the plurality of fingers is coupled to the synchronization disk such that the contact surfaces of the plurality of fingers move synchronously towards or away from the vertical axis; A receptacle delivery system comprising a pack, the pack comprising the plurality of fingers, the support disk, and the holding ring that connects the synchronization disk together. (Item 17) A receptacle delivery system for equipment, A receptacle delivery system comprising a carriage that supports a pack, the carriage configured to move together with the pack from a first position to a second position within one of a plurality of devices, the first position being configured to transfer a receptacle supported by the carrier to the pack supported by the carriage, and the second position being configured to draw fluid from the receptacle seated in the pack into a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of the device. (Item 18) A method for delivering a receptacle to a device, Supporting a receptacle containing fluid with a carrier, Transporting the carrier that supports the receptacle on a conveyor that extends adjacent to each of the multiple pieces of equipment, When the carriage is positioned in the first position, the receptacle is transferred from the carrier to the pack supported by the carriage, Moving the carriage having the receptacle seated on the pack from the first position to the second position within one of the multiple devices, A method comprising drawing at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle seated in the pack into a tip associated with the fluid extraction device of the instrument when the carriage is positioned in the second position. (Item 19) A receptacle delivery system for equipment, A carriage configured to move from a first position to a second position, A pack coupled to the carriage, wherein the pack is configured to removably support a receptacle inside, A receptacle delivery system comprising a receptacle clamping mechanism, the receptacle clamping mechanism comprising a pair of opposing support pads configured to (a) contact a seated receptacle in the pack when the carriage is positioned in the second position, and (b) separate from the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in the first position. (Item 20) A method for delivering a receptacle to a device, Supporting the receptacle with the carriage, While the receptacle is supported by the carriage, an electric motor is operated to move the carriage between a first position and a second position of the device. When the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, a clamping force is applied to the receptacle, A method comprising releasing the clamping force from the receptacle when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position. (Item 21) A receptacle delivery system for equipment, The carriage and, A pack rotatably supported by the carriage, comprising a plurality of spring-loaded fingers arranged around a vertical axis and configured to detachably support receptacles between them, A first electric motor configured to move the carriage between a first position and a second position of the device, A receptacle delivery system comprising: a second electric motor configured to rotate the pack around the vertical axis. (Item 22) A receptacle delivery system for equipment, A carriage configured to move the rail from a first position to a second position of the aforementioned device, wherein the carriage is A bracket having opposing first and second side walls and a base extending between the first and second side walls, wherein the carriage is configured to support a receptacle, A pair of opposing support pads, wherein the pair of support pads are configured to (a) move toward a receptacle supported by the carriage when the carriage moves from a first position toward a second position, and (b) move toward a receptacle supported by the carriage when the carriage moves from a second position toward a first position, A receptacle delivery system comprising a carriage comprising a pair of meshing cam gears rotatably coupled to the first side wall, wherein each cam gear of the pair of meshing cam gears is coupled to a different support pad of the pair of support pads. (Item 23) A receptacle delivery system for equipment, A carriage configured to move from a first position to a second position of the device, A pack supported by the carriage, wherein the pack is configured to removably support the receptacle such that the longitudinal axis of the receptacle substantially coincides with the vertical axis of the pack, A receptacle delivery system comprising: a first shelf positioned at the second position of the equipment, the shelf including (a) a base extending substantially across the vertical axis of the pack, and (b) a first opening defined by the base, wherein when the carriage is positioned at the second position, the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated on the pack extends through the first opening. (Item 24) A receptacle clamping mechanism for equipment, A carriage configured to move between a first position and a second position of the device, wherein the carriage includes (a) one or more support members configured to removably support a receptacle between them, and (b) a pair of opposing support pads configured to apply a clamping force to the receptacle supported by the carriage when the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and to release the clamping force from the receptacle when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position. A receptacle clamping mechanism comprising a sensing system configured to determine whether the receptacle is supported by the carriage. (Item 25) A method for delivering a receptacle to a device, When the carriage is positioned at the first position of the device, the carriage supports the receptacle, Activating the sensing system coupled to the carriage to confirm that the receptacle is supported by the carriage, Moving the carriage and the receptacle supported therein to a second position of the device, When the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, a clamping force is applied to the receptacle, At the second position, at least a portion of the fluid contained in the receptacle is extracted using the fluid extraction device of the instrument, Moving the carriage and the receptacle supported therein from the second position to the first position, A method comprising releasing the clamping force from the receptacle when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position. (Item 26) A method for delivering a receptacle to a device, Positioning the carriage to a first position of the apparatus, wherein the carriage includes a rotatable pack and is configured to move from the first position to a second position of the apparatus, and the pack is configured to seat a receptacle therein. The carriage rotates the pack around a vertical axis to position the pack at a desired rotational position, Using the first sensor, determine whether the receptacle is seated on the pack, Calibrating the sensing system when it is determined that the receptacle is not seated on the pack, wherein the sensing system is configured to determine whether or not the receptacle is seated on the pack. After calibrating the sensing system, the receptacle is seated on the pack. After seating the receptacle on the pack, the sensing system is used to determine whether the receptacle is properly seated on the pack. A method comprising determining that the receptacle is properly seated on the pack, and then moving the carriage from the first position to the second position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0038] The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and forming part of the specification illustrate various non-limiting embodiments of this disclosure. Where necessary, reference numbers indicating similar structures, components, materials, and / or elements in different drawings are similarly indicated. It should be understood that various combinations of structures, components, and / or elements other than those specifically shown in these drawings are contemplated and within the scope of this disclosure.

[0039] For simplicity and clarity of explanation, the drawings illustrate the general structure and / or construction method of the described embodiment, as well as the associated manufacturing method. Well-known features (e.g., fasteners, electrical connections, control systems, etc.) are not shown in these drawings (and are not described in the corresponding descriptions for brevity) because they are well-known to those skilled in the art, and to avoid obscuring other features. Features in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Dimensions of some features may be exaggerated relative to others to improve understanding of the exemplary embodiment. Sectional views are simplified and provided to aid in illustrating the relative positioning of various features. Those skilled in the art will understand that sectional views are not necessarily drawn to scale and should not be considered to represent proportional relationships between different features. Unless otherwise noted, aspects and features described with reference to one embodiment are applicable to other embodiments and may be used in other embodiments.

[0040] [Figure 1A] This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary automated laboratory, including conveyors and shuttles. [Figure 1B] This figure shows a more detailed view of a portion of Figure 1A. [Figure 1C] In an exemplary embodiment, this figure shows a robotic arm of a pick-and-place device transferring a receptacle from a conveyor to the shuttle shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2A] This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2B] This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2C] This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2D] This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2E] This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2F] This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2G]This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2H] This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2I] This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2J] This is a different diagram of the exemplary conveyor shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 3A] This is a different diagram of the exemplary shuttle shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 3B] This is a different diagram of the exemplary shuttle shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 3C] This is a different diagram of the exemplary shuttle shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 3D] This is a different diagram of the exemplary shuttle shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 3E] This is a different diagram of the exemplary shuttle shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 4A] Figures 3A to 3E show different illustrative diagrams of the shuttle carriage. [Figure 4B] Figures 3A to 3E show different illustrative diagrams of the shuttle carriage. [Figure 4C] Figures 3A to 3E show different illustrative diagrams of the shuttle carriage. [Figure 4D] Figures 3A to 3E show different illustrative diagrams of the shuttle carriage. [Figure 4E] Figures 3A to 3E show different illustrative diagrams of the shuttle carriage. [Figure 4F] Figures 3A to 3E show different illustrative diagrams of the shuttle carriage. [Figure 4G] Figures 3A to 3E show different illustrative diagrams of the shuttle carriage. [Figure 5A] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5B] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5C] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5D]Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5E] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5F] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5G] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5H] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5I] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5J] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 5K] Figures 4A-4E are different diagrams of exemplary carriage packs. [Figure 6A] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 6B] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 6C] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 6D] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 6E] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 6F] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 6G]In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 6H] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 6I] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 6J] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show optical sensors used to detect proper seating of receptacles within the carriage. [Figure 7A] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A to 4E illustrate the initialization procedure of the carriage. [Figure 7B] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A to 4E illustrate the initialization procedure of the carriage. [Figure 7C] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A to 4E illustrate the initialization procedure of the carriage. [Figure 8A] Figures 4A to 4E show exemplary receptacle clamping mechanisms of the carriage. [Figure 8B] Figures 4A to 4E show exemplary receptacle clamping mechanisms of the carriage. [Figure 9A] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 3A to 3E show the shuttle with the primary mucoid shelf removed. [Figure 9B] Figure 9A shows an exemplary primary mucoid shelf that can be attached to the shuttle. [Figure 10A] This is a diagram of a pipette having an associated pipette tip, in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 10B] This is a diagram of a pipette having an associated pipette tip, in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 10C] Figures 10A-10B show pipette tips of pipettes positioned on an exemplary capped receptacle. [Figure 11A] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show a pipette tip attached to a pipette that draws fluid from a receptacle positioned on a carriage. [Figure 11B] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show a pipette tip attached to a pipette that draws fluid from a receptacle positioned on a carriage. [Figure 11C] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show a pipette tip attached to a pipette that draws fluid from a receptacle positioned on a carriage. [Figure 11D] In an exemplary embodiment, Figures 4A-4E show a pipette tip attached to a pipette that draws fluid from a receptacle positioned on a carriage. [Figure 12] Figures 4A-4E show exemplary secondary mucoid shelves that can be attached to the carriage. [Figure 13A] Figure 1A shows an exemplary multi-receptacle unit (MRU) of the device. [Figure 13B] Figure 1A shows an illustrative cap / vial assembly of the device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms, notations, and other scientific or specialized terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to whom this disclosure belongs. All patents, uses, published applications, and other publications referenced herein are incorporated as a whole by reference. If any definition in this disclosure contradicts or is inconsistent with any definition in those references, the definition in this disclosure shall prevail over the definition incorporated herein by reference. None of the references described or referenced herein are considered prior art to this disclosure.

[0042] In this specification, references such as “one embodiment,” “a certain embodiment,” “further embodiments,” “exemplary embodiments,” “several aspects,” “further aspects,” and “aspects” indicate that the embodiments described may include certain features, structures, or characteristics, but not all embodiments may necessarily include those particular features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a certain feature, structure, or characteristic is described in relation to one embodiment, such feature, structure, or characteristic is also described in relation to other embodiments, whether explicitly described or not. As used herein, “a” or “an” means “at least one” or “one or more.”

[0043] As used herein, “sample” means any substance suspected to contain at least one analyte of interest. The analyte of interest may be, for example, nucleic acids, proteins, prions, chemicals, etc. The substance may originate from any source, including animals, industrial processes, the environment, water sources, food, or solid surfaces (e.g., surfaces of medical facilities). Substances obtained from animals may include, for example, blood or blood products, urine, mucus, sputum, saliva, semen, tears, pus, feces, nasopharyngeal or urethral specimens obtained with a cotton swab or other collection device, and may include other bodily fluids or materials. The term “sample” may be understood to mean a specimen in its original form or at any stage of processing.

[0044] As used herein, “receptacle” refers to any type of fluid container, including, for example, tubes, vials, cuvettes, cartridges, microtiter plates, etc., configured to contain a sample or another fluid (collectively referred to herein as fluid). Non-limiting examples of exemplary receptacles include, for example, Aptima® urine sample transport tubes, Aptima® specimen transport tubes, and BD Vacutainer®.

[0045] As used herein, the term “Instrument” refers to any apparatus that may be used in conjunction with the disclosed shuttle. As used herein, “Instrument” includes, among other things, analyzers capable of analyzing a sample. For example, an instrument may be an analyzer capable of performing nucleic acid-based detection assays, sequencing assays, immunoassays, or chemical assays on a sample. Non-limiting examples of such “Instrument” include, for example, automated analyzers such as Tigris®, Panther®, and Panther Fusion®, sold by Hologic, Inc. of Marlborough, Massachusetts. As used herein, “Instrument” also includes apparatus used to transfer sample material from one receptacle to another without processing or analyzing the sample. Non-limiting examples of such “Instrument” include Tomcat® instruments, sold by Hologic, Inc. of Marlborough, Massachusetts.

[0046] As used herein, the term “robot arm” refers to an electromechanical device that translates a payload (such as a receptacle) in the X, Y, and / or Z directions. In one embodiment, the robot arm includes a receptacle gripper (e.g., a pick-and-place claw) that can be used to pick up and move a receptacle from one position to another.

[0047] As used herein, the term “conveyor” refers to a mechanical device for transporting an item (e.g., a receptacle) from one location to another along a defined path. Exemplary, non-exclusive, examples of conveyors include robots, belts (e.g., moving belts, shuttles / carriages moving along tracks, rails, etc.), magnetic devices, gear systems, cable systems, vacuum systems, and wheeled vehicles.

[0048] As used herein, “assay” refers to a procedure for detecting and / or quantifying an analyte in a sample. A sample containing or suspected to contain an analyte is brought into contact with one or more reagents and placed under conditions that allow for the generation of a detectable signal that provides information about the presence or amount (e.g., mass or concentration) of the analyte in the sample.

[0049] As used herein, the term “analytical instrument” refers to an automated instrument capable of performing one or more steps of an assay, including the step of determining the presence or absence of one or more analytes suspected to be present in a fluid sample.

[0050] With respect to nucleic acids, the term “extraction” as used herein refers to the recovery of nucleic acid molecules (e.g., DNA or RNA in any form) from a sample containing non-nucleic acid components, such as nucleic acid molecules, partially produced samples, or the natural environment of a crude sample (i.e., a sample in substantially the same form as when obtained from its source). Extraction can yield substantially purified nucleic acid molecules or nucleic acid molecules in a purer form than they were in the sample before extraction, and can be used to obtain such molecules for use in analytical procedures from samples containing biological materials such as cells (including cells isolated directly from the source or cultured cells), blood, urine, mucus, semen, saliva, or tissue (e.g., biopsy). Many extraction methods are available. In various embodiments, extraction may include one or more of the following: cell lysis, removal of insoluble substances by centrifugation or filtration, chromatography, nucleic acid precipitation, or capture of nucleic acids by a capture probe.

[0051] As used herein, "analyte" refers to a molecule that is present in or suspected to be present in a sample and is targeted for detection in the assay. Examples of analytes include biomacromolecules such as nucleic acids, polypeptides, and prions.

[0052] As used herein, “nucleic acid” and “polynucleotide” refer to polymeric compounds containing nucleosides or nucleoside analogs having nitrogen heterocyclic bases or base analogs linked together to form polynucleotides, including conventional RNA, DNA, mixed RNA-DNA, and polymers which are analogs thereof. The “backbone” of a nucleic acid may consist of various linkages, including one or more of the following: sugar-phosphodiester links, peptide-nucleic acid links (“peptide nucleic acid” or PNA; International Publication No. 95 / 32305), phosphorothioate links, methylphosphonic acid links, or combinations thereof. The sugar portion of a nucleic acid may be ribose, deoxyribose, or analogs having substitutions (e.g., 2'-methoxy or 2'-halide substitutions). Nitrogen-containing bases may include conventional bases (A, G, C, T, U), their analogues (e.g., inosine or others; see The Biochemistry of the Nucleic Acids 5-36, Adams et al, ed., 11th ed., 1992), purine or pyrimidine derivatives (e.g., N4-methylguanine, N6-methyladenine, deazapurine or azapurine, deazapyrimidine or azapyrimidine, pyrimidine bases substituted at position 5 or 6 (e.g., 5-methylcytosine), purine bases substituted at positions 2, 6 or 8, 2-amino-6-methylaminopurine, O6-methylguanine, 4-thiopyrimidine, 4-aminopyrimidine, 4-dimethylhydrazinepyrimidine, and O4-alkylpyrimidine; U.S. Patent No. 5,378,825 and International Publication No. 93 / 13121). Nucleic acids may contain one or more "base-free" residues in the main chain that do not contain nitrogen-containing bases at the polymer site (U.S. Patent No. 5,585,481). Nucleic acids may contain only the sugars, bases, and bonds of normal RNA or DNA, or they may contain both normal components and substitutions (e.g., conventional bases with 2' methoxy bonds, or polymers containing conventional bases and one or more base analogs).Nucleic acids include “locked nucleic acids” (LNAs), analogs containing one or more LNA nucleotide monomers having a bicyclic furanose unit locked in RNA that mimics a sugar configuration, which enhances hybridization affinity to complementary RNA and DNA sequences (Vester and Wengel, 2004, Biochemistry 43(42):13233-41). Embodiments of oligomers that may affect the stability of the hybridization complex include PNA oligomers, oligomers containing 2'-methoxy or 2'-fluorosubstituted RNA, or oligomers that affect the total charge, charge density, or steric association of the hybridization complex (including oligomers containing charged bonds (e.g., phosphorothioates) or neutral groups (e.g., methylphosphonates)). Unless otherwise specified, methylated cytosines such as 5-methylcytosine may be used with any of the above-mentioned backbone / sugar / bonds, including RNA or DNA backbone (or mixtures thereof). RNA and DNA equivalents have different sugar moieties (i.e., ribose vs. deoxyribose) and can differ due to the presence of uracil in RNA and thymine in DNA. Since equivalents have a similar degree of complementarity with respect to a given sequence, differences between RNA and DNA equivalents do not contribute to differences in homology. When referring to a range of lengths for oligonucleotides, amplicons, or other nucleic acids, it is understood that the range includes all integers (for example, the length of 19–25 consecutive nucleotides includes 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25).

[0053] As used herein, “nucleic acid amplification” or simply “amplification” refers to any in vitro procedure that generates multiple copies of a target nucleic acid sequence or its complementary sequence or fragments thereof (i.e., an amplified sequence containing less than the complete target nucleic acid). Amplification methods include, for example, replicase-mediated amplification, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ligase chain reaction (LCR), strand displacement amplification (SDA), helicase-dependent amplification (HDA), transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), and nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA). Both TMA and NASBA are forms of transcription-based amplification. Replicase-mediated amplification uses a self-replicating RNA molecule and a replicase such as QB replicase (see U.S. Patent No. 4,786,600). PCR uses DNA polymerase, primer pairs, and thermal cycling to synthesize multiple copies of two complementary strands of dsDNA or multiple copies of two complementary strands from cDNA (see U.S. Patents 4,683,195, 4,683,202, and 4,800,159). LCR uses four or more different oligonucleotides to amplify a target and its complementary strands by using multiple cycles of hybridization, ligation, and denaturation (see U.S. Patents 5,427,930 and 5,516,663). SDA uses primers containing the recognition site of a restriction endonuclease and an endonuclease that nicks one strand of a semi-modified DNA double helix containing the target sequence, thereby causing amplification in a series of primer extension and strand substitution steps (see U.S. Patents 5,422,252, 5,547,861, and 5,648,211). HDA uses helicase to separate the double strands of a double-stranded DNA to generate a single-strand template, followed by hybridization of sequence-specific primers that hybridize to the template and extension by DNA polymerase to amplify the target sequence (see U.S. Patent No. 7,282,328).Transcription-based amplification uses DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase, deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate, ribonucleoside triphosphate, promoter-containing oligonucleotides, and optionally other oligonucleotides to ultimately generate multiple RNA transcripts from a nucleic acid template. Examples of transcription-based amplification are described in U.S. Patents 4,868,105, 5,124,990, 5,130,238, 5,399,491, 5,409,818, and 5,554,516; and International Publications 88 / 01302, 88 / 10315, and 95 / 03430. Amplification can be linear or exponential.

[0054] As used herein, “oligomer” or “oligonucleotide” generally refers to nucleic acids of less than 1,000 nucleotides (nt), including those with a size range having a lower limit of about 2–5 nt and an upper limit of about 500–900 nt. Some specific embodiments are oligomers with a size range having a lower limit of about 5–15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 nt and an upper limit of about 50–600 nt, while other specific embodiments are oligomers with a size range having a lower limit of about 10–20 nt and an upper limit of about 22–100 nt. Oligomers may be purified from naturally occurring sources, but may also be synthesized by using any well-known enzymatic or chemical method. Oligomers may be referred to by functional names (e.g., capture probe, primer, or promoter primer), but those skilled in the art will understand that such terms refer to oligomers. Oligomers may form secondary and tertiary structures by self-hybridization or by hybridization to other polynucleotides. Such structures may include, but are not limited to, double-stranded, hairpin, cruciate, bent, and triple-stranded structures. Oligomers can be generated by any method including chemosynthesis, DNA replication, reverse transcription, PCR, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, oligomers that form invasive cleavage structures are generated in a reaction (e.g., by primer extension in an enzymatic extension reaction).

[0055] As used herein, “amplicon” or “amplification product” refers to a nucleic acid molecule produced in a nucleic acid amplification reaction and derived from a target nucleic acid. The amplicon or amplification product contains a target nucleic acid sequence that may be in the same or opposite direction as the target nucleic acid. In some embodiments, the amplicon has a length of about 100 to 2000 nucleotides, about 100 to 1500 nucleotides, about 100 to 1000 nucleotides, about 100 to 800 nucleotides, about 100 to 700 nucleotides, about 100 to 600 nucleotides, or about 100 to 500 nucleotides.

[0056] As used herein, “primer” refers to an oligomer having a 3' end that hybridizes with a template nucleic acid and is extended by polymerization. Primers may optionally be modified, for example, by including a 5' region that is non-complementary to the target sequence. Such modifications may include functional additions, such as tags, promoters, or other sequences that can be used or useful to manipulate or amplify the primer or target oligonucleotide. An example of a primer incorporating a tag or tag and promoter sequence is described in U.S. Patent No. 9,284,549. A primer modified with a 5' promoter sequence may be referred to as a “promoter-primer.” Those skilled in the art of molecular biology or biochemistry will understand that an oligomer capable of functioning as a primer may be modified to include a 5' promoter sequence and then function as a promoter-primer, and similarly, any promoter-primer may function as a primer with or without its 5' promoter sequence.

