Independent Multi-Axis Carrier and Receiving Devices for Liquid Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laboratory automation systems face bottlenecks in material transfer due to fixed microplate locations and linked pipettor tips, limiting throughput and efficiency in high-throughput experiments.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method allowing carrier and receiving devices to move independently along multiple axes, including rotation, to minimize transfer distance and enable simultaneous access to multiple locations, thereby optimizing material transfer and interrogation processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If microplates are kept at fixed locations during assay, then system structure is simple and reliable, but transfer distance cannot be minimized and throughput is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the microplates dynamic by enabling them to move independently on the deck surface through motorized mechanisms. The plates can translate and rotate to optimal positions, transforming the static plate arrangement into a dynamic system that adapts to minimize transfer distances and maximize throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces rotational movement as an additional degree of freedom for microplate positioning. By allowing plates to rotate in addition to translating, the system creates a two-dimensional positioning capability that enables optimal alignment between source and destination plates, reducing carrier travel distance.
2Productivity
If multiple pipettor tips are linked together on a single carrier arm, then device structure is simplified, but all tips must wait for the slowest tip completing its operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the carrier arm into multiple independent segments, each capable of holding and operating with its own pipettor tip. Each carrier can move independently along the deck, allowing parallel operations without waiting for other tips to complete their tasks, thus eliminating the bottleneck of linked tips.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary robotic system that independently controls multiple carriers. This intermediary coordination layer manages the independent carriers, allocating tasks and coordinating movements to maximize throughput while maintaining simplified individual carrier structures.
3Productivity
If carrier arm moves independently to access destination plates, then some time is regained, but multiple tips remain linked and cannot access multiple plates simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the carrier system into multiple independent carriers, each capable of autonomous movement and plate access. This segmentation allows any carrier to independently access any plate on the deck, providing full adaptability and versatility in accessing multiple plates simultaneously without the constraints of linked tips.
Data Source
AI summary
Material transfer/interrogation devices (e.g. liquid handling workstations) have been designed in the past for transferring material from a source to a destination location or for interrogating a material at a location, where the locations remain fixed. The invention provides methods and apparatuses for transferring or interrogating materials by one or more carrier devices to one or more receiving devices, where the carrier and receiving devices move independently and simultaneously on multiple axes. In some embodiments, one or more of the carrier and receiving devices can move along an X, Z, Y, and Theta axis, which allows the source and destination locations to rotate and translate relative to each other. Due to this rotation and translation, containers can be positioned to minimize the distance traveled between a pick location from the source and a place location on the destination, greatly increasing the speed at which material transfer can occur.