Brooks Automation Gmbh

Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.

Azenta US, Inc.

Chart Inc.

Mve Biological Solutions US, LLC

Azenta, Inc.

Frank Hunt

Bruce S Zandi

Lingchen Sun

Julian D Warhurst

Robert T Caveney

Anthony C Bonora

Robert P Cloutier

Jeffrey S Brooks

James O'Toole

Behrouz Zandi

Elizabeth V Alexander

Halvard Solberg

Tiffany Holmes

Aaron Plaisted

Fang Cui

Matthew Albert

Yuri Rubenchik

Alexander Carbone

Daniel Lamothe

Elizabeth Alexander

Fabian Winter

Julian Warhurst

An automated cryogenic storage system includes a freezer and an automation system to provide automated transfer of samples to and from the freezer. The freezer includes a bearing and a drive shaft though the freezer, the drive shaft being coupled to a rack carrier inside the freezer and adapted to be coupled to a motor. The automation module includes a rack puller that is automatically positioned above an access port of the freezer. The rack puller engages with a sample rack within the freezer, and elevates the rack into an insulating sleeve external to the freezer. From the insulating sleeve, samples can be added to and removed from the sample rack before it is returned to the freezer.

Automated cryogenic storage system

A cryogenic storage system includes a transfer module configured to service one or more cryogenic storage freezers. The transfer module includes a working chamber that maintains a cryogenic environment for the transfer of sample tubes between different sample boxes. One or more freezer ports enable the transfer module to receive a sample box extracted from a respective freezer. An input/output (I/O) port enables external access to samples. A box transport robot operates to transport sample boxes between the freezer ports, the working chamber, and the I/O port. A picker robot operates to transfer sample tubes between sample boxes within the working chamber.

Automated cryogenic storage and retrieval system

Mounting hardware is installed to a cryogenic storage device to accommodate an automation system for automated storage and retrieval. A guideplate at an upper surface of a cover of the cryogenic storage device is positioned such that the guideplate is aligned in a predefined relation to an access port at the upper surface. One or more mounting posts are affixed at a location as indicated by the guideplate. A vacuum is then pulled within the cover, and the mounting hardware is affixed to the at least one mounting post.

Cryogenic freezer

A configurable cryogenic storage device has a freezer and a rack carrier positioned inside of the freezer. The freezer includes a bearing and a drive shaft though the freezer, the drive shaft being coupled to the rack carrier inside the freezer and adapted to be coupled to a motor assembly. The rack carrier rests on the bearing in a manual rotation configuration and hangs from the drive shaft when the motor is connected. Coupling the drive shaft to the motor assembly lifts the rack carrier and decouples the bearing and enables automated rotation of the rack carrier by the motor. The rack carrier includes rack-mounting features holding a plurality of sample storage racks. The sample storage racks hang from the rack carrier and the rack-mounting features precisely position the end of each sample storage rack.

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.

Sample storage cassette for ultra-low or cryogenic temperatures

A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g. &#x2212;80&#xb0; C. or &#x2212;135&#xb0; C.) or cryogenic (e.g., about &#x2212;140&#xb0; C. to &#x2212;196&#xb0; 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 &#x2212;80&#xb0; C., about &#x2212;135&#xb0; 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.

Tube picking mechanisms with an ultra-low temperature or cryogenic picking compartment

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

Growing community of inventors

Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

Frank Hunt