[0057] As used herein, “detection oligomer” or “detection probe” refers to an oligomer that interacts with a target nucleic acid to form a detectable complex. The target sequence of a probe generally refers to a specific sequence within a larger sequence (e.g., a gene, amplicon, locus, etc.) that the probe specifically hybridizes with. Detection oligomers may include target-specific sequences and sequences that are not complementary to the target. Sequences that are not complementary to such targets may include sequences that confer a desired secondary or tertiary structure (e.g., a flap or hairpin structure) that can be used to facilitate detection and / or amplification (e.g., U.S. Patents 5,118,801, 5,312,728, 6,835,542, 6,849,412, 5,846,717, 5,985,557, 5,994,069, 6,001,567, 6,913,881, 6,090,543 and 7,482,127; International Publications 97 / 27214 and 98 / 42873; Lyamichev et al., Nat. Biotech., 17:292 (1999) and Hall et al. al., PNAS, USA, 97:8272 (2000). Probes of predefined sequences can be produced by techniques known to those skilled in the art, for example, by chemical synthesis and by in vitro or in vivo expression from recombinant nucleic acid molecules.

[0058] As used herein, “label” or “detectable label” refers to a moiety or compound that is detected or gives a detectable signal. The label may be directly or indirectly linked to the probe, or it may be, for example, an insertion dye (e.g., SYBR® Green). Direct linkage may be by covalent or non-covalent interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic or ionic interactions, and chelate complex or coordination compound formation), while indirect linkage may be by a crosslinking moiety or linker (e.g., via an antibody or additional oligonucleotide). Any detectable moiety may be, for example, a radionuclide, a ligand such as biotin or avidin, an enzyme, an enzyme substrate, a reactive group, a chromophore such as a dye or particle that imparts a detectable color (e.g., latex or metal beads), a luminescent compound (e.g., bioluminescent, phosphorescent, or chemiluminescent compound), or a fluorescent compound (i.e., a fluorophore). Embodiments of fluorophores include those that absorb light in the range of 495 to 690 nm (e.g., having a peak absorption wavelength) and emit light in the range of 520 to 710 nm (e.g., having a peak emission wavelength), and include those known as FAM®, TET®, HEX®, CAL FLUOR® (orange or red), CY®, and QUASAR® compounds. Fluorophores can be used in combination with quencher molecules that absorb light and reduce background fluorescence when very close to the fluorophore. Such quenchers are well known in the art and include, for example, BLACK HOLE QUENCHER® (or BHQ®), Blackberry Quencher® (or BBQ-650®), Eclipse®, or TAMRA® compounds.Certain embodiments include “homogeneous detectable labels” that are detectable in a homogeneous system in which a bound labeled probe in a mixture exhibits a detectable change compared to an unbound labeled probe, enabling the detection of a label without physically removing a hybridized labeled probe from an unhybridized labeled probe (e.g., U.S. Patents 5,283,174, 5,656,207, and 5,658,737). Exemplary homogeneous detectable labels include chemiluminescent compounds, including acridinium ester ("AE") compounds, such as well-known standard AEs or AE derivatives (U.S. Patents 5,656,207, 5,658,737, and 5,639,604). Methods for synthesizing labels, binding labels to nucleic acids, and detecting signals from labels are known (e.g., Chapter 10 of Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed. (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 1989), as well as U.S. Patents Nos. 5,658,737, 5,656,207, 5,547,842, 5,283,174, 5,585,481, 5,639,604, and 4,581,333, and European Patent No. 0747706). Other detectably labeled probes include FRET cassettes, TaqMan® probes, and probes that undergo structural changes in the presence of target nucleic acids, such as molecular torches and molecular beacons. The FRET cassette is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005 / 0186588 and U.S. Patent No. 9,096,893. The TaqMan® probe includes donor and acceptor labeling, where fluorescence is detected when the probe is enzymatically degraded during amplification to release a fluorophore in the presence of a quencher. The chemistry for performing the TaqMan assay is described in PCT Application No. PCT / US2018 / 024021, filed March 23, 2018, and U.S. Patent No. 5,723,591.Molecular torches and beacons exist in open and closed configurations; the closed configuration quenches the fluorophore, while the open position separates the fluorophore from the quencher, allowing for a detectable change in the fluorescence signal. Hybridization to a target opens the otherwise closed probe. Molecular torches are described in U.S. Patent No. 6,361,945, and molecular beacons are described in U.S. Patent No. 6,150,097.

[0059] As used herein, “target capture” or “target capture procedure” refers to a procedure for purifying an analyte by immobilizing it on a solid support and removing any potential amplification inhibitors (e.g., heparin, proteins, and heme).

[0060] "Capture probe," "target capture probe," "capture oligonucleotide," "capture oligomer," "target capture oligomer," and "capture probe oligomer" are used interchangeably herein to refer to a nucleic acid oligomer that specifically hybridizes to a target sequence in a target nucleic acid by standard base pairing and binds to a binding partner on an immobilized probe to capture the target nucleic acid to a support. In one embodiment, "target capture" refers to the process by which the target nucleic acid is purified or isolated by hybridization to a capture probe. In another embodiment, "target capture" refers to the direct immobilization of the target nucleic acid to a solid support. One example of a capture probe typically includes two binding regions on the same oligomer: a sequence-binding region (e.g., a target-specific portion) and an immobilized probe-binding region, although the two regions may reside on two different oligomers linked by one or more linkers. Another embodiment of a capture probe uses a target sequence-binding region that includes random or non-random polyGU, polyGT, or polyU sequences for non-specific binding to the target nucleic acid and linking the target nucleic acid to an immobilized probe on a support.

[0061] As used herein, “molecular assay” refers to a procedure for specifically detecting and / or quantifying a target molecule, such as a target nucleic acid. A sample containing or suspected to contain a target molecule is contacted with one or more reagents, each containing at least one reagent specific to the target molecule, and placed under conditions that allow for the generation of a detectable signal that provides information about the presence or absence of the target molecule. For example, if the molecular assay is PCR, the reagents may include target-specific primers, and the generation of a detectable signal may be achieved by providing a labeled probe that hybridizes, at least in part, to an amplicon produced by the primers in the presence of the target. Alternatively, the reagents may include an insertion dye for detecting the formation of double-stranded nucleic acids.

[0062] As used herein, “reagent” refers to any substance or combination thereof involved in a molecular assay, other than the sample material and product of the assay. Exemplary reagents include nucleotides, enzymes, amplified oligomers, probes, and salts.

[0063] This description may use relative spatial and / or orientation terms when describing the location and / or orientation of components, devices, locations, features, or parts thereof. Unless otherwise specified or indicated by the context of the description, such terms, including but not limited to, top, bottom, above, below, upside, downside, left, right, front, back, adjacent, nearby, between, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, longitudinal, transverse, radial, axial, etc., are used for convenience when referring to such components, devices, locations, features, or parts thereof in drawings, but are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, relative phrases such as “approximately,” “substantially,” and “nearly” are used to indicate possible variation of ±10% of the specified numerical value or range.

[0064] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary automated laboratory with a conveyor system 3000 configured to transport receptacles containing specimens or samples (e.g., fluids) to different instruments within the laboratory. The conveyor system 3000 includes a conveyor 300 that extends between (i.e., adjacent to) several instruments 1000, 1010, 1020, etc., located within the laboratory. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1A, these several instruments may include an analyzer module or analytical instrument 1000, a loading module 1010, an unloading module 1020, a capping module 1030, a decapping module 1040, a receptacle storage module 1050, and an aliquot module 1060. Note that the specific instrument and conveyor 300 layouts shown in Figure 1A are illustrative only. Generally, any number and type of equipment can be placed in the laboratory (e.g., adjacent to conveyor 300), and conveyor 300 can be placed in any configuration adjacent to some or all of these pieces of equipment. Conveyor 300 is configured to transport receptacles 50 containing fluids (e.g., specimens, samples, etc.) to multiple pieces of equipment 1000-1060 in the laboratory.

[0065] The loading module 1010 functions as an input into which trays of receptacles 50 containing fluid (e.g., 50 to 100 receptacles per tray) can be manually loaded by an operator via the loading bay of the loading module 1010. Once the trays of receptacles 50 are provided to the loading bay of the loading module 1010, the receptacles 50 are automatically transferred from the loading module 1010 to an automated conveyor 300, which then operates on other laboratory equipment (e.g., some or all of equipment 1000, 1020-1060) according to the workflow for the receptacles. The unloading module 1020 functions to receive capped receptacles 50 with contents extracted and processed by one or more analytical instruments 1000 (e.g., analyzer modules). The capped receptacle 50 can be transferred from the conveyor 300 of the automated conveyor system 3000 to a rack contained in a bay located within the housing of the unloading module 1020. After the rack is sufficiently filled with capped receptacles 50, the operator can manually remove the rack from the bay of the unloading module 1020. The decapping module 1040 is configured to remove the cap from the receptacle 50 containing the closed specimen before processing the specimen with one or more analytical instruments 1000. The capping module 1030 is configured to connect (e.g., insert or attach) the cap 56 (see Figure 5C) (e.g., a replacement cap or stopper (e.g., a plug or septum)) to the open-end receptacle 50 after extracting the specimen from the receptacle, often before transferring the receptacle 50 to the receptacle storage module 1050 or the unloading module 1020, with one or more analytical instruments 1000. Exemplary capping and decapping modules 1030, 1040 are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,321,619 and 7,152,504. Aliquot module 1060 transfers one or more aliquots of the fluid contained in parent receptacle 50 (possibly together with other child receptacles) to child receptacles 50.The exemplary aliquot module 1060 is a Tomcat® instrument sold by Hologic, Inc. of Marlborough, Massachusetts. The exemplary aliquot module 1060 is described in U.S. Patent No. 9,335,336. Each analyzer module or analyzer instrument 1000 is configured to process the specimen contained in the selected receptacle 50 by, for example, performing analytical tests on the specimen. Such tests may include molecular tests (e.g., nucleic acid-based assays), sequencing assays, immunoassays, chemical analyses, etc. The exemplary analyzer instrument 1000 includes, for example, automated analyzers such as the Tigris®, Panther®, and Panther Fusion® systems sold by Hologic, Inc. of Marlborough, Massachusetts. The receptacle storage module 1050 is configured to store the receptacle 50. In some cases, the receptacle storage module 1050 may be configured to store completed receptacles 50 (i.e., receptacles containing fluids or specimens in which the workflow has been completed) for subsequent manual removal from the receptacle storage module 1050 by the operator. In other cases, the receptacle storage module 1050 may be configured to store incomplete receptacles 50 (i.e., receptacles containing specimens in which the workflow has not been completed) in a controlled environment for subsequent processing by other modules.

[0066] Referring to Figure 1A, the conveyor system 3000 may also include a Work Management System (WMS) software module 1070 configured to coordinate the workflow and high-level receptacle traffic within the conveyor 300. The WMS software module 1070 can be conceptualized as a minimal cloud database that maintains the status of all receptacles 50 and instruments 1000-1060 within the automated sample processing system and controls the assay-specific workflow of each receptacle. Specifically, the WMS software module 1070 identifies the assay to be performed on any particular receptacle 50 specimen based on encoded information read by a barcode reader (not shown) on the loading module 1010, including pre-analysis and post-analysis steps such as decapping, aliquoting, capping, centrifugation, storage, repeat testing, reflection testing, and additional testing. The conveyor system 3000 may also include a conveyor controller 1080 configured to control the low-level functions of the automated conveyor system 3000, such as transporting receptacle carriers along with receptacles containing support specimens (i.e., occupied receptacle carriers) between various laboratory instruments. Thus, the conveyor controller 1080 controls which instruments 1000-1060 the occupied receptacle carriers are diverted to, and which instruments the occupied receptacle carriers bypass. The conveyor controller 1080 can direct the receptacle carriers to instruments 1000-1060 by controlling the position of gates 3010 on the conveyor 300. Referring to Figure 1B, when the gate 3010 is positioned in a first position (as shown in Figure 1B), the carrier 400 moving on the conveyor 300 is directed towards the analytical instrument 1000, and when the gate 1010 is positioned in a second position (as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1B), the carrier 400 moving on the conveyor 300 may bypass the analytical instrument 1000. The conveyor controller 1080 may also be configured to control low-level error handling and basic information display.The conveyor controller 1080 is also configured to manage communication between the various devices of the automated sample processing system and the WMS software module 1070.

[0067] In some embodiments, the receptacles 50 may be transported on a conveyor 300 between different pieces of equipment 1000-1060 supported on a carrier 400 (see, for example, Figure 2B). In some embodiments, each carrier 400 may support a single receptacle 50. In some embodiments, it is also intended that a single carrier may support multiple receptacles 50. Generally, the carrier 400 may have any configuration. In some embodiments, the carrier 400 may have a configuration / structure that is generally similar to that of the pack 100 (see, for example, Figure 5A), which will be described later. Exemplary carriers that can be used with conveyor 300 are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,485,264, 8,147,778, and 10,041,965, and U.S. Patent Applications Nos. 2006 / 0222573, 2017 / 0153262, 2017 / 0248623, and 2018 / 0052183.

[0068] Referring to Figure 1B, some or all of the multiple instruments 1000-1060 (e.g., analytical instrument 1000) may include a shuttle 16 configured to transport a receptacle 50 from a nearby conveyor 300 to a position within the instrument 1000. The shuttle 16 includes a carriage 20 that moves between a first position located near the conveyor 300 (e.g., a receptacle pickup position or a first end 22) and a second position located within the instrument 1000 along a path (e.g., a pipetting position or a second end 24). Note that the first end 22 may be a position within the instrument 1000 or outside the instrument 1000. A pick-and-place device 600 may be configured to transfer the receptacle 50 between the carriage 20 of the instrument 1000 and a carrier 400 on the conveyor 300. Referring to Figures 1B and 1C, the pick-and-place device 600 may have a robotic arm 660 equipped with fingers or gripping members 662 configured to grasp and transport the receptacle 50 from the conveyor 300 to the carriage 20 of the shuttle 16 (and vice versa). The carriage 20 is configured to receive the receptacle 50 from the robotic arm 660 and transport the receptacle 50 from the first end 22 to the second end 24. Once the carriage 20 is positioned at the second end 24 (see Figures 3G and 10A), a suitable fluid or sample extraction device of the instrument 1000 (e.g., an automatic pipette 150) removes at least an aliquot of fluid from the receptacle 50. After a sufficient amount of fluid has been removed from the receptacle 50, the carriage 20 returns the receptacle 50 to the first end 22. Next, the gripping member 662 of the robot arm 660 may select the receptacle 50 from the carriage 20 and transfer the receptacle 50 to a carrier (the same or a different carrier) positioned on the conveyor 300. The conveyor 300 may then transport the carrier with the transferred receptacle to another device or module 1000-1060 (for example, a receptacle storage module 1050 for temporarily holding the receptacle 50 in a refrigerated state).

[0069] A robotic arm 660 having a two-fingered gripper with two gripping members 662A and 662B is shown in Figure 1C as an exemplary embodiment, but it should be noted that this is not a requirement. In general, the robotic arm 660 may include any number of gripping members in any suitable configuration. Additionally, although it is described that the receptacle 50 is physically transported from the conveyor 300 to the shuttle 16, this is not a requirement. In general, any type of pick-and-place device 600 with any suitable configuration of the robotic arm 600 may be used to transport the receptacle 50 between the conveyor 300 and the shuttle 16. In some embodiments, instead of physically transporting the receptacle 50 from the conveyor 300 to the shuttle 16, the fluid from the receptacle 50, supported by the conveyor 300 (e.g., within the carrier 400), can be transported to a new receptacle supported by the shuttle 16 (e.g., extracted from one receptacle and deposited in another receptacle by a sample or fluid extraction device). It should be noted that the conveyor 300 described with reference to Figures 1A-1C (and below with reference to Figures 2A-2J) is merely illustrative. In general, any suitable transport system configured to transport fluids containing receptacles between laboratory equipment can be used as the conveyor 300. Examples of usable conveyor systems 3000 and conveyor 300 include FlexLink, Inpeco (Flexlab, FlexLab-HT, etc.), integrated drive systems (e.g., IDS-CLAS-X1), and commercially available systems from Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hitachi, MagneMotion, and GLP.

[0070] Figures 2A–2J show different views of an exemplary conveyor 300 extending adjacent to the equipment 1000 in an exemplary embodiment. Referring to Figure 2A, the conveyor 300 extends by the equipment 1000 such that the carriage 20 of the equipment 1000 is positioned close to the conveyor 300 when the carriage 20 of the equipment 1000 is positioned at its first end 22. As previously stated, once the carriage 20 is positioned at the first end 22, the robotic arm 660 of the pick-and-place device 600 can transfer the receptacle 50 from the conveyor 300 to the carriage 20. Figure 2B shows multiple disc or pack-shaped carriers 400 approaching the equipment 1000 on the conveyor 300. Referring to Figures 2A and 2B, the conveyor 300 includes a track 310 that transports multiple carriers 400 to and / or between different laboratory equipment 1000 (e.g., propelled, moved, supported (as in the case of self-propelled carriers)). The carriers 400 transported on the track 310 include carriers that support receptacles 50 (e.g., a carrier 400 with a receptacle 50 containing fluid or sample, a receptacle from which a portion of the sample has been removed for processing, and an empty receptacle 50), and carriers 400 that do not support receptacles 50 (e.g., a carrier 400 from which a receptacle 50 has been transferred to equipment 1000). In general, the conveyor 300 can propel or move the carriers 400 between modules along the track 310 in any way. In some embodiments, magnetic force can be used to move the carriers 400 on the track 310. Figures 2C and 2D show exemplary embodiments of a conveyor 300 that uses magnetic force to move a carrier 400 on it. Figure 2C shows a portion of the conveyor 300 including a track 310, and Figure 2D shows the conveyor of Figure 2C with the track 310 removed to show components located beneath the track 310. As is best seen in Figure 2C, the track 310 may be, for example, a substantially flat piece or strip of material supported by grooves formed on rails 312 located on both sides of the track 310.Track 310 may be formed (whole or in part) of any rigid material such as metal (e.g., steel, aluminum, etc.), plastic (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacetal, etc.), ceramic, or rigid organic material (e.g., wood, etc.).

[0071] As best seen in Figures 2C and 2D, the carrier 400 may include a substantially cylindrical base 410 having an upper surface 412 and a lower surface 414. The lower surface 414 of the base 410 may be supported on the track 310 of the conveyor 300. The base 410 may also include a circumferential groove 416 positioned between its upper surfaces 412, 414. An inwardly extending flange 314 positioned on the upper section of the rail 312 may protrude into the circumferential groove 416 of the base 410, holding the carrier 400 on the conveyor 300 and, in some embodiments, preventing accidental removal from the carrier 400 (for example, when the receptacle 50 is removed from the carrier 400 by the gripper 750 of the pick-and-place device 600). In some embodiments, when the flange 314 of the rail 312 is positioned in the groove 416 of the base 410, the bottom surface 414 of the base 410 can rest on the top surface of the track 310. In some embodiments, when the flange 314 is positioned in the groove 416, the bottom surface 414 of the base 410 may not rest on the top surface of the track 310, but may be positioned near the top surface of the track 310. In the present disclosure, references to a base 410 supported by a track 310 (or a carrier 400 supported by a track 310) are intended to refer to both embodiments in which the bottom surface 414 of the base 410 is on (i.e., in physical contact with) the track 310, and embodiments in which the bottom surface 414 of the base 410 is suspended above and positioned in close proximity to the top surface of the track 310.

[0072] The upper surface 412 of the base 410 includes a cavity or pocket 430 configured to receive and support the base of the receptacle 50. The annular flange 418 is attached to the upper surface 412 such that the internal opening of the flange 418 aligns with the pocket 430 of the base 410. Multiple fingers 420 extend upward from the flange 418. The multiple fingers 420 may be arranged, for example, in a circular pattern around the internal opening of the flange 418. When the base of the receptacle 50 is supported in the pocket 430 of the base 410, the multiple fingers 420 support the receptacle 50 in an upright orientation on the carrier 400 (see Figures 2B, 2H). The multiple fingers 420 are positioned to receive the receptacle 50 in the space formed between them. When the receptacle 50 is inserted between the fingers 420, the fingers deflect radially outward, allowing the receptacle 50 to slide between the fingers 420 and fit into the pocket 430 of the base 410. The elastic restoring force of the fingers 420 applies a radially inward force against the cylindrical wall of the receptacle 50, maintaining the receptacle 50 in an upright position between the multiple fingers 420 (see Figures 2B, 2H). The fingers 420 can be made of any suitable material having elastic properties. In some embodiments, the fingers 420 of the carrier 400 are also intended to be spring-loaded fingers similar to the fingers 102 of the pack 100 described later.

[0073] Magnets (not shown) may be attached to or embedded in the base 410 of the carrier 400. In some embodiments, the magnets may be attached to the base 410 in close proximity to their bottom surface 414. An exemplary carrier that can be used in the conveyor 300 is described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 891,728.

[0074] Referring again to Figures 2C and 2D, the conveyor 300 includes a cylindrical member 320 positioned beneath the track 310 between the rails 312. As best seen in Figure 2D, the cylindrical member 320 extends in the direction of movement of the carrier 400 on the conveyor 300. During operation, a motor (not shown) rotates the cylindrical member 320 via a gear 330 coupled to the cylindrical member 320. The cylindrical outer surface of the cylindrical member 320 includes a ferromagnetic member 322 helically arranged around the cylindrical member 320. The ferromagnetic member 322 may be formed of any ferromagnetic material and may be attached to the cylindrical member 320 in any way. In some embodiments, a ferromagnetic material (e.g., iron) may be attached to a helical groove formed on the cylindrical outer surface of the cylindrical member 320 to form the ferromagnetic member 322. In some embodiments, strips of ferromagnetic material can be attached in a helical pattern to the cylindrical outer surface of the cylindrical member 320 to form a ferromagnetic member 322. When the carrier 400 is supported on the upper surface 310A of the track 410 (see Figure 2C), the magnets on the base 410 of the carrier 400 attract the portion of the ferromagnetic member 322 (on the cylindrical outer surface of the cylindrical member 320) facing the bottom surface 310B of the track 310. As the cylindrical member 320 rotates, the portion of the ferromagnetic member 322 facing the bottom surface of the track 310 moves linearly along the length of the track 310, and the attractive force between the ferromagnetic member 322 and the magnets embedded in the carrier 400 propels or moves the carrier along the track 310. Exemplary conveyors that can be used to propel a carrier using magnetic attraction, and carriers that can be used with such conveyors, are described in U.S. Patents 9,766,258 and 9,776,811.

