Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.

Behrouz Zandi

Julian D Warhurst

James O'Toole

Halvard Solberg

Robert P Cloutier

Frank Hunt

Raymond Thomas Howard

Fabian Winter

Michael A Carman

Julian Warhurst

A rack robot lifts and transfers sample tube storage racks or plates with a refrigerated enclosure maintained, e.g., at &#x2212;20&#xb0; C. The samples are normally held in ultra-low temperature, e.g., &#x2212;80&#xb0; C., or cryogenic freezers. From time to time, the racks or plates need to be roved from the ultra-low temperature or cryogenic freezers for processing and the rack robot transfers the racks or plates to the various processing stations within the refrigerated enclosure, such as tube picking, barcode reading, or frost removal stations.

Rack robot

A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g., &#x2212;80&#xb0; 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 (&#x2212;80&#xb0; 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 &#x2212;20&#xb0; 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.

Tube picking mechanism for an automated, ultra-low temperature storage and retrieval system

An automated storage and retrieval system stores containers, typically containing biological or chemical samples, at ultra-low temperatures, i.e., from about &#x2212;50&#xb0; C. to about &#x2212;90&#xb0; C., preferably about &#x2212;80&#xb0; C. under normal operating conditions. Dry gas air flows are used to reduce moisture and the consequential frost within the freezer compartment. A custom insulated door is provided with an access module and a tube picking compartment as well as servo motors for controlling a robot within the ultra-low temperature freezer compartment. The 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. The custom door can be readily attached to standard freezer bodies.

Automated storage and retrieval system for storing biological or chemical samples at ultra-low temperatures

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, MA, United States of America

Behrouz Zandi