| HAMILTON STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120060541 | Sample Storage Cassette for Ultra-Low or Cryogenic Temperatures - A storage cassette including a plurality of generally vertical compartments for storing sample tube racks and/or SBS formatted plates is constructed to be flexible along its substantially vertical axis thereby facilitating reliable robotic placement and retrieval of the cassette from nesting tubes located within a horizontal freezer compartment. Insulated walls and solid shelves minimize heat transfer from storage racks or plates placed in the storage cassette when the cassette is removed from an ultra-low temperature or cryogenic freezer. The outer walls of the cassette includes mechanical indexing locations to ensure appropriate positioning when robotically removing storage racks or plates from the cassette. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060539 | Cassette Puller - A cassette puller for an automated storage and retrieval system that stores biological or chemical samples in freezers maintained at ultra-low temperature (e.g., −80° C.) or cryogenic temperatures includes a vertical sleeve into which the selected cassette is lifted. The cassette puller is mounted to a traveling gantry and transports cassettes from one freezer location to another and to the system input/output module, and also includes an ejection mechanism that inserts and retrieves tube storage racks or plates from a selected shelf on the cassette. Other components such as a rack robot, a tube picking mechanism, a sample identification station, etc. are mounted on the traveling gantry as well. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060520 | Input/Output Module and Overall Temperature Control of Samples - An automated storage and retrieval system for storing chemical and biological samples includes freezer chests maintained at an ultra-low temperature (e.g. −80° C.) or a cryogenic temperature. The freezer chests are located within a refrigerated (e.g. −20° C.) enclosure. Samples are loaded through a wall of the enclosure and are then transferred to an input/output buffer section in an ultra-low temperature or cryogenic freezer chest that is thermally segregated from a long-term storage section in the same freezer. Specialized input/output cassettes are used for transferring the samples through an input/output module into the system. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060514 | Tube Picking Mechanisms with an Ultra-Low Temperature or Cryogenic Picking Compartment - A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g. −80° C. or −135° C.) or cryogenic (e.g., about −140° C. to −196° C.) storage and retrieval system that stores biological or chemical samples. The samples are contained in storage tubes held in SBS footprint storage racks that are normally stored within an ultra-low temperature or cryogenic freezer compartment. The tube picking mechanism includes a tube picking chamber that is maintained at about −80° C., about −135° C. or at cryogenic temperatures in cryogenic applications. Active electrical and mechanical components are maintained in a compartment above and separate from the refrigerated, ultra-low temperature or cryogenic compartment. Thermal stratification inhibits heat transfer into the lower, ultra-low temperature or cryogenic compartment in which tube picking occurs from the upper compartment in which active electrical and mechanical components are located, and also inhibits heat transfer into the lower, ultra-low temperature or cryogenic compartment via an access door for tube storage racks. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20110088424 | Automated Storage and Retrieval System for Storing Biological or Chemical Samples at Ultra-Low Temperatures - An automated storage and retrieval system stores containers, typically containing biological or chemical samples, at ultra-low temperatures, i.e., from about −50° C. to about −90° C., preferably about −80° C. under normal operating conditions. A robot automatically places sample storage containers in stationary storage racks within the freezer compartment. Magnetic couplings are used to transmit mechanical power from outside of the freezer compartment to the robot inside of the freezer compartment. The robot has a simplified mechanical configuration. | 04-21-2011 |
| 20100028214 | TUBE PICKING MECHANISM FOR AN AUTOMATED, ULTRA-LOW TEMPERATURE STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM - A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g., −80° C.) storage and retrieval systems which stores biological or chemical samples. The samples are contained in storage tubes held in SBS footprint storage racks that are loaded into trays located within an ultra-low temperature freezer compartment (−80° C.). A tube picking mechanism resides in a tube picking chamber that is located adjacent the freezer compartment. The tube picking chamber is maintained at about −20° C. when the tube picking mechanism is in operation. The tube picking mechanism includes a cache within the tube picking chamber to facilitate fast paced shuttling of the tube racks from the freezer compartment into the tube picking chamber. The shuttle has a clamping mechanism to secure a tube rack in place when a gripper head picks a tube from the rack. The system also includes a push pin that pushes on the bottom of the respective tube as it is being picked from the tube rack. A one-dimensional bar code reader is included within the tube picking chamber. The gripper head is able to move vertically and rotate within the field of view of the one-dimensional bar code reader in order to facilitate identification and reading of one-dimensional bar codes located on the sidewall of picked storage tubes. The system also uses fans to facilitate efficient cooling of the tube picking chamber. | 02-04-2010 |