[0075] The conveyor 300 includes, among other things, sensors configured to detect the carriers 400 on the track 310. Figures 2E and 2F show portions of the conveyor 300 with exemplary sensors. These sensors may include, among other things, one or more first sensors 710 (see first sensors 710A, 710B, and 710C in Figure 2E) and one or more second sensors 720 (see Figure 2F). Sensors 710 and 720 may include any type of sensor configured to detect the carriers 400 on the track 310. Although not required, in some embodiments one or both of the first and second sensors 710, 720 may be optical sensors. For example, referring to Figure 2E, when the carrier 400 is positioned close to sensor 710A (for example, in the area of ​​the preceding track 310), the signal from this sensor may indicate the presence of the carrier 400 at that location on the track 310 (for example, the conveyor controller 1080 that controls the operation of the conveyor 300 (see Figure 1A)). When the carrier 400 moves along the track 310 and is positioned close to sensor 710B, the signal from sensor 710B may indicate that the carrier 400 is in close proximity to sensor 710B. Thus, based on the signals from sensors 710A, 710B, and 710C, the conveyor controller 1080 can identify the position of the carrier 400 on the conveyor 300. In addition to detecting the presence of the carrier 400, sensors positioned at several locations on the conveyor 300 can also detect whether the receptacle 50 is supported on the carrier 400. For example, the second sensor 720 (in Figure 2F) may include both a carrier sensor 720A and a receptacle sensor 720B. When the carrier 400 is positioned close to the sensor 720, a signal from the carrier sensor 720A may indicate the presence of the carrier, and a signal from the receptacle sensor 720B (or the absence of a signal from it) may indicate whether the receptacle 50 is supported by the carrier 400. The carrier sensor 720A and the receptacle sensor 720B may include any type of sensor. In some embodiments, one or both of these sensors may be, for example, an optical sensor substantially similar to the first sensor 710.In some embodiments, the second sensor 720 may include a vertical support 722 on which carrier sensors 720A and receptacle sensors 720B are positioned at different heights. Although not required, in some embodiments, the first and second sensors 710, 720 may be mounted on rails 312 positioned along the track 310, as shown in Figures 2E and 2F.

[0076] As is most commonly seen in Figure 2E, the track 310 may include a plurality of through holes or cavities 350 (e.g., a first cavity 350A, a second cavity 350B, etc.). The stopping element 370 may be configured to selectively extend through each of the cavities 350. In some embodiments, the conveyor controller 1080 may selectively activate the stopping element 370 so that it extends through a selected cavity on the track 310 (e.g., a second cavity 350B). When activated, the stopping element 370 protrudes from the second cavity 350B, and as a result, the carrier 400 moving on the track 310 is stopped by the stopping element 370 or prevented from moving further. When not activated, the stopping element 370 is positioned below the cavity on the track 310 (see cavity 350A). In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2E and 2F, the sensors (e.g., the first sensor 710B in Figure 2E and the second sensor 720 in Figure 2F) may be positioned close to the cavity 350 such that the carrier 400, which is stopped by a stopping element 370 extending through the cavity, is aligned with the sensor (e.g., positioned in the detection zone). In some embodiments, when the sensor is an optical sensor, the blocked carrier 400 may be positioned within the line of sight of the photodetector of the optical sensor. Referring particularly to Figure 2E, it should be noted that due to the cylindrical shape of the base 410 of the carrier 400, the cavity 350B may not be positioned directly in front of the sensor 710B. Instead, the horizontal distance between the sensor 710B and the cavity 350B may be such that the carrier 400 (e.g., the annular flange 418 of the carrier 400) aligns with the sensor 710B when the carrier 400 is stopped by the stopping element 370 extending through the cavity 350B. Similarly, referring to Figures 2F and 2G, when the carrier 400 is stopped in close proximity to the second sensor 720 by a stopping element 370 extending through the cavity 350, the carrier sensor 720A of the second sensor 720 may be aligned with the carrier 400 (e.g., the annular flange 418 of the carrier 400), and the receptacle sensor 720B may be aligned with the receptacle 50, if any, supported by the carrier 400.In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2G, when the carrier 400 is stopped by the stopping element 370, the carriers moving on the track 310 behind the stopped carrier 400 converge to push the stopped carrier 400. In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2E, when the carrier 400 is stopped by the stopping element 370 in the cavity 350B, the stopping element in the cavity 350A may be activated to protrude from the cavity 350A and block the carriers behind the stopped carrier 400.

[0077] As shown in Figure 2G, in some embodiments, the conveyor 300 may include a gripper 750 positioned in close proximity to the stop element 370. The gripper 750 may include, for example, a gripping head 752 that can be actuated by the conveyor controller 1080. For example, when the carrier 400 is stopped by the stop element 370, the conveyor controller 1080 may actuate the gripper 750, extending the gripping head 752 toward the stopped carrier 400 and applying a holding force to restrain or immobilize the carrier 400. In some embodiments, in its extended state, the gripping head 752 can press against the annular flange 418 of the carrier 400 and apply a holding force. This holding force can fix the stopped carrier and thereby help prevent vibration in the carrier 400, which can be converted into a supported receptacle 50, in particular causing the carrier 400 to bunch up backward and, in some cases, push the stopped carrier 400. In some embodiments, the holding force applied by the gripping head 752 can also help hold the carrier 400 on the track 310 when the receptacle 50 is removed from the carrier 400 by the robotic arm 660 of the pick-and-place device 600 (see Figure 1B). In some embodiments, the gripping head 752 may be made of an elastomer or another relatively flexible material. In some embodiments, the front surface 754 of the gripping head 752 may be a curved surface (e.g., a concave curved surface) to match the curved side of the annular flange 418 it presses against. The gripper 750 may be actuated by any suitable method (e.g., pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, magnetic, electromagnetic, etc.).

[0078] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2G, the gripper 750 may be positioned on the opposite side of the track 310 from the sensor (e.g., the second sensor 720 in Figure 2G). Although not required, in some embodiments, the second sensor 720 may be mounted on the rail 312 on one side of the track 310, and the gripper 750 may be mounted on the rail 312 on the opposite side of the track 310. In some embodiments, the stop element 370 (or the cavity 350 into which the stop element 370 extends), the gripper 750, and the second sensor 720 may be positioned relative to each other such that when the carrier 400 is blocked by the stop element 370, the gripping head 752 contacts the annular flange 418 (when operating), and the second sensor 720 is aligned with the carrier 400 (for example, the carrier sensor 720A is aligned with the annular flange 418 of the carrier 400, and the receptacle sensor 720B is aligned with the receptacle 50 supported by the carrier 400).

[0079] Referring to Figures 2G and 2H, in some embodiments, the stop element 370, the second sensor 720, and the gripper 750 (see Figure 2G) may be positioned in a section of the conveyor 300 located in close proximity to the equipment 1000. In some such embodiments, when a carrier 400 moving on a track 310 is stopped by the stop element 370, which is fixed by the gripper 750, and the second sensor 720 detects that the receptacle 50 is supported by the carrier 400, the control unit 800 instructs the robotic arm 660 of the pick-and-place device 600 (see Figure 2A) to move to a position above the receptacle 50 (see Figure 2H). Referring to Figure 2A, the pick-and-place device 600 may be configured to move the robotic arm 660 up and down on a lead screw 670 (e.g., vertically in the Z direction) and the gantry (not shown) left and right (e.g., horizontally in the X and Y directions). The gripping members 662A and 662B of the robot arm 660 also move toward each other to grip the receptacle 50 between them (e.g., to close the gripping members) and away from each other to release the receptacle 50 (e.g., to open the gripping members). As is known in the art, in some embodiments, the robot arm 660 may be configured to monitor and / or control the amount of pressure applied by the gripping members 662A and 662B on the receptacle 50. In some embodiments, as best seen in Figures 2A and 2H, the surface of the gripping member 662 configured to contact the receptacle 50 may include a contact member 664 to reduce the possibility of damage to the receptacle 50. In some embodiments, the contact member 664 may include an elastomer or other flexible material attached to the gripping member 662. An electric motor 680 may assist the operation of the robot arm 660. Pick-and-place devices for grasping and moving receptacles, and methods for operating them, are well known in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

[0080] Referring to Figures 2H-2J, the robot arm 660 is positioned on a constrained or fixed carrier 400 on the track 310 (see Figure 2H), and the electric motor 680 can operate to move the robot arm 660 downward (e.g., in the Z direction) toward the carrier 400, and to grasp the receptacle 50 supported on the carrier 400 by the gripping member 662. See Figure 2I. With the receptacle 50 firmly grasped by the gripping member 662, the robot arm 660 can move upward (e.g., in the +Z direction) to lift the receptacle 50 from between the fingers 420 of the carrier 400. See Figure 2J. The robot arm 660 can then move horizontally in the X and / or Y directions toward the carriage 20 of the equipment 1000 positioned at the first end 22 of the shuttle 16. Next, the robotic arm 660 can move downward toward the carriage 20 to deposit the receptacle 50 between the spring-loaded fingers 102 of the pack 100 positioned on the carriage 20 (see, for example, Figures 5A-5D, which will be described in more detail below). The pick-and-place device 600 can also operate in a similar manner to return the receptacle 50 from the carriage 20 of the instrument 1000 to a carrier 400 (the same or a different carrier) on the conveyor 300. For example, when the carriage 20 with the receptacle 50 (e.g., the receptacle from which the instrument 1000 has extracted a fluid or sample for testing) is positioned at the first end 22 of the shuttle 16, the robotic arm 660 of the pick-and-place device 600 can descend to grasp and pick up the receptacle 50 from the carriage 20 using its gripping member 662. With the receptacle 50 fixed between the gripping members 662, the robot arm 660 can move in vertical (e.g., Z) and horizontal (e.g., X and / or Y) directions, and can transport the receptacle 50 to a carrier 400 positioned on the conveyor 300. In some embodiments, the carrier 400 to which the receptacle 50 is transferred may also be fixed by the gripping head 752 of the gripper 750, as described above.Next, the conveyor 300 can transport the carrier 400 equipped with the receptacle 50 to another piece of equipment 1000 or module in the laboratory (e.g., a storage module, an output module, a capping module, etc.) (see Figure 1A).

[0081] Figures 3A–3E show different diagrams of an exemplary shuttle 16 related to the device 1000. Figures 3A–3C show perspective views from different viewpoints, Figure 3D shows a top view, and Figure 3E shows a side view of the shuttle 16. Note that some components of the shuttle 16 are removed in some of these diagrams to show the functions hidden by these components. Note also that some components in these diagrams are shown larger or smaller to highlight various aspects. In the following description, references will be made to Figures 3A–3E. As previously stated, the shuttle 16 includes a carriage 20 that supports the receptacle 50 and moves between the first and second ends 22, 24 of the shuttle 16. In some embodiments, the carriage 20 may move (e.g., slide) between the first end 22 and the second end 24 on a rail 30. A belt 28 (most commonly shown in Figure 3B), driven by an electric motor 26, can be coupled to a carriage 20, allowing the carriage 20 to move between first and second ends 22, 24. When the motor 26 is rotated in one direction, the carriage 20 moves from the first end 22 to the second end 24, and when the motor 26 is rotated in the opposite direction, the carriage 20 moves from the second end 24 to the first end 22. The second end 24 includes a primary mucoid shelf 90 coupled to the housing 44 of the shuttle 16. A secondary mucoid shelf 60 is coupled to the carriage 20. When the carriage 20 is positioned at the second end 24, the secondary mucoid shelf 60 is positioned below the primary mucoid shelf 90 (see, for example, Figures 4G and 11A). The primary and secondary mucoid shelves 90, 60 will be described in more detail later.

[0082] Figures 4A–4E show different views of the carriage 20 positioned at the first end 22 of the shuttle 16, Figure 4G shows the carriage 20 positioned at the second end 24 of the shuttle 16, and Figure 4F shows the carriage positioned midway between the first and second ends 24. Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C show perspective views of the carriage 20 from different viewpoints, Figure 4D shows an exploded view, and Figure 4E shows a top view. In some of these figures, the carriage 20 and some components of the shuttle 16 (and receptacle 50) are removed to show the functions hidden by these components. As is best seen in Figure 4D, the carriage 20 includes a bracket 38 having side walls 38A, 38B and a base 38E. In some embodiments, the bracket 38 may be substantially C-shaped or U-shaped. The side wall 38B of the bracket 38 includes a vertically extending slot 38D, and the base 38E includes a substantially circular opening or cavity 38C. The secondary mucoid shelf 60 is mounted on the top surface of the bracket 38 (see Figure 4A). While specific shapes or configurations of the bracket 38, slot 38D, and cavity 38C are described herein, it should be noted that these are not requirements. In general, the bracket 38, slot 38D, and cavity 38C may have any shape and configuration suitable for their function as described below.

[0083] The carriage 20 includes a pack 100 positioned within a holder 130 and mounted below a bracket 38. See Figures 5C and 4C (with the holder 130 removed). Figures 5A–5K show different diagrams of the pack 100 (for clarity, some diagrams show some components removed). The pack 100 receives and supports the receptacle 50 being transported from the conveyor 300 to the carriage 20 (see Figures 5H, 5I, and 5K). Specific configurations of the pack are described below, but note that these are illustrative only. In general, any receptacle support device suitable for the functions described below can be used as the pack 100. Exemplary packs usable with the carriage 20 (with possible modifications) are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,147,778 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0153262. When supported by (or seated on) the pack 100, the receptacle 50 extends through the cavity 38C into the space between the side walls 38A and 38B of the bracket 38 (see Figures 5H and 5I). The pack 100 includes a plurality of spring-loaded fingers 102 positioned to receive the receptacle 50 from the robotic arm 660 (of the pick-and-place device 600) in the space formed between them (see Figures 5A–5D). The plurality of fingers 102 are held together or joined by one or more springs, such as by a restorative elastic O-ring 110 (most commonly seen in Figures 5D and 6C). When the robotic arm 660 inserts the receptacle 50 between the plurality of fingers 102, the compliant O-ring 110 extends radially outward, enclosing the space between the fingers 102 or expanding the space between the fingers 102, allowing the receptacle 50 to slide into this space. The spring force of the stretched O-ring 110 presses the multiple fingers 102 radially inward against the cylindrical wall of the receptacle 50, maintaining the receptacle 50 in an upright position between the multiple fingers 102 (see Figures 5C, 5K, and 6C). The O-ring 110 can be made of any suitable material having spring-like properties. Although not required, in some embodiments the O-ring 110 can be made of an elastomer material such as silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), or rubber.These figures show embodiments of pack 100 having four fingers 102, but it should be noted that this is merely illustrative. In general, pack 100 may include any number of fingers 102 (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.) arranged to receive a receptacle between them. In general, fingers 102 can be made of any suitable material, but in some embodiments, fingers 102 may be made of a material having a low coefficient of friction. In some embodiments, fingers 102 may be made of anodized aluminum coated with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or other suitable fluoropolymer. Furthermore, in some embodiments, in addition to or instead of the O-ring 110, another spring member (e.g., a metal spring member) may be used to restrain multiple fingers 102 together.

[0084] Referring to Figures 5D and 5E, each finger 102 includes an inclined first end 102A that serves as a retraction surface for the receptacle 50 into the space between the multiple fingers 102. When the multiple fingers 102 are held together by the O-ring 110, the inclined first ends 102A of the fingers 102 collectively form a funnel-shaped feature that allows for some degree of misalignment between the receptacle 50 and the pack 100 when the robot arm 14 positions the receptacle 50 between the multiple fingers 102. Each finger 102 also includes a base or second end 102B positioned substantially laterally to the first end 102A. The multiple fingers 102 are attached to the pack 100 at the second end 102B. The second end 102B includes a pair of through holes or cavities extending through it. As best seen in Figure 5E, these through holes include an internal cavity 102C and an external cavity 102D. Referring to Figure 5D, when the finger 102 is attached to the pack 100, the outer cavity 102D is located radially outward of the inner cavity 102C. That is, the inner cavity 102C is located closer to the axis 200 than the outer cavity 102D. Referring to Figure 5A, the pack 100 also includes a synchronous disc 104 and a support disc 106 with a centrally located recess or pocket 106A. Although not required, in some embodiments the synchronous disc 104 and retaining ring 112 may be made from plastic (e.g., polyoxymethylene (POM)), and the support disc 106 (and, in some embodiments, bearings 114 and 108) may be made from metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.). As those skilled in the art will recognize, POM is a plastic with high mechanical strength and rigidity, as well as good sliding properties and wear resistance. The synchronization disk 104 allows multiple fingers 102 to move together in sync (for example, the first end 102A of each finger 102 moves toward and away from the vertical axis 200) and is positioned in the pocket 106A of the support disk 106. When the pack 100 is assembled and the receptacle 50 is supported between the multiple fingers 102 of the pack 100, the pocket 106A of the support disk 106 receives the bottom portion of the receptacle 50.

[0085] As is best seen in Figures 5A and 7A, the support disc 106 includes a rim 106G in the form of sidewalls that project from the base 106J (of the disc 106) and define the pocket 106A. The rim 106G includes four sidewall segments arranged around the pocket 106A. Gaps 106H may be formed between each adjacent pair of segments of the rim 106G. The portion of the base 106J within the gap 106H between each adjacent pair of segments of the rim 106G includes a cavity 106D. Each cavity 106D includes a bearing 107 (see Figure 5B). As will be described later, the base of each finger 102 is rotatably coupled to the disc 106 by pins 103D that extend through the external cavity 102D of the finger 102 and the bearing 107 in the cavity 106D of the disc 106. One or more openings or passages 106F extend through segments of the rim 106G located on the opposite side of the pocket 106A. Each passage 106F includes portions extending through two oppositely located segments of the rim 106G (see Figure 7A). That is, referring to Figure 7A, the first passage 106F' extends through one segment of the rim 106G located on one side of the pocket 106A, and the second passage 106F'' extends through another segment of the rim 106G located on the opposite side of the pocket 106A. The first and second passages 106F' and 106F'' are positioned on the respective segments of the rim 106G such that they align with each other and have a common longitudinal axis 206. In the following description, the first passage 106F' and the second passage 106F'' may be referred to as passages 106F (or pack passages) having a longitudinal axis 206. As is best seen in Figure 7A, the passages 106F' and 106F'' have a common longitudinal axis 206 that is substantially perpendicular to and offset from a vertical axis (e.g., axis 200) extending through the center of the disk 106. Although not shown in Figure 7A, the disk 106 may have multiple similar passages 106F (i.e., having longitudinal axes that are substantially perpendicular to and offset from the vertical axis 200) that are arranged around the disk 106 and extend through a segment located opposite the rim 106G.In some embodiments, the amount of offset between axis 200 and axis 206 (distance "d" in Figure 6A) may be about 2 mm to about 7 mm, or about 3 mm to about 6 mm, or preferably about 4 mm to about 5 mm. As will be described later, the light beam from the light emitter 116A may be directed through passages 106F' and 106F'' to the photodetector 116B, which is used to detect the proper seating of the receptacle 50 in the pack 100.

[0086] As best seen in Figures 5A, 5B, and 5D, the pins 103C inserted through the internal cavities 102C of each finger 102 extend through the mating slots 104C (radially extending holes / openings) of the synchronous disk 104. Then, the pins 103D inserted through the external cavities 102D of each finger 102 extend through the bearings 107 in the cavity 106D of the support disk 106. As best seen in Figure 5B, in the assembled pack 100, the upper end of the pins 103D is received in the cavity 112A of the retaining ring 112, and the lower end of the pins 103D is received in the bearings 107. The pins 103D rotatably connect each finger 102 to the disk 106. Referring to Figures 5A and 5B, the cavities 106K are provided on the base 106J of the support disk 106, corresponding to the locations of the internal cavities 102C of the fingers 102. These cavities 106K adapt to the movement of pins 103C in slots 104C of the synchronous disk 104. When the receptacle 50 is inserted between the multiple fingers 102, each finger 102 rotates around the disk 106, increasing the space between the fingers 102. As the fingers 102 spread apart from each other, pins 103C slide radially outward on slots 104C of the disk 104, allowing the fingers 102 to spread apart synchronously. As is best seen in the perspective cross-sectional view of Figure 5B, the retaining ring 112 connects the multiple fingers 102 and disks 104, 106 together to form a pack 100 with bearings 114 and 108 positioned on either side. Referring to Figure 5A, the retaining ring 112 includes a cavity 113B whose position corresponds to the cavity 106I of the supporting disk 106. A fastener 113A (e.g., a screw, pin, etc.) engages with the cavity 113B (of the retaining ring 112) and the cavity 106I (of the support disc 106) to connect the retaining ring 112 to the support disc 106 with a plurality of fingers 102 and a synchronization disc 104 positioned between them. Next, referring to Figures 5C and 6A, the pack 100 is positioned within the cavity 132 of the holder 130, and the holder 130 is mounted below the bracket 38 such that the plurality of fingers 102 extend through the cavity 38C on the base 38E of the bracket 38 (see Figures 4A and 5H-5J (showing the holder 130 removed)).Next, the electric motor 126 (see Figure 4C) is coupled to the flange 106E of the support disc 106 (of the pack 100) using a belt 128 (see Figures 4C, 5I, and 5J). The rotation of the electric motor 126 rotates the pack 100 (and the receptacle 50 positioned between its multiple fingers 102) in the holder 130 around the vertical axis 200 of the carriage 20. Bearings 114 and 108 (see Figure 5B) assist in the rotation of the pack 100 in the holder 130. As will be described later, the rotation of the pack 100 assists the indicator reader 42 (see Figure 4B) of the carriage 20 in reading the information encoded in the machine-readable indicator 52 of the receptacle 50.

