Laboratory Sample Distribution System Traffic Lane Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laboratory sample distribution systems face challenges in achieving high distribution performance while minimizing the required transport space and preventing deadlock situations and collisions among sample container carriers.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a method where sample container carriers with magnetically active devices are moved on interconnected transport plane modules using electro-magnetic actuators, with specific traffic and waypoint categories to control movement directions, preventing direction changes in certain areas and enabling efficient routing and rerouting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If sample container carriers are allowed to change direction freely on transport plane modules, then routing flexibility is improved, but deadlock situations and collisions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transport plane module is divided into multiple traffic lanes with designated transport directions. Sample container carriers are assigned to specific lanes and must follow the prescribed direction for that lane, preventing arbitrary direction changes while maintaining organized flow and reducing collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
Waypoint categories act as intermediary zones where direction changes are permitted. Instead of allowing direct direction changes anywhere on the transport plane, carriers must first enter a waypoint category area, which mediates the transition and ensures safe, controlled direction changes without causing deadlocks.
2Productivity
If electro-magnetic actuators are used to move sample container carriers, then distribution performance is improved, but transport space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a two-dimensional transport plane module with multiple traffic lanes arranged in rows and columns. By utilizing the second dimension (lateral arrangement of lanes) rather than only extending the transport path in one dimension, the system achieves high distribution performance while keeping the overall transport space compact.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically assigns traffic lanes and transport directions based on real-time needs. The control device can reform traffic lanes and reassign directions adaptively, allowing efficient use of the available transport space and optimizing distribution performance without requiring excessive physical space.
3Reliability
If traffic lanes are assigned fixed transport directions, then collision risk is reduced, but routing adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device dynamically reforms traffic lanes and reassigns transport directions based on current system state and routing requirements. While individual lanes have fixed directions at any given moment to prevent collisions, the system as a whole is adaptive because the control device can reconfigure the lane structure and direction assignments in response to changing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The ability to change direction is extracted from the individual carrier level and moved to the system level through the control device. Carriers follow fixed directional rules in their lanes, but the control device extracts and manages the adaptability by reconfiguring entire lanes and directions as needed, separating collision prevention from routing flexibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for high distribution performance with reduced transport space requirements, minimizing deadlock situations and collisions, and enabling simple control of carrier movements, thus optimizing laboratory automation systems.
Implementation Method 1
The electro-magnetic actuators are adapted to move a sample container carrier of said sample container carriers, in particular all, on top of said transport plane modules, in particular exclusively, along a row of said rows or along a column of said columns by applying a magnetic move force to said sample container carrier
Implementation Method 2
each of the sample container carriers comprises at least one magnetically active device
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method of operating a laboratory sample distribution system (100), wherein the laboratory sample distribution system comprises: a number of sample container carriers (110), wherein each of the sample container carriers comprises at least one magnetically active device (115) and wherein each of the sample container carriers is adapted to carry at least one sample container (120), a number of interconnected transport plane modules (130a, 130b, 130c), wherein each of the transport plane modules is adapted to support a number of said sample container carriers, and a number of electro-magnetic actuators (140), wherein below each transport plane module a number of said electro-magnetic actuators is stationary arranged in rows (150) and columns (160), wherein the electro-magnetic actuators are adapted to move a sample container carrier of said sample container carriers on top of said transport plane modules along a row of said rows or along a column of said columns by applying a magnetic move force to said sample container carrier. The method comprises the steps: a) assigning at least one transport plane module (130a) of said transport plane modules to a route category, wherein at least two traffic lanes are formed on the route categorized transport plane module, wherein said sample container carriers (110) are moved within each traffic lane in a given transport direction, wherein the transport directions of the at least two traffic lanes are opposite to each other and wherein a change from one transport direction to the opposite transport direction is not possible for said sample container carriers moved on the route categorized transport plane module. b) assigning at least one another transport plane module (130b) of said transport plane modules to a waypoint category, wherein a change from one transport direction to the opposite transport direction is enabled for said sample container carriers moved on the waypoint categorized transport plane module.