[0087] The carriage 20 includes several sensors configured to detect different parameters related to its operation. In some embodiments, as best seen in Figure 6A, the carriage 20 may include a home sensor 120 (see also Figures 4A, 5C, 5F, and 5G) used to detect that the pack 100 is rotating during the sign-reading operation. The home sensor 120 may be mounted on the holder 130 of the pack 100. The home sensor 120 may be a Hall effect sensor that detects a magnet (not shown) on the pack 100. When the pack 100 has rotated completely (i.e., 360°) within the holder 130 and the magnet on the rotating pack 100 aligns with the home sensor 120 mounted on the fixed holder 130, the home sensor 120 may output a signal (e.g., to the controller) indicating that the pack 100 has completed one rotation. The absence of a signal from the home sensor 120 may indicate that the pack 100 is not rotating properly (as a result of motor 126 failure, belt 128 rupture, etc.). The home sensor 120 can also be used as the reference position for the carriage 20's receptacle presence awareness system, as discussed below.

[0088] The receptacle presence detection system may include one or more sensors configured to determine whether the receptacle 50 is present and properly seated on the pack 100 on the carriage 20. As previously mentioned, the gripping member 662 of the robotic arm 660 of the pick-and-place device 600 grips the receptacle 50 and transports it from the carrier 400 of the conveyor 300 to the carriage 20. In some embodiments, a receptacle presence detection system may be used to ensure that the receptacle 50 is stably supported or seated on the pack 100 before being released by the gripping member 662 of the robotic arm 660. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, if the receptacle 50 is not seated on the pack 100 when the carriage 20 transports the pack 100 to the second end 24, the receptacle 50 may move away from the pack 100 and spill its contents (i.e., fluid contained in the container), which may result in contamination of the equipment 1000. Therefore, in some embodiments, it is preferable to ensure that the receptacle 50 is seated on the pack 100 before it is released by the gripping member 662 of the robot arm 660. Furthermore, as will be described in more detail below, once the carriage 20 is positioned at the second end 24, the pipette tip 152 attached to the mounting end 156 of the pipette 150 of the instrument 1000 enters the seated receptacle 50 on the pack 100 and aspirates the fluid (e.g., sample) contained in the receptacle 50 (see, for example, Figures 4G and 11A). By using the receptacle presence awareness system of the carriage 20 to ensure that the receptacle 50 is seated on the pack 100 (or supported by the carriage 20), it is ensured that the fluid contained in the receptacle 50 can be accessed without interference by the pipette tip 152 associated with the pipette 150.In some embodiments, the receptacle presence detection system may determine that the receptacle is seated in the pack 50 if (a) the receptacle 50 has a limited inclination with respect to the vertical axis (for example, the angle between the longitudinal axis 204 of the receptacle 50 (see Figures 6E and 6F) and the vertical axis 200 extending centrally between the multiple fingers 102 of the pack 100 (see Figures 6E and 6F) is less than or equal to a predetermined value), and / or (b) the receptacle 50 is inserted to an appropriate depth in the pack 100 (for example, the distance of the base 55 of the receptacle 50 from the base 106J of the support disc 106 of the pack 100 (see Figure 6J) is less than or equal to a predetermined value). In some embodiments, by determining that the base 55 of the receptacle 50 is within a certain distance of the base 106J of the pack 100 (or carriage 20), the receptacle presence awareness system can ensure that there is no unintended interference between the receptacle 50 and some structure of the equipment 1000, such as the primary mucoid shelf 90, as the carriage 20 moves from the first end 22 to the second end 24. The allowable inclination of the receptacle relative to the vertical axis and the allowable gap between the receptacle base 55 and the base 106J may depend on the application, but in some embodiments, the sensing system may be configured to detect that the receptacle 50 is seated on the pack when (a) the base 55 of the receptacle 50 is about 5 mm or less from the base 106J of the support disk 106, and / or (b) the angle of the longitudinal axis 204 of the receptacle 50 (see Figures 5E and 5F) with respect to the vertical axis 200 of the pack 100 (see Figures 5E and 5F) is about 30° or less. Note that the above values ​​are for illustrative purposes only. For example, in some embodiments, depending on the application, the permissible distance described in (a) above may be any integer between 1 mm and 15 mm (i.e., ≤2 mm, ≤10 mm, etc.), and the permissible angle described in (b) above may be any integer between 10° and 30° (i.e., ≤15°, ≤10°, etc.).The receptacle presence detection system may include any sensor capable of determining whether the receptacle 50 is seated on the pack 100 (or supported by the carriage 20), but the sensor in some embodiments may include a signal emitter and signal detector pair, such as a pair of photoemitter 116A and photodetector 116B, as shown in Figures 5C, 5F, 5G, and 6A. In one embodiment, an infrared LED emitter and silicon phototransistor sensor, such as the photoemitter OPB100EZ and photodetector OPB100SZ (from Optek Technology Inc., Carrollton, TX), can be used as the photoemitter 116A and photodetector 116B, respectively.

[0089] The optical emitter 116A and the photodetector 116B are mounted on a stationary holder 130 of the pack 100. As is best seen in Figures 5F, 6A, and 7A, the optical emitter 116A is mounted on the first side wall 131A, and the photodetector 116B is mounted on the second side wall 131B of the holder 130. The side walls 131A and 131B are located opposite the central cavity 132 of the holder 130 that receives the pack 100. As is best seen in Figure 7A, in the holder 130, a passage 136A extends through the first side wall 131A, and a passage 136B extends through the second side wall 131B such that these passages 136A and 136B are aligned with each other and have a common longitudinal axis 202. The passages 136A and 136B are positioned on the holder 130 such that their common longitudinal axis 202 is substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis 200 and offset (i.e., spaced apart) from the vertical axis 200 (see Figures 5F and 7A). In the following description, the passages 136A and 136B of the holder 130 may be collectively referred to as the holder passage. Although not a requirement, in some embodiments the amount of offset (distance "d" in Figure 7A) may be about 2 mm to about 7 mm, or about 3 mm to about 6 mm, or preferably about 4 mm to about 5 mm. Although not a requirement, in some embodiments, the photoemitter and detectors 116A, 116B are mounted on the first and second side walls 131A, 131B of the holder 130, so that the photoemitter element 116A' of the photoemitter 116A is positioned in the passage 136A and the photodetector element 116B' of the detector 116B is positioned in the passage 136B (see Figure 6A). When the pack 100 is not present in the holder 130, the light beam 500 emitted by the photoemitter 116A is transmitted to the photodetector 116B via the aligned passages 136A, 136B. Once the pack 100 is positioned within the holder 130 and aligned so that the passages 106F' and 106F'' of the support disk 106 (of the pack 100) align with the passages 136A and 136B of the holder 130, the light beam 500 from the emitter 116A is transmitted to the detector 116B via the aligned passages 136A, 106F', 106F'', and 136B (see Figures 5F, 7A).Although not a requirement, in some embodiments, when the pack 100 is positioned in the holder 130, as shown in Figure 7A, this aligns the passages 106F' and 106F'' of the pack 100 (i.e., the pack passages) with the passages 136A and 136B of the holder 130 (i.e., the holder passages), and the longitudinal axes 202 (of passages 136A and 136B) and the longitudinal axis 206 (of passage 106F) may coincide. Referring to Figures 5G and 6C-6E, when the receptacle 50 is positioned within the pack 100 (and when the passages 106F' and 106F'' of the pack 100 are aligned with the passages 136A and 136B of the holder 130), the optical beam 500 from the emitter 116A passes through the passages 136A and 106F' and collides with the curved sidewall of the receptacle 50 at a position close to its base.

[0090] As previously explained, the common longitudinal axis 202 of passages 136A and 136B (of holder 130) is offset from the vertical axis 200 of carriage 20 (see Figures 5F and 7A). That is, the common longitudinal axis 202 of passages 136A and 136B does not extend through the diameter of the receptacle 50 seated in pack 100. Therefore, as best seen in Figures 6D and 6E, the light beam 500 striking the curved side wall of the receptacle 500 is also offset from the vertical axis 200. The passages 136A and 136B of holder 130 are positioned so that the light beam 500 passes through the side of the receptacle 50 that is offset from the vertical axis 200 when receptacles 50 of different sizes (e.g., diameter) are supported in pack 100. Figure 6F is a schematic diagram of the base of a 16 mm diameter receptacle 50A (i.e., the maximum diameter of receptacle 50A is 16 mm), showing the contour of the optical beam 500 impacting the outer curved surface of the receptacle 50A. The diameter "a" of the optical beam 500 depends on the size of the emitter 116A and the passages 136A, 106F. In some embodiments, the diameter "a" may be about 1 mm to about 3 mm, or about 2 mm. As previously mentioned, receptacles 50 of different sizes (e.g., diameter, height) may be supported in pack 100. The profile of a 12 mm diameter receptacle 50B is also shown in Figure 5F using dashed lines. Referring to Figure 6F, the common longitudinal axis 202 of the passages 136A, 136B (and passage 106F of pack 100) may be offset from the vertical axis 200 by a distance "A". In general, distance A may depend on the size of the receptacle intended to be supported by pack 100 and the size of the emitter 116A used. In some embodiments, distance A may be about 3 mm to about 6 mm, preferably about 4 mm to about 5 mm, or more preferably about 4.5 mm. The common longitudinal axis 202 may also be offset by a distance "B" from the base of the properly mounted receptacle 50. In some embodiments, as best seen in Figure 6F, distance B may be chosen so that the optical beam 500 collides with the hemispherical base of a curved bottom receptacle.Typically, distance B can vary from about 3 mm to about 8 mm, preferably from about 4 mm to about 7 mm, or more preferably from about 5 mm to about 6 mm. The values ​​of distances A and B may depend on the application (e.g., the type and size of the receptacle), but generally, these distances are selected so that the light beam 500 enters within the profile of the receptacle 50 seated in the pack 100 without passing through the diameter of the receptacle 50.

[0091] Figures 6G–6J schematically illustrate the interaction between the light beam 500 passing from the emitter 116A through the detector 116B (not shown) and the receptacle 50 seated on the pack 100. As shown in Figure 6G, when the receptacle 50 is not present on the pack 100, the entire light beam 500, or substantially the entire light beam 500, can be received and detected by the detector 116B. Note that although the pack 100 in Figure 6G does not have a receptacle, the outline of the receptacle is shown using a dotted line for reference. The detector 116B may be configured to transmit a signal (e.g., voltage) indicating the intensity (or another parameter) of the received light beam 500 to a control unit 250 (see Figure 6C) operably coupled to it. As shown in Figure 6H, when the receptacle 50 is seated (or properly seated in some embodiments) on the pack 100, the curved sidewalls of the receptacle 50 in the path of the light beam 500 block and / or refract at least a portion of the light beam 500 passing from the emitter 116 to the detector 116B. As a result, a smaller portion of the light beam 500 from the emitter 116A, if any, is received by the detector 116B compared to when the receptacle is not present on the pack 100. Thus, when the receptacle 50 is seated (or properly seated in some embodiments) on the pack 100, the detector 116B detects only a portion of the light beam 500 emitted by the emitter 116A. Figures 6I and 6J are schematic diagrams of the receptacle 50 that may not be properly oriented or seated on the pack 100. Figure 6I shows a receptacle 50 positioned within a pack 100, with its longitudinal axis 204 inclined at an angle θ with respect to the vertical axis 200 (the angle θ may be such that the side walls 57 of the receptacle 50 block or interfere with anything related to the pipette tip 152 attempting to access the contents of the pipette 50 or the pipette tip 152). Figure 6J shows a receptacle 50 positioned within the pack 100 such that its base 55 is spaced apart from the base 106J of a support disk 106 (not shown).As a result, the distance "C" between the base 55 of the receptacle 50 and the common longitudinal axis 202 of the passages 136A and 136B is shorter than the distance "B" in Figure 6H, which represents the receptacle 50 in contact with the base 106J of the support disk 106 (not shown). Thus, distance "BC" represents the distance at which the base 55 of the receptacle 50 seated on the pack 100 (or carriage 20) is removed from the base 106J of the pack 100 (or the base of the carriage 20). In both Figures 6I and 6J, the shape / curvature of the surface of the receptacle sidewall 57 upon which the light beam 500 collides or is incident may differ compared to when the receptacle 50 is properly seated on the pack 100 (Figure 6H). Due to this difference in the curvature of the incident surface, different (more or less) amounts of the light beam 500 may be blocked / blinded / refracted by the receptacle sidewall. As a result, when the receptacle 50 is not properly seated on the pack 100, the detector 116B may detect a different (more or less) amount of light beam 500 compared to when the receptacle 50 is properly seated (Figure 6H).

[0092] The amount of receptacle misalignment allowed by the instrument 1000 (i.e., angle θ and distance BC in Figure 6I (compare Figures 6I and 6J)) may depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, a tilt angle θ of up to approximately 10° and / or a seating deviation (i.e., distance BC) of up to approximately 5 mm may not adversely affect performance. "No adverse effect" means that the pipette 150 (or associated pipette tip 152) can access the contents of the receptacle 50 at the second end 24 without interference from the receptacle 50, and the structure of the instrument 1000 does not interfere with the movement of the receptacle 50 between the first and second ends 22, 24, or the positioning of the receptacle 50 for pipetting at the second end 24. "Interference" means that the receptacle 50 blocks or otherwise inhibits the pipette 150 (or associated pipette tip 152) from accessing or aspirating a desired amount of the contents of the receptacle 50.

[0093] In some embodiments, pack 100 may be configured to receive receptacles having a curved base (e.g., a hemispherical base as shown in Figures 6A-6G) and receptacles having a flat base. When a receptacle 50 having a curved or hemispherical base is seated on pack 100, as best seen in Figure 6E, the sidewall surface of the receptacle onto which the light beam 500 (from emitter 116A) is incident is curved around both axes 200 and 202 (i.e., the vertical and horizontal axes). In embodiments where pack 100 receives a receptacle with a flat base, the surface of the receptacle onto which the light beam is incident is curved only around the vertical axis 200. In some embodiments, when the common longitudinal axis 202 of passages 136A, 136B (and passage 106F) passes through the diameter of the receptacle (i.e., is not offset from the vertical axis 200), it should be noted that a sufficient portion of the light beam 500 may not be blocked / deflected / refracted by the receptacle sidewall for a sensing system to determine that the receptacle is seated in the pack 100. Referring to Figure 6F, in some embodiments, when a receptacle with a flat base is used, the light beam 500 may be focused lower on the receptacle than when a receptacle with a hemispherical base is used (i.e., due to differences in profile) (i.e., distance B may be smaller). In some embodiments, the control unit 250 may be calibrated to detect the presence (or proper seating in some embodiments) of both receptacles with curved bases and receptacles with flat bases. During use, based on the signal from detector 116B, the control unit 250 (see Figure 6C) may detect whether the receptacle 50 is properly seated on the pack 100. In some embodiments, the control unit 250 may signal to the user whether the receptacle 50 is properly or improperly seated on the pack 100 using an indicator (such as an indicator light, sound, or icon). Note that while a signal emitter-signal detector pair is described as being used as a sensor in a receptacle presence awareness system, this is merely illustrative.In general, any suitable sensor can be used (e.g., photoemitters and photodetectors, contact switches, reflective sensors, ultrasonic cameras, resistive film sensors, etc.).

[0094] The signal from detector 116B can be calibrated to distinguish between properly seated and improperly seated receptacles 50. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, calibration of the detector signal for detecting proper seating of receptacles 50 in pack 100 can be performed in any manner. In some embodiments, experiments can be performed to determine the emitter signal (voltage indicating the intensity of detected light, etc.) for different configurations (diameter, type, base curvature, etc.) and / or positioning of receptacles 50 in pack 100 (e.g., different angles θ and distance BC). Based on these results and prior experience, a threshold (or range) of the emitter signal indicating proper receptacle seating can then be selected. The above calibration methods are merely illustrative.

[0095] The receptacle 50 may include a machine-readable label 52 (see Figures 4B, 5H, 5I) having encoded details (sample type, collection date, test type, patient information (age, address, sex, etc.)) about the fluid contained in the receptacle 50. In general, the machine-readable label 52 may contain encoded data in any form. In some embodiments, the machine-readable label 52 may include a mark or line (e.g., a 1D or 2D barcode) formed directly on the sidewall of the receptacle 50 (e.g., printed). In some embodiments, the label 52 may be a tag or sticker with a pattern of marks formed thereon. The carriage 20 includes a label reader 42 (e.g., a barcode reader) (see Figure 4B) configured to read the encoded information of the machine-readable label 52 (e.g., a barcode) on the receptacle 50. In some embodiments, the information read by the label reader 42 may be used to associate the fluid in the receptacle 50 with a specific patient sample and / or assay protocol. In some embodiments, the indicator reader 42 may be positioned within the housing 40 of the shuttle 16 (see Figures 3A and 4B). Referring to Figure 4B, the indicator reader 42 may be positioned such that the side wall of the receptacle 50 seated on the pack 100 is within the line of sight of the indicator reader 42 through the slot 38D of the bracket 38 (on the side wall 38B). When the receptacle 50 is activated, the indicator reader 42 can easily read the indicator 52 when it is oriented so that the machine-readable indicator 52 (the side wall of the receptacle 50) is visible to the indicator reader 42. However, in some embodiments, the receptacle 50 may be oriented so that the machine-readable indicator 52 is not within the line of sight of the indicator reader 42. Thus, in some embodiments, when the indicator reader 42 is activated, the pack 100 may be rotated (within the bracket 38) around the vertical axis 200 by operating an electric motor 126, together with the receptacle 50. By rotating the receptacle 50, the sign reader 42 can read the machine-readable sign 52 even if the sign 52 is initially oriented away from the sign reader 42.In general, the electric motor 126 can rotate the receptacle 50 by any amount (i.e., any angle around the axis 200). In some embodiments, the electric motor 126 can rotate the receptacle 50 in the same direction (i.e., clockwise or counterclockwise) for one or more cycles. In some embodiments, the electric motor 126 can rotate the receptacle 50 back and forth for one or more cycles. One cycle of back and forth rotation includes rotating the receptacle 50 first in one direction (i.e., clockwise or counterclockwise) by any amount (e.g., from about 15° to about 360°), and then in the opposite direction. In general, the receptacle 50 can rotate back and forth or in the same direction for any number of cycles (e.g., 1 to 10). In some embodiments, one cycle of back and forth rotation may include rotating the receptacle 50 about 360° in one direction, and then about 360° in the opposite direction. In some embodiments, the receptacle 50 may be rotated (either in the same direction or back and forth) until the label reader 42 reads the machine-readable label 52. That is, the control unit (e.g., control unit 250 in Figure 6C) may deactivate the electric motor 126 in response to a signal indicating that the label reader 42 has read the machine-readable label 52. It should be noted that in some embodiments, other technologies (e.g., RFID tags and RFI readers) may be used to read information about the fluid contained in the receptacle 50.

[0096] Typically, an initialization routine can be performed on the carriage 20 before the receptacle is mounted on the carriage 20. In some embodiments, the initialization routine may include (a) positioning (or homing) the pack 100 to its home position, (b) verifying that the carriage 20 is not supporting the receptacle, (c) aligning the path directing the light beam from the emitter 116A to the detector 116B, and (d) calibrating the brightness of the light beam 500. Positioning the pack 100 to its home position may include operating an electric motor 126 to rotate the pack 100 until a home sensor 120 mounted on the holder 130 (see Figure 6A) aligns with a magnet (not shown) attached to the pack 100. After homing the pack 100, a sign reader 42 is used to verify that the carriage 20 is not supporting the receptacle. For example, referring to Figure 4B, the side wall 38A of the bracket 38 opposite slot 38D may contain a barcode (not shown) or another machine-readable indicator (e.g., encoded with the letter "Z"). When the receptacle is seated on pack 100, the receptacle is positioned between slot 38D and the barcode, so the indicator reader 42 cannot read the barcode on side wall 38A. When the indicator reader 42 reads the barcode on side wall 38A (i.e., the letter Z), it confirms that the receptacle is not supported by the carriage 20. After confirming that pack 100 does not contain a receptacle, pack 100 is rotated to align the passages 106F', 106F'' of pack 100 (i.e., collectively the pack passages) with the passages 136A, 136B of stationary holder 130 (i.e., collectively the holder passages). When the pack passage is aligned with the holder passage, the longitudinal axis of the pack passage may be parallel to or coincide with the longitudinal axis of the holder passage. By aligning these passages, the detector 116B is able to reliably receive the maximum amount of light beam 500 emitted by the light emitter 116A when the receptacle 50 is not supported by the pack 100 (see Figure 6G).

[0097] Figures 7A and 7B are simplified schematic diagrams illustrating the alignment of the optical beam paths in pack 100 (i.e., paths 106F', 106F'') and holder 130 (i.e., paths 136A, 136B). Figure 7A is a simplified plan view of the support disk 106 positioned within holder 130. To align the paths, pack 100 is rotated while monitoring the signal from photodetector 116B. Figure 7B is a graphical representation of the signal 118A (e.g., showing intensity) from optical emitter 116A as pack 100 is rotated. The contours of the holder paths 136A, 136B (labeled 130') and disk paths 106F', 106F'' (labeled 106') at different points during the rotation of pack 100 are also shown in Figure 7B. When the pack passages 106F' and 106F'' are not aligned with the holder passages 136A and 136B (i.e., when contours 130' and 106' are not superimposed), only a portion (or any portion) of the light beam 500 from the emitter 116A is received by the detector 116B. When these passages are aligned (i.e., when contours 130' and 106' are superimposed), the detector 116B receives the maximum amount of light beam 500 and therefore measures the maximum intensity. To align the pack passages 106F' and 106F'' with the holder passages 136A and 136B, the rotation of the pack 100 is stopped when the detector 116B detects the maximum intensity of light (i.e., at rotation position "X" in Figure 7B). After the holder and pack passages are aligned, the light beam 500 is calibrated for luminance. Figure 7C is an illustration of the luminance calibration. As shown in Figure 7C, the power input to the photoemitter 116A is adjusted (increased, decreased, etc.) until the intensity of the light detected by the photodetector 116B (measured luminance 118B) reaches a predetermined target luminance value 118C. Over time, aging of the sensor and / or accumulation of particles in the passages 136A, 136B, 106F', 106F'' may reduce the amount of light beam 500 from the emitter 116A received / detected by the detector 116B. In some embodiments, the initialization routine may be run periodically (e.g., weekly, monthly, before analyzing a set number or batch of samples, etc.).By periodically aligning the optical pathways within the holder and pack and performing brightness calibration, the receptacle presence detection system can accurately detect whether the receptacle is present in pack 100 and / or properly seated in pack 100 under different real-world conditions (e.g., sensor aging and / or accumulation of particles in the optical pathways over time).

[0098] After initializing the carriage 20 as described above, the receptacle 50 can be positioned on the pack 100 (for example, by the robotic arm 660 in Figure 2J). As previously described, the receptacle 50 is supported on the pack 100 by multiple fingers 102 (see Figures 5H, 5I, 5K, and 6A-6D). The carriage 20 also includes an additional receptacle clamping mechanism 70 adapted to selectively clamp the receptacle 50 (for example, to restrict its movement) when the carriage 20 is positioned on the second end 24 of the shuttle 16. Figures 8A and 8B show an exemplary receptacle clamping mechanism 70 of the carriage 20. The clamping mechanism 70 includes a cam arm 72 having a roller 74 rotatably coupled at one end. The opposite end of the cam arm 72 is attached to a cam gear 76A rotatably coupled to the side wall 38A of the bracket 38 (see Figures 4B, 4D). Cam gear 76A meshes with another cam gear 76B, which is also rotatably coupled to the side wall 38A. Actuator arm 78A is coupled to cam gear 76A so that actuator arm 78A rotates with cam gear 76A (i.e., there is no relative motion between cam gear 76A and actuator arm 78A). Actuator arm 78B is coupled to cam gear 76B so that actuator arm 78B rotates with cam gear 76B. As is best seen in Figure 8B, actuator arms 78A, 78B have a substantially L-shape and can be attached to their respective cam gears 76A, 76B so that the free ends of both actuator arms 78A, 78B face the receptacle 50 seated in pack 100. The free end of actuator arm 78A facing the receptacle 50 includes a support pad 80A, and the free end of actuator arm 78B facing the receptacle 50 includes a support pad 80B. The surfaces of pads 80A and 80B facing the receptacle 50 may be contoured or include grooves (e.g., substantially V-shaped grooves, substantially U-shaped grooves, etc.). The contour or groove shape of pads 80A and 80B may be selected to fit and clamp to the sidewalls of the receptacle within a range of diameters (e.g., approximately 12 mm to approximately 16 mm) intended to be supported by the pack 100.When the carriage 20 is positioned at the first end 22, spring 82A may bias the actuator arm 78A and pad 80A away from the receptacle 50, and spring 82B may bias the actuator arm 78B and pad 80B away from the receptacle 50. That is, when the carriage 20 is positioned at the first end 22, pads 80A and 80B do not exert a clamping force on the receptacle 50. In general, the clamping force exerted on the receptacle 50 by pads 80A and 80B depends on the size and material of the pads, as well as their coefficient of friction. Although not required, in some embodiments, pads 80A and 80B may be configured to prevent upward movement of the receptacle clamped by the pads when a vertical or upward force of about 10 N to about 30 N is applied to the receptacle 50. As will be explained later, in some embodiments, the receptacle seated in pack 100 may experience an upward force of similar magnitude when the pipette tip is withdrawn from the receptacle after aspirating fluid from the receptacle. The pads 80A and 80B may generally be made of any suitable material (e.g., a relatively flexible material). In some embodiments, the pads 80A and 80B may be made of silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber), other rubbers, elastomer materials, etc.

[0099] Referring to Figures 3A-3C, the shuttle 16 includes a ramp 34 attached to the housing 44. The upper surface of the ramp 34 is inclined to form an inclined surface 36 that extends parallel to the rail 30 (see Figures 3A, 3B). The inclined surface 36 is a surface that slopes downward from its upper end 36A, located near the first end 22, to its lower end 36B, located between the first end 22 and the second end 24. When the carriage 20 is positioned at the first end 22, the roller 74 of the cam arm 72 rests on the upper end 36A of the inclined surface 36. When the electric motor 26 is activated and the carriage 20 moves on the rail 30 from the first end 22 to the second end 24, the roller 74 rolls down the inclined surface 36 of the ramp 34, and the cam arm 72 rotates in one direction (clockwise or downward when viewed from the side of the receptacle 50, referring to Figure 8B). As the carriage 20 moves from the second end 24 to the first end 22, the cam arm 72 moves upward along the inclined surface 36 and rotates in the opposite direction (counterclockwise in Figure 8B). Referring to Figure 8B, as the cam arm 72 rotates clockwise, the cam gear 76A also rotates clockwise, and the cam gear 76B rotates counterclockwise. As the cam gear 76A rotates clockwise, the actuator arm 78A also rotates clockwise, and the pad 80A moves toward the receptacle 50. Similarly, as the cam gear 76B rotates counterclockwise, the actuator arm 78B also rotates counterclockwise, and the pad 80B moves toward the receptacle 50. When the cam arm 72 reaches the lower end 36B of the inclined surface 36, the pads 80A and 80B press against and secure or lock the receptacle 50 in the pack 100. Similarly, as the carriage 20 moves from the second end 24 to the first end 22, the cam gears 76A and 76B rotate counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively, releasing the pads 80A and 80B away from the receptacle 50. When the carriage 20 reaches the first end 22, the receptacle 50 is no longer constrained or clamped by the pads 80A and 80B.In other words, as the carriage 20 moves from the first end 22 toward the second end 24, the pads 80A and 80B contact the receptacle 50 and apply a clamping force, and as the carriage 20 moves from the second end 24 toward the first end 22, the pads 80A and 80B move away from the receptacle 50 and release the clamping force (provided to the receptacle 50 by the pads 80A and 80B). Thus, the clamping mechanism 70 selectively applies a clamping force to the receptacle 50 only when the carriage 20 is positioned toward the second end 24.

[0100] As best seen in Figure 4G, the second end 24 of the instrument 1000 includes an automatic pipette 150 which can be used to aspirate a fluid (e.g., a sample) contained in a receptacle 50 supported by a carriage 20. Figures 10A and 10B show an exemplary pipette 150 of the instrument 1000. Referring to Figures 4G, 10A and 10B, the pipette 150 includes a disposable pipette tip 152 which can be detachably attached to the mounting end 156 (e.g., the bottom) of the pipette 150. A sliding sleeve 154 is associated with the pipette 150 which can be operated to move downward, thereby ejecting the pipette tip 152 from the mounting end 156 after use. When the carriage 20 is positioned at the second end 24 (see Figure 4G), the pipette tip 152 enters the receptacle 50 and aspirates the fluid 160 from the receptacle 50. Figure 10C shows a pipette tip 152 of a pipette 150 drawing fluid 160 from a receptacle 50. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 10C, the receptacle 50 may have an upper opening 54 closed by a cap 56. The cap 56 may be configured to be penetrated by the pipette tip 152 when it enters the receptacle 50 (for example, the upper opening 54 may be covered with metal foil or another perforable material 58). Generally, the cap 56 may have any configuration. Exemplary receptacles closed with a perforable cap are disclosed in U.S. Patents 8,052,944 and 8,206,662. When the pipette tip 152 is withdrawn from the receptacle 50 after fluid aspiration, the interaction (e.g., friction) between the receptacle cap 56 and the pipette tip 152 applies a retaining force to the receptacle 50, causing the pipette 150 to tend to lift the receptacle 50 and extract it from between the multiple fingers 102 of the pack 100. In some cases, this upward force on the receptacle 50 can exceed 10N (or may be about 10N to about 30N). By clamping the receptacle 50 using the pads 80A, 80B of the clamping mechanism 70, it is possible to prevent the receptacle 50 from being pulled out of the pack 100 when the pipette tip 152 is withdrawn from the receptacle 50.In contrast, at the first end 22, the robot arm 660 picks up the receptacle 50 from the carriage 20 and returns it to the carrier 400 of the conveyor 300 (see Figure 2I). By releasing the clamping force provided (on the receptacle 50) by the pads 80A, 80B at the first end 22, the receptacle 50 can be easily removed from the pack 100 by the robot arm 660. Note that the configuration of the cap 56 shown in Figure 10C is for illustrative purposes only.

[0101] Referring to Figure 3A, at the second end 24 of the shuttle 16, the primary mucoid shelf 90 is removably attached to the housing 44. Figure 9A shows the second end 24 of the shuttle 16 with the primary mucoid shelf 90 removed, and Figure 9B shows an embodiment of the removed primary mucoid shelf 90. In the following description, references are made to Figures 3A, 9A, and 9B. The primary mucoid shelf 90 may be a plate-like structure positioned substantially horizontally on the rail 30. The upper surface of the primary mucoid shelf 90 includes a recessed path or labyrinth 95 arranged around a first projection 94. As shown in Figure 9B, the labyrinth 95 may be bounded by side walls 97. A first opening 92 (e.g., a hole, recess, notch, opening, etc.) may be formed or defined in the base 91 of the labyrinth 95, and a second opening 93 may be formed or defined in the side walls 97. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 9B, the first opening 92 may be a recess defined by a side wall 97 extending inward into the base 91 of the labyrinth 95, and the second opening 93 may be a downward-extending recess formed in the side wall 97. As will be described in more detail below, the pipette tip 152 of the pipette 150 can navigate through the labyrinth 95 after aspirating fluid from the receptacle 50. The configuration of the labyrinth 95 shown in Figure 9B is merely illustrative. In general, the labyrinth 95 may have any configuration (e.g., a zigzag path). With respect to the first opening 92, it should be noted that the term “opening” is intended to cover embodiments in which the opening is fully defined by the base 91 of the shelf 90 (e.g., completely contained within the base 91, as in the case of a hole), and embodiments in which the opening is only partially defined by the base 91 of the shelf 90 (e.g., a recess formed in the base 91 of the shelf, such as the first opening 92 shown in the embodiment of Figure 9B). The second opening 93, if present, is configured to allow the pipette tip 152 to pass laterally through the second opening 93 without adjusting the height of the pipette 150.

[0102] In some embodiments, the primary mucoid shelf 90 is removably attached to the housing 44 using magnets. The primary mucoid shelf 90 and the housing 44 may include a mating function adapted to correctly align the primary mucoid shelf 90 on the housing 44 when the primary mucoid shelf 90 is attached to the housing 44. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, these alignment functions include a cavity 96 on the primary mucoid shelf 90 and a corresponding projection 46 on the housing 44. The cavity 96 and projection 46 may have a shape and configuration that allows the projection 46 to fit through the cavity 96 only when the primary mucoid shelf 90 is aligned on the housing 44 in the desired manner. The primary mucoid shelf 90 may also include a projection 96A located in the adjacent cavity 96. This projection may fit into a recess 46A located at the base of the projection 46 in the housing 44 when the primary mucoid shelf 90 is attached to the housing 44, and may help maintain the height of the labyrinth 95 relative to the data. A first magnet 98A is provided to the primary mucoid shelf 90, and a second magnet 48A (having the opposite polarity to magnet 98A) is provided to the housing 44 to removably mount the primary mucoid shelf 90 to the housing 44. In some embodiments, one of the first magnet 98A or the second magnet 98B may be a magnet and the other may be a ferromagnetic material. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the first magnet 98A is housed or enclosed within a feature 98 (e.g., a protruding post) of the shelf 90, and the second magnet 48A is housed within a feature 48 (e.g., a protruding post) that is attached to the housing 44. When the primary mucoid shelf 90 is positioned on the housing 44 and the projection 46 extends through the cavity 96, the first and second magnets 98A and 48A attract each other, aligning the primary mucoid shelf 90 correctly on the housing 44. A thumb grip 99 may be provided on the primary mucoid shelf 90 to allow the user to firmly grasp the primary mucoid shelf 90 while attaching and / or detaching the primary mucoid shelf 90 from the housing 44. Note that although the primary mucoid shelf 90 is described as being detachably attached to the housing 44 using magnets, this is merely illustrative.In some embodiments, the shelf 90 can be removably mounted to the housing 44 using tabs or other known alignment and mounting mechanisms.

[0103] Figures 11A–11C show a pipette tip 152 attached to the mounting end 156 of a pipette 150 that draws fluid 160 from the receptacle 50, when the carriage 20 is positioned at the second end 24 of the shuttle 16. When the carriage 20 is positioned at the second end 24, the upper opening 54 of the receptacle 50 (or the cap 56 of the receptacle 50 in embodiments where the opening 54 of the receptacle 50 is covered by a cap 56) is positioned and aligned below the first opening 92 of the primary mucoid shelf 90. That is, the vertical axis passing through the first opening 92 also passes through the upper opening 54 (or cap 56) of the receptacle 50. In this configuration, the secondary mucoid shelf 60 is positioned below the primary mucoid shelf 90 (see Figures 11A and 4G). In some embodiments, the clearance between the primary mucoid shelf 90 and the secondary mucoid shelf 60 may be about 1 mm to about 6 mm, or preferably about 2 mm to about 4 mm. The clearance or gap between the bottom of the primary mucoid shelf 90 and the top of the receptacle 50 may vary based on the height of the receptacle 50. For example, when a receptacle with a height of 100 mm is used, the clearance between the receptacle and the primary mucoid shelf 90 may be about 5 mm to about 10 mm, or preferably about 6 mm to about 8 mm. When the receptacle 50 is positioned below the first opening 92, the pipette tip 152 attached to the mounting end 156 of the pipette 150 (of the instrument 1000) descends through the first opening 92 into the receptacle 50 and aspirates the fluid 160 contained in the receptacle 50 (see Figure 11A). As illustrated with reference to Figure 10C, in embodiments where the receptacle 50 is a capped receptacle, the pipette tip 152 penetrates the cap 56 as it enters the receptacle 50. After a sufficient amount of fluid 160 has been drawn from the receptacle 50, the pipette tip 152 is lifted and removed from the receptacle 50 through the first opening 92 of the primary mucoid shelf 90 (see Figures 11B and 9B).

[0104] In some cases, the fluid 160 in the receptacle 50 may be a viscous fluid, such as mucus (e.g., vaginal mucus). In some such cases, a strand of the viscous fluid (referred to herein as a mucoid strand 170) may extend from the pipette tip 152 to the receptacle 50 as the pipette tip 152 is removed from the receptacle 50 (see Figure 11B). As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, this mucoid strand 170 may detach from the pipette tip 152 or be transported beyond part of the apparatus 1000 (e.g., as the pipettor 150 moves) before the pipette tip 152 is discharged into the waste container, posing a risk of contamination. Therefore, it is desirable to remove this mucoid strand 170 from the pipette tip 152 after the pipettor 150 has aspirated the fluid 160 from the receptacle 50.

[0105] The primary mucoid shelf 90 and the secondary mucoid shelf 60 assist in removing the mucoid strand 170 from the pipette tip 152. Referring to Figures 9B and 11B, the pipette 150 is moved vertically so that the associated pipette tip 152 is lifted onto the primary mucoid shelf 90 through the first opening 92, and then the pipette 150 is moved horizontally (i.e., laterally) to trace the path defined by the labyrinth 95. In some embodiments, the pipette 150 can be lowered so that the gap between the pipette tip 152 and the base 91 of the labyrinth 95 is relatively small (e.g., about 1 mm to about 5 mm) before the pipette 150 moves horizontally along the path. As the pipette 150 moves along this path, the suspended mucoid strand 170 is pulled out from the pipette tip 152 through the labyrinth 95. In some embodiments, the pipette 150 may be moved horizontally so that the pipette tip 152 traces a dashed path identified as "P" in Figure 9B. That is, the pipette 150 may be moved so that its pipette tip 152, together with the mucoid strand 170 suspended therefrom, traverses a labyrinth 95 around a projection 94 and is then removed through a second opening 93 defined by the side wall 97 of the primary mucoid shelf 90. The mucoid strand 170 may break as it is pulled through the labyrinth 95, thereby separating it from the pipette tip 152. The separated mucoid strand 170 is deposited on the labyrinth 95. The labyrinth 95 may have a concave or reservoir-like configuration adapted to collect the mucoid strand 170 deposited thereon. In some cases, as shown in Figure 11C, a portion of the mucoid strand 170 may be suspended from the primary mucoid shelf 90 and extend through the first opening 92 toward the receptacle 50. The secondary mucoid shelf 60 may assist in separating and removing the mucoid strand 170 suspended from the primary mucoid shelf 90.

[0106] As the carriage 20 moves from the second end 24 to the first end 22, a portion of the mucoid strand 170 suspended from the mucoid shelf 90 (through the first opening 92) is deposited onto the secondary mucoid shelf 60 (see Figure 11D). As the carriage 20 moves further toward the first end 22, the suspended mucoid strand 170 is cut by the rear wall 62 (of the secondary mucoid shelf 60) and deposited onto the secondary mucoid shelf 60. Figure 12 shows an exemplary secondary mucoid shelf 60 separated from the carriage 20. As seen in Figure 12, the secondary mucoid shelf 60 includes side walls 66 and a front wall 68, which, together with the rear wall 62 and base 61, define a reservoir 64 or concave shape adapted to contain the mucoid material deposited thereon. Next, the mucoid material collected on the primary and secondary mucoid shelves 90, 60 (i.e., the mucoid strands 170 deposited on the shelves 60, 90) can be removed, and the primary and secondary mucoid shelves 90, 60 can be cleaned. By removably coupling the primary mucoid shelf 90 to the housing 44 using self-aligning functions 46, 96 and magnets 48A, 98A (see Figures 9A, 9B), the primary mucoid shelf 90 can be easily removed for cleaning and reinstalled after cleaning. The mucoid collected on the secondary mucoid shelf 60 can be cleaned (e.g., manually) when the carriage 20 is positioned at the first end 22. In some embodiments, the secondary mucoid shelf 60 can also be removably coupled to the carriage 20 (e.g., using magnets or other suitable mechanisms) to remove the secondary mucoid shelf 60 from the carriage 20 (e.g., for cleaning).

[0107] In some embodiments, the instrument 1000 may be configured to perform a molecular assay using a fluid 160 (e.g., a sample) aspirated from a receptacle 50 by a pipette 150. In some embodiments, the molecular assay may include one or more reactions and / or treatments tailored to detect and / or quantify a target molecule (e.g., a target nucleic acid) present in the aspirated fluid 160. In some embodiments, the assay may include mixing an aliquot of the aspirated fluid 160, or a processed form of the aspirated fluid, with one or more reagents (e.g., at least one of reagents specific to the target molecule) and exposing the mixture to conditions (e.g., a thermal cycle) to facilitate the generation of a detectable signal indicating the presence of the target molecule in the fluid. The signal may provide qualitative results or can be used to estimate the total amount of the target molecule present in the fluid 160. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, in some embodiments, the target molecule may be subjected to a procedure for isolating and purifying the target molecule (e.g., a target capture procedure) under the condition that it is present in the fluid sample, before exposing the sample to conditions for amplification and detection of the target molecule. The selected procedure may remove amplification and detection inhibitors (e.g., heme). In some embodiments, after isolating and purifying the target molecule, the purified molecule may be further processed in the same receptacle or transferred to a separate receptacle to perform the amplification and detection steps. Exemplary processes, instrument components, and consumables usable in molecular assays are described in U.S. Patents 9,011,771, 6,605,213, 5,234,809, 6,534,273, 6,517,783, 9,162,228, 9,732,374, 9,465,161, and 10,494,668, as well as International Publication No. 2019 / 014239A1. For example, when the molecular assay is PCR (polymerase chain reaction), the reagent may include a primer specific to the target, and the generation of a detectable signal may be achieved by providing a labeled probe that hybridizes, at least in part, to an amplicon generated by the primer in the presence of the target.Molecular assays are well known to those skilled in the art and have been widely described elsewhere; therefore, they are generally described only above. Exemplary assays are described in more detail in PCT / US2018 / 041472 and the relevant references incorporated herein by reference.

[0108] In some embodiments, after the pipette tip 152 of the pipette 150 is removed from the labyrinth 95 of the primary mucoid shelf 90 via a second opening 93 (see Figure 9B), aliquots of the fluid 160 can be transferred from the pipette tip 152 to a receptacle contained in the instrument 1000 (for example, to one or more receptacles 902 of a multi-receptacle unit (MRU) 900 shown in Figure 13A). A target capture reagent (for example, a reagent comprising a magnetically responsive solid support capable of immobilizing target molecules) can be added to the receptacle 902, and the contents of the receptacle 902 can be cultured for a predetermined period at a predetermined temperature. The contents of the receptacle 902 can then be subjected to a magnetic washing procedure, thereby detargeting the fluid sample and removing potentially inhibitory components from the receptacle 902. Following target capture, elution buffer can be supplied to receptacle 902, which can then be subjected to a magnetic process to separate the eluted nucleic acid material from a magnetically responsive solid support (e.g., magnetic or silica magnetic particles or beads). The eluted material can then be assembled with other reagents in vial 922 by pipette, and the vial can then be sealed with cap 910 to form cap / vial assembly 920. The contents of cap / vial assembly 920 can then be subjected to a thermal circulation protocol in instrument 1000 for amplification of any target molecules that may be present in the eluate (e.g., PCR amplification), and, if applicable, for fluorescence detection of the resulting amplicon.

[0109] Embodiment Embodiment 1. A receptacle delivery system for equipment, A pack configured to removably support a receptacle inside, the pack is A plurality of fingers arranged around a vertical axis, wherein each of the plurality of fingers has a contact surface configured to contact a receptacle seated on a pack, One or more springs that connect multiple fingers and thereby bias multiple fingers toward a vertical axis, A support disc comprising (i) a disc sidewall protruding from a base and defining a pocket for seating a receptacle, (ii) a plurality of first cavities formed in the base and extending in the direction of the vertical axis, and (iii) pack passages extending through opposing portions of the disc sidewall in a direction transverse to the vertical axis and offset from the vertical axis, each of a plurality of fingers being rotatably coupled to the support disc in the corresponding first cavity of the plurality of first cavities, A synchronization disk positioned in a pocket of a support disk, wherein each of the multiple fingers is connected to the synchronization disk such that the contact surfaces of the multiple fingers move synchronously closer to or away from the vertical axis, A receptacle delivery system comprising a pack, which includes a retaining ring that connects multiple fingers, a support disc, and a synchronization disc together.

[0110] Embodiment 2. The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein the multiple fingers are arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to a vertical axis.

[0111] Embodiment 3. The system according to Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein at least the upper part of the contact surface of each of the multiple fingers is inclined.

[0112] Embodiment 4. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein each of the multiple fingers includes a first end and a second end that extend substantially across to a first end, the first end including a contact surface, and the second end including an internal cavity and an external cavity, the internal cavity being located closer to the vertical axis than the external cavity.

[0113] Embodiment 5. The system according to Embodiment 4, wherein the synchronization disk includes a plurality of radially extending slots, and each of the plurality of fingers is slidably coupled to the synchronization disk by a first pin extending through the slots containing the plurality of radially extending slots and through the internal cavities of the fingers.

[0114] Embodiment 6. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 5, wherein each of the multiple first cavities of the support disk includes a bearing positioned at least partially inside.

[0115] Embodiment 7. The system according to Embodiment 6, wherein each of the multiple fingers is rotatably coupled to the support disk by bearings in the first cavities having multiple first cavities in the support disk and second pins extending through the external cavities of the fingers.

[0116] Embodiment 8. The system according to Embodiment 7, wherein one end of each second pin extends through a bearing and the opposite end of the second pin extends into a corresponding cavity within a retaining ring.

[0117] Embodiment 9. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 8, wherein one or more springs connecting multiple fingers are O-rings.

[0118] Embodiment 10. The system according to Embodiment 9, wherein the O-ring comprises an elastomer material.

[0119] Embodiment 11. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the pack further includes a first bearing positioned on one side of the support disc and a second bearing positioned on the opposite side of the support disc.

[0120] Embodiment 12. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 11, further comprising a holder, the holder having a holder side wall and a central cavity defined by a holder passage extending through the holder side wall, the holder passage extending in a direction offset from a vertical axis across the holder passage, and the pack being positioned within the central cavity and configured to rotate around a vertical axis relative to the holder.

[0121] Embodiment 13. The system according to Embodiment 12, wherein the holder sidewall includes a first holder sidewall located on one side of the central cavity and a second holder sidewall located on the opposite side of the central cavity, and the holder passage includes a first holder passage portion extending through the first holder sidewall and the second holder sidewall and a second holder passage portion extending through the first holder sidewall.

[0122] Embodiment 14. The system according to Embodiment 12 or 13, further comprising a signal emitter and a signal detector, wherein the signal emitter is located at one end of the holder passage and the signal detector is located at the opposite end of the holder passage.

[0123] Embodiment 15. The system according to Embodiment 14, wherein a signal emitter is coupled to the first holder sidewall and a signal detector is coupled to the second holder sidewall.

[0124] Embodiment 16. The system according to Embodiment 14 or 15, wherein the pack is configured to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the holder when the receptacle is not mounted in the pack, aligning the pack passage with the holder passage so that a signal from the signal emitter is received by the signal detector.

[0125] Embodiment 17. The system according to any one of embodiments 12 to 16, further comprising a first sensor coupled to a holder, the first sensor being configured to detect that the pack has rotated to a predetermined position within the holder.

[0126] Embodiment 18. The system according to Embodiment 17, wherein the first sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

[0127] Embodiment 19. The system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 18, further comprising an electric motor coupled to a support disc of the pack via a belt.

[0128] Embodiment 20. The system according to Embodiment 19, wherein the pack's support disc includes a flange protruding from the base in the direction opposite to the disc sidewall, and the belt engages with the flange of the support disc.

[0129] Embodiment 21. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 20, further comprising a sign reader configured to read encoded data of a machine-readable sign on a receptacle seated in a pack.

[0130] Embodiment 22. The system according to Embodiment 21, wherein the sign reader is a barcode reader and the machine-readable sign is a barcode.

[0131] Embodiment 23. The system according to any one of embodiments 12 to 22, further comprising a carriage configured to move the device from a first position to a second position, wherein the holder is coupled to the carriage.

[0132] Embodiment 24. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 23, wherein the disc sidewall of the pack comprises a plurality of sidewall segments arranged around a pocket at intervals from one another, the plurality of sidewall segments comprising a first sidewall segment located on one side of the pocket and a second sidewall segment located on the opposite side of the pocket, and the pack passage comprises a first pack passage portion extending through the first sidewall segment and a second pack passage portion extending through the second sidewall segment.

[0133] Embodiment 25. The system according to Embodiment 24, wherein each of the multiple first cavities of the pack is located in a space formed between two adjacent side wall segments of a plurality of side wall segments.

[0134] Embodiment 26. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 25, wherein when the receptacle is seated in the pack, a pocket in the support disc receives the bottom of the receptacle.

[0135] Embodiment 27. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 26, wherein the multiple fingers consist of four fingers.

[0136] Embodiment 28. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 27, wherein each of the multiple fingers comprises anodized aluminum.

[0137] Embodiment 29. The system according to Embodiment 28, wherein each of the multiple fingers comprises anodized aluminum coated with polytetrafluoroethylene or a fluoropolymer.

[0138] Embodiment 30. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 29, wherein when a receptacle is inserted into the space between the contact surfaces of multiple fingers, one or more springs extend, causing the contact surfaces to move away from the vertical axis and increasing the space between the contact surfaces, thereby connecting the multiple fingers together.

[0139] Embodiment 31. The system according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 30, wherein the longitudinal axis of the pack passage is offset from the vertical axis.

[0140] Embodiment 32. The system according to Embodiment 31, wherein the longitudinal axis of the pack passage is offset from the vertical axis by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm.

[0141] Embodiment 33. A receptacle delivery system for a device, comprising a carriage that supports a pack, wherein the carriage is configured to move together with the pack from a first position to a second position within one of a plurality of devices, the first position being configured such that a receptacle supported by the carrier is transported to a pack supported by the carriage, and the second position being configured such that fluid from a receptacle seated in the pack is drawn into a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of the device.

[0142] Embodiment 34. The system according to Embodiment 33, wherein the pack is configured to rotate relative to the carriage about the vertical axis of the pack.

[0143] Embodiment 35. The system according to Embodiment 33 or 34, further comprising a sign reader configured to read information encoded by a machine-readable sign on a receptacle seated in a pack when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0144] Embodiment 36. The system according to any one of embodiments 33 to 35, further comprising a sensing system coupled to a carriage, the sensing system configured to determine whether a receptacle is seated in a pack.

[0145] Embodiment 37. The system according to Embodiment 36, wherein the sensing system is configured to detect whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated in a pack is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether the receptacle seated in the pack is inserted to a desired depth.

[0146] Embodiment 38. The system according to Embodiment 37, wherein the pack includes a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, and the carriage includes a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack.

[0147] Embodiment 39. The system according to Embodiment 38, wherein the sensing system includes a signal emitter and a signal detector, and when the first and second passages are aligned, the signal detector is configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages.

[0148] Embodiment 40. The system according to Embodiment 39, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter, the signal detector is a photodetector, and the signal is a light beam.

[0149] Embodiment 41. The system according to any one of Embodiments 33 to 40, further comprising a conveyor extending adjacent to each of the multiple pieces of equipment.

[0150] Embodiment 42. The system according to Embodiment 41, further comprising a carrier configured to support a fluid-containing receptacle and to move along a conveyor while the receptacle is supported by the carrier.

[0151] Embodiment 43. The system according to Embodiment 42, further comprising a pick-and-place device configured to transfer a receptacle from a carrier to a pack.

[0152] Embodiment 44. The system according to any one of embodiments 33 to 43, further comprising a rail, wherein the carriage is configured to move the rail from a first position to a second position.

[0153] Embodiment 45. The system according to any one of embodiments 33 to 44, further comprising a first electric motor operably coupled to a carriage and configured to move the carriage from a first position to a second position.

[0154] Embodiment 46. The system according to any one of embodiments 33 to 45, wherein the fluid extraction device is a pipette.

[0155] Embodiment 47. The system according to any one of embodiments 33 to 46, further comprising a support mechanism configured to selectively apply force to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a second position, thereby preventing the receptacle from being pulled out of the pack when a tip associated with a fluid extraction device is pulled out of the receptacle.

[0156] Embodiment 48. The system according to any one of embodiments 33 to 47, wherein the pack comprises a plurality of spring load members configured to removably support a receptacle between them.

[0157] Embodiment 49. A method for delivering a receptacle to a device, Supporting a receptacle containing fluid with a carrier, Transporting carriers that support receptacles on conveyors that extend adjacent to each of multiple pieces of equipment, When the carriage is positioned in the first position, the receptacle is transferred from the carrier to the pack supported by the carriage, Moving a carriage with a receptacle seated in a pack from a first position to a second position within one of several devices, A method comprising drawing at least a portion of the fluid from a receptacle seated in a pack into a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of the instrument when the carriage is positioned in a second position.

[0158] Embodiment 50. The method according to Embodiment 49, further comprising rotating the pack relative to the carriage about the vertical axis of the pack.

[0159] Embodiment 51. The method according to Embodiment 49 or 50, further comprising using a sign reader to read encoded information from a machine-readable sign on a receptacle seated in a pack when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0160] Embodiment 52. The method according to any one of Embodiments 49 to 51, further comprising determining whether the receptacle is seated in the pack.

[0161] Embodiment 53. The method according to Embodiment 52, further comprising using a sensing system to detect, when it is determined that a receptacle is seated in a pack, whether (a) the longitudinal axis of the seated receptacle in the pack is inclined with respect to the vertical, and / or (b) whether the seated receptacle in the pack is inserted to a desired depth.

[0162] Embodiment 54. The method according to Embodiment 52 or 53, wherein the pack includes a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, and the carriage includes a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, and the use of a sensing system includes rotating the pack to align the first and second passages.

[0163] Embodiment 55. The method according to Embodiment 54, wherein the sensing system includes a signal emitter and a signal detector, and when the first and second passages are aligned, the signal detector is configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages when the receptacle is not seated in the pack.

[0164] Embodiment 56. The method according to Embodiment 55, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter, the signal detector is a photodetector, and the signal is a light beam.

[0165] Embodiment 57. The method according to any one of embodiments 49 to 56, wherein the transfer of the receptacle from the carrier to the pack is performed using a pick-and-place device having multiple arms for releasably gripping the receptacle.

[0166] Embodiment 58. The method according to any one of Embodiments 49 to 57, wherein moving the carriage includes operating an electric motor to move the carriage on the rail from a first position to a second position.

[0167] Embodiment 59. The method according to any one of Embodiments 49 to 58, wherein the fluid extraction device is a pipette.

[0168] Embodiment 60. The method according to any one of Embodiments 49 to 59, further comprising selectively applying a force to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a second position, and no force being applied to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0169] Embodiment 61. The method according to any one of Embodiments 49 to 60, wherein transferring the receptacle from the carrier to the pack includes removably supporting the receptacle among a plurality of spring-loaded members of the pack.

[0170] Embodiment 62. A receptacle delivery system for equipment, A carriage configured to move from a first position to a second position, A pack coupled to a carriage, wherein the pack is configured to removably support a receptacle inside, A receptacle delivery system comprising a receptacle clamping mechanism, the receptacle clamping mechanism comprising a pair of opposing support pads configured to (a) contact a seated receptacle in a pack when the carriage is positioned in a second position, and (b) separate from the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0171] Embodiment 63. The system according to Embodiment 62, wherein a pair of support pads are configured to move toward each other when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and to move away from each other when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position.

[0172] Embodiment 64. The system according to Embodiment 62 or 63, further comprising a pair of meshing gears coupled to a pair of support pads, wherein as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, the pair of meshing gears rotate in opposite directions relative to each other, moving the pair of support pads toward each other.

[0173] Embodiment 65. The system according to Embodiment 64, further comprising a pair of actuator arms, each of which actuator arms is coupled at one end to a different support pad of a pair of support pads and at the opposite end to a different gear of a pair of meshing gears.

[0174] Embodiment 66. The system according to Embodiment 64 or 65, further comprising a cam arm configured such that when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, one end of the cam arm is coupled to a gear of a pair of meshing gears, and the opposite end of the cam arm moves along a downwardly inclined path.

[0175] Embodiment 67. The system according to Embodiment 66, wherein the opposite end of the cam arm includes a roller configured to roll along an inclined path as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position.

[0176] Embodiment 68. The system according to Embodiment 64 or 65, further comprising (a) a cam arm having a first end coupled to a first gear of a pair of meshing gears and a second end opposite to the first end, and (b) an inclined path having an inclined surface extending substantially parallel to the path of a carriage from a first position to a second position, wherein as the carriage moves along the path between the first position and the second position, the second end of the cam arm moves along the inclined surface to rotate the first gear.

[0177] Embodiment 69. The system according to Embodiment 64 or 65, further comprising a cam arm configured to (a) rotate the first gear of a pair of meshing gears in a first direction and the second gear of a pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and (b) rotate the first gear in a second direction and the second gear in a first direction when the carriage moves from a second position to a first position.

[0178] Embodiment 70. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 69, wherein each of a pair of support pads includes a contoured surface, and the support pads face each other.

[0179] Embodiment 71. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 69, wherein each of a pair of support pads includes a substantially V-shaped groove, and the support pads face each other.

[0180] Embodiment 72. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 71, wherein each support pad of a pair of support pads comprises an elastomer.

[0181] Embodiment 73. The system according to Embodiment 72, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and rubber.

[0182] Embodiment 74. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 73, wherein the receptacle clamping mechanism further comprises one or more springs configured to bias a pair of support pads away from each other when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0183] Embodiment 75. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 74, wherein a pair of support pads are configured to apply a clamping force to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a second position, and not to apply a clamping force to the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0184] Embodiment 76. The system according to Embodiment 75, wherein when the carriage is positioned in a second position, a pair of support pads are configured to apply a clamping force of approximately 10 N to approximately 30 N to the receptacle.

[0185] Embodiment 77. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 76, further comprising a first electric motor operably coupled to a carriage and configured to move the carriage between a first position and a second position.

[0186] Embodiment 78. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 77, further comprising a second electric motor operably coupled to the pack and configured to rotate the pack within the carriage when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0187] Embodiment 79. The system according to Embodiment 78, further comprising a sensor configured to detect that the carriage has rotated to a predetermined position within the carriage.

[0188] Embodiment 80. The system according to Embodiment 79, wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

[0189] Embodiment 81. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 80, further comprising a sensing system configured to detect whether a receptacle is seated in a pack.

[0190] Embodiment 82. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 80, wherein the pack includes a first passage that extends across the vertical axis of the pack and is offset from the vertical axis of the pack.

[0191] Embodiment 83. The system according to Embodiment 82, further comprising a sensing system configured to detect whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated in a pack is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether the receptacle seated in the pack is inserted into the pack to a desired depth.

[0192] Embodiment 84. The system according to Embodiment 83, wherein the pack is rotatably supported within the housing of the carriage, and the housing includes a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack.

[0193] Embodiment 85. The system according to Embodiment 84, wherein the sensing system includes a signal emitter and a signal detector, and the signal detector is configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages when the first and second passages are aligned when the receptacle is not seated in the pack.

[0194] Embodiment 86. The system according to Embodiment 85, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter, the signal detector is a photodetector, and the signal is a light beam.

[0195] Embodiment 87. The system according to Embodiment 86, wherein when the first and second passages are aligned, (a) an optical emitter is configured to direct a light beam to an incident region on the outer surface of a receptacle seated in a pack, and (b) a photodetector is configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from the optical emitter when the receptacle is not seated in a pack, and when the receptacle is properly seated in a pack, the incident region is offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

[0196] Embodiment 88. The system according to Embodiment 87, wherein when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

[0197] Embodiment 89. The system according to Embodiment 87 or 88, wherein when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle.

[0198] Embodiment 90. The system according to any one of embodiments 85 to 89, wherein the signal emitter and the signal detector are coupled to a carriage.

[0199] Embodiment 91. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 90, further comprising a first shelf mounted on a carriage and a second shelf positioned in a second position, wherein when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the first shelf is positioned below the second shelf.

[0200] Embodiment 92. The system according to Embodiment 91, wherein when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the vertical clearance between the first shelf and the second shelf is approximately 1 mm to approximately 6 mm.

[0201] Embodiment 93. The system according to Embodiment 91 or 92, wherein when a second shelf defines a first opening and the carriage is positioned in the second position, the first opening aligns with a receptacle seated in a pack so that a tip associated with the fluid extraction device of the instrument is movable into the receptacle through the first opening.

[0202] Embodiment 94. The system according to Embodiment 93, wherein the first opening is an inwardly extending recess defined by the side wall of the second shelf.

[0203] Embodiment 95. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 94, further comprising a sign reader configured to read encoded information of a machine-readable sign on a receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0204] Embodiment 96. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 95, further comprising a rail, wherein the carriage is configured to move along the rail between a first position and a second position.

[0205] Embodiment 97. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 96, further comprising a pick-and-place device configured to transfer a receptacle to a pack from an external position of the equipment.

[0206] Embodiment 98. The system according to Embodiment 97, wherein the pick-and-place device is configured to transfer receptacles from a receptacle carrier supported by a receptacle delivery conveyor to a pack, and the receptacle delivery conveyor is configured to transport the receptacle carrier supporting the receptacles to a location adjacent to a plurality of devices.

[0207] Embodiment 99. The system according to any one of embodiments 62 to 98, wherein the pack includes a plurality of spring load members configured to removably support a receptacle between them.

[0208] Embodiment 100. A method for delivering a receptacle to a device, Supporting the receptacle with the carriage, While the receptacle is supported by the carriage, an electric motor is operated to move the carriage between a first position and a second position of the device. When the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, a clamping force is applied to the receptacle, A method comprising releasing the clamping force from the receptacle when the carriage moves from a second position to a first position.

[0209] Embodiment 101. The method according to Embodiment 100, wherein applying a clamping force includes applying a force of about 10 N to about 30 N to the receptacle.

[0210] Embodiment 102. The method according to Embodiment 100 or 101, wherein applying a clamping force to the receptacle involves moving a pair of support pads to contact the receptacle as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position.

[0211] Embodiment 103. Relaxing the clamping force includes separating a pair of contact pads from a receptacle when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position, according to any one of Embodiments 100 to 102.

[0212] Embodiment 104. Applying and relaxing the clamping force includes rotating a pair of meshing gears coupled to a pair of support pads in opposite directions when the carriage moves between the first position and the second position, according to Embodiment 102 or 103. <00所0903> Embodiment 105. Rotating a pair of meshing gears includes (a) rotating a first gear of the pair of meshing gears in a first direction and rotating a second gear of the pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and (b) rotating the first gear in the second direction and rotating the second gear in the first direction when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position, according to Embodiment 104.

[0214] Embodiment 106. Rotating a pair of meshing gears includes (a) moving a first end of a cam arm along a downwardly inclined path when the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and (b) moving the first end along an upwardly inclined surface when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position, and a second end of the cam arm is coupled to one of the pair of meshing gears, according to Embodiment 104 or 105.

[0215] Embodiment 107. Supporting a receptacle within a carriage includes removably supporting the receptacle within a rotatable pack positioned within the carriage, according to any one of Embodiments 100 to 106.

[0216] Embodiment 108. The method according to Embodiment 107, wherein the method for removably supporting the receptacle includes positioning the receptacle between a plurality of spring-loaded members of the pack, and the method further includes transferring the receptacle from the receptacle delivery system to the pack using a pick-and-place device.

[0217] Embodiment 109. The method according to Embodiment 107 or 108, wherein the electric motor is a first electric motor, and the method further comprises operating a second electric motor to rotate the pack in the carriage when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0218] Embodiment 110. The method according to Embodiment 109, further comprising using a sensor to detect that the pack has rotated to a predetermined position within the carriage.

[0219] Embodiment 111. The method according to Embodiment 109 or 110, further comprising using a label reader to read encoded information from a machine-readable label on a receptacle while the pack is rotating.

[0220] Embodiment 112. The method according to any one of Embodiments 107 to 111, further comprising using a carriage-related sensing system to detect whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a receptacle supported by a pack is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether the receptacle supported by the pack has been inserted into the pack to a desired depth.

[0221] Embodiment 113. The method according to Embodiment 112, wherein the pack is rotatably supported within the housing of the carriage, the pack includes a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack, and the housing includes a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack.

[0222] Embodiment 114. The method of Embodiment 113, wherein the sensing system includes a signal emitter and a signal detector, and when the receptacle is not mounted in the pack, the signal detector is configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages when the first and second passages are aligned.

[0223] Embodiment 115. The method according to Embodiment 114, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter, the signal detector is a photodetector, and the signal is a light beam.

[0224] Embodiment 116. Using the sensing system, The process involves directing a light beam from a light emitter to a photodetector, such that the receptacle seated in the pack is positioned at least partially between the light emitter and the photodetector. The method according to embodiment 115, which includes determining which portion of the light beam, if any, is received by the photodetector.

[0225] Embodiment 117. The method according to Embodiment 116, wherein directing the light beam includes directing at least a portion of the light beam to an incident area on the outer surface of a receptacle seated in a pack.

[0226] Embodiment 118. The method according to Embodiment 117, wherein when the receptacle is properly seated on the pack, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the vertical axis of the pack.

[0227] Embodiment 119. The method according to Embodiment 117 or 118, wherein when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle.

[0228] Embodiment 120. Operating the electric motor includes positioning the carriage at a second position such that a first shelf attached to the carriage is positioned under a second shelf coupled to the device and is positioned at the second position, the method according to any one of Embodiments 100 to 119.

[0229] Embodiment 121. The method according to Embodiment 120, wherein the second shelf is removably coupled to the device at the second position.

[0230] Embodiment 122. The method according to Embodiment 120 or 121, wherein when the carriage is positioned at the second position, the first shelf is vertically spaced from the second shelf by a distance of about 1 mm to about 6 mm.

[0231] Embodiment 123. Positioning the carriage at the second position includes positioning the first opening formed in the second shelf over the receptacle and positioning the carriage to align with the receptacle, the method including directing a chip associated with the fluid extraction device of the device through the first opening toward the receptacle and thereby contacting the fluid contained in the receptacle, the method according to any one of Embodiments 120 to 122.

[0232] Embodiment 124. The method according to Embodiment 123, further comprising sucking an aliquot of the fluid onto the chip. <000​​​​​​​

[0235] Embodiment 127. The method according to Embodiment 125 or 126, further comprising moving the chip to a position above the top surface of the second shelf after removing the chip from the receptacle.

[0236] Embodiment 128. The method of Embodiment 127, further comprising moving the chip to a position above the top surface of the second shelf, and then lowering the chip to a distance of approximately 1 mm to approximately 5 mm from the top surface of the shelf.

[0237] Embodiment 129. The method according to Embodiment 127 or 128, further comprising moving the chip to a position above the upper surface of the second shelf, and then moving the chip to trace a predetermined path along the surface of the second shelf after it has been lowered.

[0238] Embodiment 130. The method of Embodiment 129, wherein moving the chip to trace a predefined path includes moving the chip around an upwardly extending projection on the upper surface of a second shelf.

[0239] Embodiment 131. The method according to Embodiment 129 or 130, further comprising moving the chip to trace a predefined path, and then removing the chip from above the top surface of the second shelf through a second opening formed in the side wall of the second shelf.

[0240] Embodiment 132. The method according to Embodiment 131, wherein removing a chip from above the top surface of the second shelf involves moving the chip through a second opening without changing the vertical position of the chip on the surface.

[0241] Embodiment 133. The method according to any one of Embodiments 129 to 132, wherein when the tip is removed from the receptacle, a portion of the fluid is suspended from the tip, and as the tip is moved to trace its path, at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the tip accumulates on the upper surface of a second shelf.

[0242] Embodiment 134. The method according to Embodiment 133, wherein when the tip is removed from the receptacle after it has been moved to a position above the upper surface of the second shelf, a portion of the fluid suspended from the tip is suspended from the second shelf below the first opening.

[0243] Embodiment 135. The method according to any one of Embodiments 131 to 134, further comprising operating an electric motor to move a chip to trace a predetermined path, and then moving the carriage from a second position to a first position, thereby cleaving at least a portion of the fluid suspended on the upper surfaces of the second and first shelves and depositing the cleaved fluid on the upper surface of the first shelf.

[0244] Embodiment 136. The method according to any one of Embodiments 133 to 135, further comprising detaching the second shelf from the equipment.

[0245] Embodiment 137. The method of Embodiment 136, further comprising removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the second shelf after detaching the second shelf from the equipment.

[0246] Embodiment 138. The method according to Embodiment 137, further comprising removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the second shelf and then connecting the second shelf to the equipment.

[0247] Embodiment 139. The method according to any one of Embodiments 135 to 138, further comprising moving the carriage from a second position to a first position and then removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the first shelf.

[0248] Embodiment 140. A receptacle delivery system for equipment, The carriage and, A pack rotatably supported by a carriage, comprising a plurality of spring-loaded fingers arranged around a vertical axis and configured to detachably support receptacles between them, A first electric motor configured to move the carriage between a first position and a second position of the equipment, A receptacle delivery system comprising a second electric motor configured to rotate the pack around a vertical axis.

[0249] Embodiment 141. The system according to Embodiment 140, wherein the O-rings bias multiple fingers toward the vertical axis of the pack.

[0250] Embodiment 142. The system according to Embodiment 141, wherein the O-ring is made of an elastomer.

[0251] Embodiment 143. The system according to Embodiment 142, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and rubber.

[0252] Embodiment 144. The system according to any one of embodiments 140 to 143, wherein each of a plurality of fingers includes an upper portion configured to contact a receptacle and a base portion extending substantially across the upper portion, and the base portion of each finger is rotatably coupled to a support disk of the pack at a pivot point.

[0253] Embodiment 145. The system according to Embodiment 144, wherein the base portion of each of the multiple fingers is configured to rotate around a related pivot point.

[0254] Embodiment 146. The system according to Embodiment 144 or 145, wherein the upper portion of each of the multiple fingers includes an inclined surface, and the inclined surfaces of the multiple fingers are arranged in a funnel-shaped configuration with respect to a vertical axis.

[0255] Embodiment 147. The system according to any one of Embodiments 140 to 146, wherein the multiple fingers include four equally spaced fingers.

[0256] Embodiment 148. The system according to any one of Embodiments 140 to 147, wherein each of the multiple fingers comprises anodized aluminum coated at least partially with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene).

[0257] Embodiment 149. The system according to any one of embodiments 140 to 148, further comprising a sensor configured to detect that the pack has rotated to a predetermined position within the carriage.

[0258] Embodiment 150. The system according to Embodiment 149, wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

[0259] Embodiment 151. The system according to any one of Embodiments 140 to 150, further comprising a sensing system configured to detect whether a receptacle is seated in a pack.

[0260] Embodiment 152. The system according to any one of Embodiments 140 to 150, wherein the pack comprises a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack.

[0261] Embodiment 153. The system according to Embodiment 152, further comprising a sensing system configured to detect whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated in a pack is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether the receptacle seated in the pack is inserted into the pack to a desired depth.

[0262] Embodiment 154. The system according to Embodiment 153, wherein the pack is rotatably supported within a carriage housing, and the housing comprises a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack.

[0263] Embodiment 155. The system according to Embodiment 154, wherein the sensing system comprises a signal emitter and a signal detector, and the signal detector is configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages when the first and second passages are aligned when the receptacle is not seated in the pack.

[0264] Embodiment 156. The system according to Embodiment 155, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter, the signal detector is a photodetector, and the signal is a light beam.

[0265] Embodiment 157. The system according to Embodiment 156, wherein when the first and second passages are aligned, (a) an optical emitter is configured to direct a light beam to an incident region on the outer surface of a receptacle seated in a pack, and (b) a photodetector is configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from the optical emitter when the receptacle is not seated in a pack, and when the receptacle is properly seated in a pack, the incident region is offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

[0266] Embodiment 158. The system according to Embodiment 157, wherein when the receptacle is properly seated on the pack, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the vertical axis of the pack.

[0267] Embodiment 159. The system according to Embodiment 157 or 158, wherein when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle.

[0268] Embodiment 160. The system according to any one of embodiments 155 to 159, wherein the signal emitter and signal detector are coupled to a carriage.

[0269] Embodiment 161. A receptacle delivery system for equipment, A carriage configured to move a rail from a first position to a second position of equipment, wherein the carriage is A bracket having opposing first and second side walls and a base extending between the first and second side walls, wherein the carriage is configured to support a receptacle, A pair of opposing support pads, each pair of support pads configured to (a) move toward a receptacle supported by the carriage when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and (b) move away from the receptacle supported by the carriage when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position, A receptacle delivery system comprising a carriage comprising a pair of meshing cam gears, each cam gear of the pair of meshing cam gears being coupled to a different support pad of a pair of support pads, wherein each cam gear of the pair of meshing cam gears is coupled to a different support pad of a pair of support pads.

[0270] Embodiment 162. The system according to Embodiment 161, wherein the bracket is substantially U-shaped.

[0271] Embodiment 163. The system according to Embodiment 161 or 162, wherein the second side wall of the bracket includes an elongated slot aligned with a receptacle supported by a carriage, and the carriage includes a sign reader configured to read encoded information of a machine-readable sign on the receptacle through the elongated slot when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0272] Embodiment 164. The system according to any one of embodiments 161 to 163, wherein the carriage further comprises a rotatable pack including a plurality of spring-loaded fingers configured to support a receptacle between them, the pack being coupled to a bracket below the base such that the plurality of fingers extend through an opening in the base into the space between the first and second side walls of the bracket.

[0273] Embodiment 165. The system according to Embodiment 164, further comprising a first electric motor operably coupled to the pack and configured to rotate the pack within the carriage when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0274] Embodiment 166. The system according to Embodiment 165, further comprising a sensor configured to detect when the carriage has rotated to a predetermined position within the carriage.

[0275] Embodiment 167. The system according to Embodiment 166, wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

[0276] Embodiment 168. The system according to any one of embodiments 161 to 167, wherein the carriage further comprises a pair of actuator arms, each actuator arm of the pair of actuator arms being coupled at one end to a different support pad of a pair of support pads and at the opposite end to a different gear of a pair of meshing gears.

[0277] Embodiment 169. The system according to any one of Embodiments 161 to 168, further comprising (a) a cam arm having a first end and a second end, and (b) an inclined surface having an inclined surface extending substantially parallel to a rail, wherein the first end of the cam arm is coupled to a gear having a pair of meshing gears, and the second end of the cam arm is configured to move along the inclined surface of the inclined surface of the inclined surface as the carriage moves between a first position and a second position.

[0278] Embodiment 170. The system according to Embodiment 169, wherein the second end of the cam arm includes a roller configured to roll on an inclined surface as the carriage moves between a first position and a second position.

[0279] Embodiment 171. The system according to Embodiment 169 or 170, wherein the cam arm is configured to (a) rotate the first gear of a pair of meshing gears in a first direction and the second gear of a pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and (b) rotate the first gear in a second direction and the second gear in a first direction when the carriage moves from a second position to a first position.

[0280] Embodiment 172. The system according to any one of Embodiments 161 to 171, wherein each support pad of a pair of support pads includes a contoured surface.

[0281] Embodiment 173. The system according to any one of embodiments 161 to 172, wherein each support pad of a pair of support pads includes a substantially V-shaped groove.

[0282] Embodiment 174. The system according to any one of embodiments 161 to 173, wherein each support pad of a pair of support pads comprises an elastomer.

[0283] Embodiment 175. The system according to Embodiment 174, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and rubber.

[0284] Embodiment 176. The system according to any one of embodiments 161 to 174, further comprising one or more springs configured to bias a pair of support pads away from each other when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0285] Embodiment 177. The system according to any one of embodiments 161 to 176, wherein when the carriage is positioned in a second position, a pair of support pads are configured to apply a clamping force of about 10 N to about 30 N to the receptacle supported by the carriage.

[0286] Embodiment 178. The system according to any one of embodiments 161 to 177, further comprising a second electric motor operably coupled to the carriage and configured to move the carriage between a first position and a second position.

[0287] Embodiment 179. The system according to any one of embodiments 164 to 178, further comprising a sensing system configured to detect whether the receptacle is seated in the pack.

[0288] Embodiment 180. The system according to any one of Embodiments 164 to 179, wherein the pack includes a first passage that extends across the vertical axis of the pack and is offset from the vertical axis of the pack.

[0289] Embodiment 181. The system according to Embodiment 180, further comprising a sensing system configured to detect whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated in a pack is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the pack, and / or (b) whether the receptacle seated in the pack is inserted into the pack to a desired depth.

[0290] Embodiment 182. The system according to Embodiment 181, wherein the pack is rotatably supported within a carriage housing, and the housing includes a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack.

[0291] Embodiment 183. The system according to Embodiment 182, wherein the sensing system includes a signal emitter and a signal detector, and the signal detector is configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages when the first and second passages are aligned when the receptacle is not seated in the pack.

[0292] Embodiment 184. The system according to Embodiment 183, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter, the signal detector is a photodetector, and the signal is a light beam.

[0293] Embodiment 185. The system according to Embodiment 184, wherein when the first and second passages are aligned, (a) an optical emitter is configured to direct a light beam to an incident region on the outer surface of a receptacle seated in a pack, and (b) a photodetector is configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from the optical emitter when the receptacle is not seated in a pack, and when the receptacle is properly seated in a pack, the incident region is offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

[0294] Embodiment 186. The system according to Embodiment 185, wherein when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

[0295] Embodiment 187. The system according to Embodiment 185 or 186, wherein when the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle.

[0296] Embodiment 188. The system according to any one of embodiments 183 to 187, wherein the signal emitter and signal detector are coupled to a carriage.

[0297] Embodiment 189. The system according to any one of Embodiments 161 to 188, further comprising a first shelf mounted on a carriage and a second shelf positioned in a second position, wherein when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the first shelf is positioned below the second shelf.

[0298] Embodiment 190. The system according to Embodiment 189, wherein when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the vertical clearance between the first shelf and the second shelf is approximately 1 mm to approximately 6 mm.

[0299] Embodiment 191. The system according to Embodiment 189 or 190, wherein when a second shelf defines a first opening and the carriage is positioned in a second position, the first opening aligns with a receptacle supported by the carriage so that a tip associated with the fluid extraction device of the instrument is movable into the receptacle through the first opening.

[0300] Embodiment 192. A receptacle delivery system for equipment, A carriage configured to move the device from a first position to a second position, A pack supported by a carriage, wherein the pack is configured to removably support a receptacle such that the longitudinal axis of the receptacle substantially coincides with the vertical axis of the pack, A receptacle delivery system comprising: a first shelf positioned at a second position of the equipment, the shelf including (a) a base extending substantially across the vertical axis of the pack and (b) a first opening defined by the base, wherein when the carriage is in the second position, the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated on the pack extends through the first opening.

[0301] Embodiment 193. The system according to Embodiment 192, wherein the shelf is removably coupled to the housing of the equipment.

[0302] Embodiment 194. The system according to Embodiment 193, wherein the shelf is detachably attached to the housing of the equipment using one or more magnets.

[0303] Embodiment 195. The system according to Embodiment 194, wherein one or more magnets include a pair of corresponding magnets, the shelf includes a first projection extending upward from the base, the equipment housing includes a second projection, the first projection includes the first magnet of the pair of magnets, and the second projection includes the second magnet of the pair of magnets.

[0304] Embodiment 196. The system according to any one of Embodiments 192 to 195, wherein the upper surface of the base comprises a passage defined by an internal projection extending upward from the upper surface of the base and a side wall circumscribing the base.

[0305] Embodiment 197. The system according to Embodiment 196, wherein the side wall includes a second opening, the second opening being sized to allow the distal end of a pipette tip to pass across it.

[0306] Embodiment 198. The system according to any one of Embodiments 193 to 197, wherein the shelves and housings include fitted alignment elements configured to correctly align the shelves of equipment.

[0307] Embodiment 199. The system according to Embodiment 198, wherein a fitted alignment element comprises a third projection coupled to a third opening in the shelf and the housing, the third projection extending through the third opening when the second shelf is coupled to the housing.

[0308] Embodiment 200. The system according to Embodiment 199, wherein the shape of the outer surface of the third projection substantially matches the shape of the third opening.

[0309] Embodiment 201. The system according to Embodiment 199 or 200, wherein a third projection of the housing comprises a first recess located at the end of the third projection, and a shelf comprises a fourth projection positioned adjacent to a third opening, and when the second shelf is the housing, the fourth projection is positioned in the first recess.

[0310] Embodiment 202. The system according to any one of Embodiments 192 to 201, wherein the surface of the shelf is equipped with a concave thumb gripper.

[0311] Embodiment 203. The system according to any one of Embodiments 192 to 202, wherein the carriage comprises a second shelf coupled to the upper surface of the carriage.

[0312] Embodiment 204. The system according to Embodiment 203, wherein the second shelf includes a recessed area configured to contain a fluid.

[0313] Embodiment 205. The system according to Embodiment 203 or 204, wherein the second shelf is removably coupled to the upper surface of the carriage.

[0314] Embodiment 206. The system according to any one of embodiments 203 to 205, wherein when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the vertical clearance between the first shelf and the second shelf is approximately 1 mm to approximately 6 mm.

[0315] Embodiment 207. A receptacle clamping mechanism for equipment, A carriage configured to move between a first position and a second position of a device, the carriage comprising (a) one or more support members configured to detachably support a receptacle between them, and (b) a pair of opposing support pads configured to apply a clamping force to the receptacle supported by the carriage when the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and to release the clamping force from the receptacle when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position, A clamping mechanism comprising a sensing system configured to determine whether a receptacle is supported by a carriage.

[0316] Embodiment 208. The mechanism according to Embodiment 207, wherein the sensing system is configured to determine whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a carriage-supported receptacle is inclined with respect to the vertical axis, and / or (b) whether the carriage-supported receptacle is inserted to a desired depth.

[0317] Embodiment 209. The mechanism according to Embodiment 207 or 208, wherein the sensing system includes signal emitters and signal detectors positioned at both ends of a linear axis, and when the receptacle is properly supported by a carriage, the linear axis (a) passes through the side wall of the receptacle and (b) is offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

[0318] Embodiment 210. The mechanism according to Embodiment 209, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter and the signal detector is a photodetector.

[0319] Embodiment 211. The mechanism according to Embodiment 210, wherein (a) an optical emitter is configured to direct a light beam to an incident region on the outer surface of a receptacle supported by a carriage, and (b) a photodetector is configured to receive at least a portion of the light beam from the optical emitter when the receptacle is not properly supported by the carriage, and when the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident region is offset from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

[0320] Embodiment 212. The mechanism according to Embodiment 211, wherein when the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

[0321] Embodiment 213. The mechanism according to Embodiment 211 or 212, wherein when the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle.

[0322] Embodiment 214. The mechanism according to any one of embodiments 209 to 213, wherein the signal emitter and the signal detector are coupled to a carriage.

[0323] Embodiment 215. The mechanism according to any one of embodiments 207 to 214, wherein a pair of support pads are configured to (a) contact a receptacle supported by one or more support members when the carriage is positioned in a second position, and (b) separate from the receptacle when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0324] Embodiment 216. The mechanism according to any one of embodiments 207 to 215, wherein a pair of support pads move toward each other when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and move away from each other when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position.

[0325] Embodiment 217. The mechanism according to any one of embodiments 207 to 216, further comprising a pair of meshing gears coupled to a pair of support pads, wherein as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, the pair of meshing gears rotate in opposite directions relative to each other, moving the pair of support pads toward each other.

[0326] Embodiment 218. The mechanism according to Embodiment 217, further comprising a pair of actuator arms, each of which actuator arms is coupled at one end to a different support pad of a pair of support pads and at the opposite end to a different gear of a pair of meshing gears.

[0327] Embodiment 219. The mechanism according to Embodiment 217 or 218, further comprising a cam arm configured such that when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, one end of the cam arm is coupled to a gear of a pair of meshing gears, and the opposite end of the cam arm moves along a downwardly inclined path.

[0328] Embodiment 220. The mechanism according to Embodiment 219, wherein the opposite end of the cam arm includes a roller configured to roll along an inclined path as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position.

[0329] Embodiment 221. The system according to Embodiment 219 or 220, wherein the cam arm is configured to (a) rotate the first gear of a pair of meshing gears in a first direction and the second gear of a pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and (b) rotate the first gear in a second direction and the second gear in a first direction when the carriage moves from a second position to a first position.

[0330] Embodiment 222. The mechanism according to any one of embodiments 207 to 221, wherein each support pad of a pair of support pads has a contoured surface or a V-shaped groove.

[0331] Embodiment 223. The mechanism according to any one of embodiments 207 to 222, wherein each support pad of a pair of support pads comprises an elastomer.

[0332] Embodiment 224. The mechanism according to Embodiment 223, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of silicone, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and rubber.

[0333] Embodiment 225. The mechanism according to any one of embodiments 207 to 224, further comprising one or more springs configured to bias a pair of support pads away from each other when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0334] Embodiment 226. The mechanism according to any one of Embodiments 207 to 225, configured to apply a clamping force of about 10 N to about 30 N to a receptacle supported by one or more support members when the carriage is positioned in a second position.

[0335] Embodiment 227. A method for delivering a receptacle to a device, When the carriage is positioned in the first position of the device, the carriage supports the receptacle, Activating the sensing system coupled to the carriage to confirm that the receptacle is supported by the carriage, Moving the carriage and the receptacle supported within it to the second position of the device, When the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, a clamping force is applied to the receptacle, At the second location, the fluid extraction device of the instrument is used to extract at least a portion of the fluid contained in the receptacle, Moving the carriage and the receptacle supported within it from the second position to the first position, A method comprising releasing the clamping force from the receptacle when the carriage moves from a second position to a first position.

[0336] Embodiment 228. The method according to Embodiment 227, further comprising using a sensing system to determine whether (a) the longitudinal axis of a carriage-supported receptacle is inclined with respect to the vertical axis, and / or (b) whether the carriage-supported receptacle is inserted to a predetermined depth.

[0337] Embodiment 229. The method according to Embodiment 227 or 228, wherein applying a clamping force involves applying a force of about 10 N to about 30 N to the receptacle.

[0338] Embodiment 230. The method according to any one of Embodiments 227 to 229, wherein applying a clamping force to the receptacle involves moving a pair of opposing support pads to contact the receptacle as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position.

[0339] Embodiment 231. The method according to Embodiment 230, wherein releasing the clamping force includes moving a pair of support pads away from the receptacle as the carriage moves from a second position to a first position.

[0340] Embodiment 232. The method according to Embodiment 230 or 231, wherein applying and releasing a clamping force causes a pair of meshing gears coupled to a pair of support pads to rotate in opposite directions to each other as the carriage moves between a first position and a second position.

[0341] Embodiment 233. The method according to Embodiment 232, wherein rotating a pair of meshing gears includes (a) rotating the first gear of the pair of meshing gears in a first direction and rotating the second gear of the pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and (b) rotating the first gear in a second direction and the second gear in a first direction as the carriage moves from a second position to a first position.

[0342] Embodiment 234. The method according to Embodiment 232 or 233, wherein rotating a pair of meshing gears includes (a) moving the first end of a cam arm along a downwardly inclined path as the carriage moves from a first position to a second position, and (b) moving the first end of a cam arm along an upwardly inclined surface as the carriage moves from a second position to a first position, the second end of a cam arm being coupled to a gear of the pair of meshing gears.

[0343] Embodiment 235. The method according to any one of Embodiments 227-234, wherein supporting a receptacle within a carriage includes removably supporting a receptacle within a rotatable pack positioned within a carriage.

[0344] Embodiment 236. The method according to Embodiment 235, wherein the method for removably supporting the receptacle includes positioning the receptacle between a plurality of spring-loaded members of the pack, and the method further includes transferring the receptacle to the pack from a conveyor located outside the equipment using a pick-and-place device.

[0345] Embodiment 237. The method of Embodiment 235 or 236, further comprising rotating the pack on the carriage when the carriage is positioned in a first position.

[0346] Embodiment 238. The method according to Embodiment 237, further comprising using a sensor to detect when the pack has rotated to a predetermined position in the carriage.

[0347] Embodiment 239. The method according to Embodiment 237 or 238, further comprising using a label reader to read encoded information from a machine-readable label on a receptacle while the pack is rotating.

[0348] Embodiment 240. Using the sensing system, This refers to directing a signal from a signal emitter towards a signal detector, with a receptacle supported by a carriage positioned between the signal emitter and the signal detector. The method according to any one of embodiments 227 to 239, comprising determining which portion of the light beam, if any, is received by the photodetector.

[0349] Embodiment 241. The method according to Embodiment 240, wherein signal direction is to direct at least a portion of the signal to an incident area on the outer surface of a receptacle supported by a carriage.

[0350] Embodiment 242. The method according to Embodiment 240 or 241, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter, the signal detector is a photodetector, and the signal is a light beam.

[0351] Embodiment 243. The method according to Embodiment 241 or 242, wherein, when the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 6 mm from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

[0352] Embodiment 244. The method according to any one of Embodiments 241 to 243, wherein, when the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident area is offset by a distance of approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm from the base of the receptacle.

[0353] Embodiment 245. The method according to any one of Embodiments 227 to 244, wherein moving the carriage and the receptacle supported therein to a second position includes positioning the carriage to a second position such that (a) at least a portion of the carriage is positioned below a second shelf of equipment positioned in the second position, and (b) the receptacle is positioned below a first opening defined by the second shelf.

[0354] Embodiment 246. The method according to any one of Embodiments 227 to 244, wherein moving the carriage and the receptacle supported therein to a second position includes positioning the carriage to a second position such that (a) a first shelf coupled to the carriage is positioned below a second shelf detachably coupled to the equipment in the second position, and (b) the receptacle is aligned with a first opening defined by the second shelf.

[0355] Embodiment 247. The method according to Embodiment 246, wherein when the carriage is positioned in the second position, the first shelf is vertically spaced about 1 mm to about 6 mm away from the second shelf.

[0356] Embodiment 248. The method according to any one of Embodiments 245 to 247, wherein extracting at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle includes bringing a tip associated with a fluid extraction device into contact with the fluid contained in the receptacle, toward the receptacle through a first opening.

[0357] Embodiment 249. The method according to Embodiment 248, wherein extracting at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle includes drawing at least a portion of the fluid into a tip.

[0358] Embodiment 250. The method according to Embodiment 249, further comprising drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip, and then removing the tip from the receptacle to a position above the first opening.

[0359] Embodiment 251. The method according to any one of Embodiments 248-250, wherein the receptacle includes a passable cap covering the opening of the receptacle, (i) orienting the tip toward the receptacle includes passing the tip through the cap, and (ii) removing the tip from the receptacle includes moving the tip through the passable cap.

[0360] Embodiment 252. The method according to Embodiment 250 or 251, further comprising moving the chip laterally to a position on a second shelf after removing the chip from the receptacle.

[0361] Embodiment 253. The method of Embodiment 252, further comprising moving the chip to a position above the top surface of the second shelf, and then lowering the chip to a distance of approximately 1 mm to approximately 5 mm above the top surface of the second shelf.

[0362] Embodiment 254. The method according to Embodiment 252 or 253, further comprising moving the chip laterally to a position on the second shelf, and then moving the chip along a predetermined path on the top surface of the second shelf.

[0363] Embodiment 255. The method according to Embodiment 254, wherein moving the chip along a predefined path includes moving the chip around a projection extending upward from the top surface of a second shelf.

[0364] Embodiment 256. The method according to Embodiment 254 or 255, further comprising moving the chip along a predefined path and then removing the chip from above the top surface of the second shelf through a second opening formed in the side wall of the second shelf.

[0365] Embodiment 257. The method according to any one of Embodiments 254 to 256, wherein a portion of the fluid extracted from the receptacle is suspended from the chip before the chip moves along a predefined path, and at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the chip is deposited on the upper surface of a second shelf as the chip moves along the predefined path.

[0366] Embodiment 258. The method according to Embodiment 257, wherein at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the chip before the chip moves along a predefined path is suspended from a second shelf below the first opening after the chip has moved along the predefined path.

[0367] Embodiment 259. The method according to Embodiment 258, wherein moving a carriage and a receptacle supported therein from a second position to a first position cleaves at least a portion of the fluid suspended from a second shelf directly below a first opening, and deposits the cleaved fluid on the upper surface of the first shelf supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the second position to the first position.

[0368] Embodiment 260. The method according to any one of Embodiments 257 to 259, further comprising detaching the second shelf from the equipment.

[0369] Embodiment 261. The method according to Embodiment 260, further comprising removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the second shelf after detaching the second shelf from the equipment.

[0370] Embodiment 262. The method according to Embodiment 261, further comprising removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the second shelf and then connecting the second shelf to the equipment.

[0371] Embodiment 263. The method according to any one of Embodiments 259 to 262, further comprising moving the carriage to a first position and then removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the first shelf.

[0372] Embodiment 264. The method according to any one of Embodiments 227 to 263, further comprising removing the receptacle from the carriage using a pick-and-place device after releasing the clamping force from the receptacle.

[0373] Embodiment 265. A method for delivering a receptacle to a device, Positioning the carriage to a first position of the device, wherein the carriage includes a rotatable pack and is configured to move from the first position to a second position of the device, and the pack is configured to seat a receptacle therein. The process involves rotating the pack around a vertical axis in the carriage to position the pack at a desired rotational position, The first sensor is used to determine whether the receptacle is seated in the pack, Calibrating the sensing system when it is determined that the receptacle is not seated in the pack, wherein the sensing system is configured to determine whether or not the receptacle is seated in the pack. After calibrating the sensing system, the receptacle is seated in the pack, After seating the receptacle on the pack, a sensing system is used to determine whether the receptacle is properly seated on the pack. A method comprising determining that the receptacle is properly seated in the pack, and then moving the carriage from a first position to a second position.

[0374] Embodiment 266. The method of Embodiment 265, wherein determining whether a receptacle is properly seated in a pack includes determining whether (a) the longitudinal axis of the seated receptacle in the pack is inclined with respect to the vertical axis, and / or (b) whether the seated receptacle in the pack is inserted to a desired depth.

[0375] Embodiment 267. The method according to Embodiment 265 or 266, wherein the pack comprises a first passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, and the carriage comprises a second passage extending across the vertical axis of the pack and offset from the vertical axis of the pack, and calibrating the sensor assembly comprises rotating the pack to align the first and second passages.

[0376] Embodiment 268. The method according to Embodiment 267, wherein the sensing system comprises a signal emitter and a signal detector, and when the first and second passages are aligned, the signal detector is configured to receive a signal from the signal emitter through the aligned first and second passages.

[0377] Embodiment 269. The method according to Embodiment 268, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter and the signal detector is a photodetector, and the method further comprises performing brightness calibration of the light beam from the optical emitter after aligning the first and second paths.

[0378] Embodiment 270. The method according to any one of Embodiments 265 to 269, wherein the first sensor is an indicator reader for the device, and determining whether a receptacle is seated in the pack includes using the indicator reader to detect an indicator on the carriage, the indicator being positioned out of the line of sight of the indicator reader when the receptacle is seated in the pack.

[0379] Embodiment 271. A method according to any one of Embodiments 265 to 270, wherein the pack is rotated to position the pack in a desired rotational position, and the rotation of the pack is stopped when a Hall effect sensor indicates that the pack is in a desired rotational position.

[0380] Embodiment 272. The method according to any one of Embodiments 265 to 271, wherein moving the carriage from a first position to a second position includes positioning the carriage to a second position such that a first shelf attached to the carriage is positioned below a second shelf positioned in the second position.

[0381] Embodiment 273. The method according to Embodiment 272, wherein positioning the carriage to a second position includes positioning the carriage to a second position such that the first shelf is vertically separated from the second shelf by a distance of approximately 1 mm to approximately 6 mm.

[0382] Embodiment 274. The method according to Embodiment 272 or 273, wherein positioning the carriage in a second position involves positioning the carriage so that it is positioned below and aligned with a first opening where a receptacle seated in a pack is defined by a second shelf.

[0383] Embodiment 275. The method according to Embodiment 274, further comprising bringing a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of the instrument toward the receptacle through a first opening and bringing it into contact with the fluid contained in the receptacle.

[0384] Embodiment 276. The method of Embodiment 275, further comprising drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip.

[0385] Embodiment 277. The method according to Embodiment 276, further comprising drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip, and then removing the tip from the receptacle to a position above the first opening.

[0386] Embodiment 278. The method according to Embodiment 277, wherein the receptacle includes a passable cap covering the opening of the receptacle, (i) orienting the tip toward the receptacle includes passing the tip through the cap, and (ii) removing the tip from the receptacle includes moving the tip through the passable cap.

[0387] Embodiment 279. The method according to Embodiment 277 or 278, further comprising moving the chip laterally to a position on a second shelf after removing the chip from the receptacle.

[0388] Embodiment 280. The method according to Embodiment 279, further comprising moving the chip to a position above the top surface of the second shelf, and then lowering the chip to a distance of about 1 mm to about 5 mm above the top surface of the shelf.

[0389] Embodiment 281. The method of Embodiment 279 or 280, further comprising moving the chip laterally to a position on the second shelf, and then moving the chip along a predefined path on the top surface of the second shelf.

[0390] Embodiment 282. The method according to Embodiment 281, wherein moving the chip along a predefined path includes moving the chip around a projection extending upward from the top surface of a second shelf.

[0391] Embodiment 283. The method according to Embodiment 281 or 282, further comprising moving the chip along a predefined path and then removing the chip from above the top surface of the second shelf through a second opening formed in the side wall of the second shelf.

[0392] Embodiment 284. The method according to any one of Embodiments 281 to 283, wherein a portion of the fluid drawn from the receptacle is suspended from the tip before it moves along a predefined path, and at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the tip is deposited on the upper surface of a second shelf as the tip moves along the predefined path.

[0393] Embodiment 285. The method according to Embodiment 284, wherein at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the chip before the chip moves along a predefined path is suspended from a second shelf directly below the first opening after the chip has moved along the predefined path.

[0394] Embodiment 286. The method according to Embodiment 285, further comprising moving the carriage from a second position to a first position after moving the chip along a predefined path.

[0395] Embodiment 287. The method according to Embodiment 286, wherein moving the carriage from a second position to a first position includes cleaving at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the second shelf below the first opening and depositing the cleaved fluid on the upper surface of the first shelf as the carriage moves from the second position to the first position.

[0396] Embodiment 288. The method according to any one of Embodiments 284 to 287, further comprising detaching the second shelf from the equipment.

[0397] Embodiment 289. The method according to Embodiment 288, further comprising removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the second shelf after detaching the second shelf from the equipment.

[0398] Embodiment 290. The method according to Embodiment 289, further comprising removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the second shelf and then connecting the second shelf to the equipment.

[0399] Embodiment 291. The method according to any one of Embodiments 287 to 290, further comprising moving the carriage to a first position and then removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the first shelf.

[0400] Embodiment 292. A method for supplying fluid to equipment located adjacent to a conveyor for transporting receptacles between multiple modules, wherein the method is: (a) A step of supporting the sample receptacle in an upright orientation with a first carrier, (b) A step of transporting a first carrier on a conveyor extending adjacent to each of a plurality of modules, wherein at least one of the modules is an analytical instrument, (c) A step of stopping the first carrier at a position adjacent to the analytical instrument, (d) After step (c), while the first carrier remains on the conveyor, the sample receptacle is removed from the first carrier and transported to the pickup position of the analytical instrument. (e) A step of transporting the sample receptacle from the pickup location to the pipetting station located inside the analytical instrument, (f) The step of aspirating the fluid contained in the sample receptacle at the pipetting station and transferring the aspirated fluid to the reaction receptacle supported by the analytical instrument, (g) After aspirating the fluid from the sample receptacle, the step of transporting the sample receptacle from the pipetting station to the pickup position, (h) A step of removing the sample receptacle from the pickup position and transporting the sample receptacle to a second carrier located on a conveyor adjacent to the analytical instrument, wherein the second carrier supports the sample receptacle in an upright orientation, (i) A step of performing an assay on the aspirated fluid using an analytical instrument, thereby determining the presence or absence of an analyte in the aspirated fluid, (j) A method comprising the step of transporting a second carrier supporting a sample receptacle of a conveyor to one or more modules that are not analytical instruments.

[0401] Embodiment 293. The method according to Embodiment 292, wherein the first carrier is a pack having a cylindrical base and a pocket formed on the upper surface of the base for seating a sample receptacle.

[0402] Embodiment 294. The method according to Embodiment 293, wherein the pack has a plurality of upwardly extending fingers for supporting the sample receptacle in an upright orientation.

[0403] Embodiment 295. The method according to any one of embodiments 292 to 294, wherein the conveyor comprises a mounting track for supporting the first carrier during step (b).

[0404] Embodiment 296. The method according to Embodiment 295, wherein the first carrier is propelled by a track by magnetic attraction between the first carrier and the conveyor.

[0405] Embodiment 297. The method according to any one of Embodiments 292 to 296, wherein the analytical instrument is an instrument for carrying out nucleic acid-based amplification reactions.

[0406] Embodiment 298. The method according to any one of Embodiments 292 to 297, wherein step (c) is performed using a stop element operably associated with the conveyor, the stop element being actuated during step (c) from a closed position that allows the passage of the first carrier of the conveyor to the closed position, and the stop element immobilizes the first carrier in the closed position.

[0407] Embodiment 299. The method according to any one of Embodiments 292 to 298, wherein the sample receptacle is removed from the first carrier and transported to a pickup position using a gripping device.

[0408] Embodiment 300. The method according to any one of Embodiments 292 to 299, further comprising the step of determining whether the height and orientation of the sample receptacle are acceptable.

[0409] Embodiment 301. The method according to any one of Embodiments 292 to 300, wherein in step (d), a receptacle holder supported by a carriage receives a sample receptacle at the pickup position.

[0410] Embodiment 302. The method according to Embodiment 301, wherein the pick position is located outside the housing of the analytical instrument.

[0411] Embodiment 303. The method according to Embodiment 301 or 302, wherein in step (d), the carriage transports the sample receptacle from the pickup position to the pipetting station.

[0412] Embodiment 304. The method according to Embodiment 303, further comprising the step of securing the sample receptacle to a carriage when the sample receptacle is transported from the pickup position to the pipetting station, thereby preventing vertical movement of the sample receptacle.

[0413] Embodiment 305. The method according to any one of Embodiments 292 to 304, wherein the first carrier and the second carrier are the same carrier.

[0414] Embodiment 306. The method according to any one of Embodiments 292 to 305, wherein the assay comprises exposing a sample to reagents and conditions for carrying out a nucleic acid-based amplification reaction.

[0415] This disclosure is described and illustrated in considerable detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that other embodiments, variations, and modifications of the disclosed embodiments are included within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the descriptions of the disclosed embodiments, combinations, and partial combinations are not intended to convey that this disclosure requires any fe...

Claims

1. A method for delivering a receptacle to a device, wherein the method is: When the carriage is positioned at the first position of the device, the receptacle is supported within the carriage, By activating the sensing system coupled to the carriage, it is confirmed that the receptacle is supported by the carriage, Moving the carriage and the receptacle supported within the carriage to the second position of the device, When the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, a clamping force is applied to the receptacle, At the second position, at least a portion of the fluid contained in the receptacle is extracted using the fluid extraction device of the instrument, Moving the carriage and the receptacle supported within the carriage from the second position to the first position, When the carriage moves from the second position to the first position, the clamping force from the receptacle is released. Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the sensing system to determine whether (a) the longitudinal axis of the receptacle supported by the carriage is inclined with respect to the vertical axis, and / or (b) whether the receptacle supported by the carriage is inserted to a predetermined depth.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein applying the clamping force includes applying a force of about 10 N to about 30 N to the receptacle.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein applying the clamping force to the receptacle includes moving a pair of opposing support pads to contact the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first position to the second position.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein loosening the clamping force includes moving the pair of support pads away from the receptacle when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each of applying the clamping force and releasing the clamping force includes rotating a pair of meshing gears coupled to the pair of support pads in opposite directions relative to each other as the carriage moves between the first position and the second position.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein rotating the pair of meshing gears includes (a) rotating the first gear of the pair of meshing gears in a first direction and the second gear of the pair of meshing gears in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and (b) rotating the first gear in a second direction and the second gear in a first direction when the carriage moves from the second position to the first position.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein rotating the pair of meshing gears includes (a) moving the first end of the cam arm on a downwardly inclined path as the carriage moves from the first position to the second position, and (b) moving the first end of the cam arm on an upwardly inclined surface as the carriage moves from the second position to the first position, the second end of the cam arm being coupled to a gear of the pair of meshing gears.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein supporting the receptacle within the carriage includes removably supporting the receptacle within a rotatable pack positioned within the carriage.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method further comprises using a pick-and-place device to transfer the receptacle from a conveyor located outside the equipment to the pack, wherein the receptacle is detachably supported, the receptacle is positioned between a plurality of spring load members of the pack, and the method further comprises using a pick-and-place device to transfer the receptacle from a conveyor located outside the equipment to the pack.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising rotating the pack in the carriage when the carriage is positioned in the first position.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising using a sensor to detect when the pack has rotated to a predetermined position on the carriage.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising using a sign reader to read encoded information of a machine-readable sign on the receptacle while the pack is rotating.

14. Using the sensing system means The signal is directed from the signal emitter toward the signal detector, wherein the receptacle, supported by the carriage, is positioned between the signal emitter and the signal detector. If any, determine which part of the signal is received by the signal detector. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, including the method described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein directing the signal includes directing at least a portion of the signal onto an incident region on the outer surface of the receptacle supported by the carriage.

16. The method according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the signal emitter is an optical emitter, the signal detector is a photodetector, and the signal is a light beam.

17. The method according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein when the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident region is offset by a distance of about 3 mm to about 6 mm from the longitudinal axis of the receptacle.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein when the receptacle is properly supported by the carriage, the incident region is offset by a distance of about 3 mm to about 8 mm from the base of the receptacle.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein moving the carriage and the receptacle supported within the carriage to the second position comprises positioning the carriage to the second position such that (a) at least a portion of the carriage is positioned below a second shelf of the equipment positioned at the second position, and (b) the receptacle is positioned below a first opening defined by the second shelf.

20. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein moving the carriage and the receptacle supported within the carriage to the second position includes (a) positioning the carriage to the second position such that a first shelf coupled to the carriage is positioned below a second shelf detachably coupled to the equipment in the second position, and (b) positioning the receptacle to align with a first opening defined by the second shelf.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein when the carriage is positioned at the second position, the first shelf is spaced vertically from the second shelf by a distance of approximately 1 mm to approximately 6 mm.

22. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein extracting at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle includes bringing a tip associated with the fluid extraction device into contact with the fluid contained in the receptacle by directing it into the receptacle through the first opening.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein extracting at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle includes drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising drawing at least a portion of the fluid into the tip, and then removing the tip from the receptacle to a position above the first opening.

25. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the receptacle includes a perforated cap covering an opening of the receptacle, (i) orienting the tip toward the receptacle includes penetrating the cap with the tip, and (ii) removing the tip from the receptacle includes moving the tip through the perforated cap.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, further comprising removing the chip from the receptacle and then moving the chip laterally to a position on the second shelf.

27. ​​The method according to claim 26, further comprising moving the chip to the position above the upper surface of the second shelf, and then lowering the chip to a distance of about 1 mm to about 5 mm above the upper surface of the second shelf.

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, further comprising moving the chip laterally to a position on the second shelf, and then moving the chip along a predetermined path on the upper surface of the second shelf.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein moving the chip along the predefined path includes moving the chip around a projection extending upward from the upper surface of the second shelf.

30. The method according to claim 28 or 29, further comprising moving the chip along the predefined path and then removing the chip from above the upper surface of the second shelf through a second opening formed in the side wall of the second shelf.

31. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 30, wherein a portion of the fluid extracted from the receptacle is suspended from the chip before the chip is moved along the predefined path, and at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the chip is deposited on the upper surface of the second shelf as the chip is moved along the predefined path.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the chip before the chip is moved along the predefined path is suspended from the second shelf below the first opening after the chip has been moved along the predefined path.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein moving the carriage and the receptacle supported within the carriage from the second position to the first position includes cleaving at least a portion of the fluid suspended from the second shelf directly below the first opening, and depositing the cleaved fluid on the upper surface of the first shelf supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the second position to the first position.

34. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 33, further comprising separating the second shelf from the equipment.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the second shelf after detaching the second shelf from the equipment.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the upper surface of the second shelf, and then connecting the second shelf to the equipment.

37. The method according to any one of claims 33 to 36, further comprising moving the carriage to the first position and then removing at least a portion of the fluid accumulated on the first shelf.

38. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 37, further comprising removing the receptacle from the carriage using a pick-and-place device after loosening the clamping force from the receptacle.

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