Hewlett-packard Company

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Joseph Charles Roark

Gary B Gordon

Gregor T Overney

John S Poole

Arthur Schleifer

Philip B Fuhrman

Gilbert Segal

A mass spectrometry system is described. The mass spectrometry system comprises: (a) a mass spectrometer; and (b) a controller connected to the mass spectrometer. The controller is configured to: (i) direct the mass spectrometer to acquire a precursor ion spectrum of a sample stream; (ii) analyze, in real-time, the precursor ion spectrum to determine whether a first evaluation criterion is satisfied; (iii) if the first evaluation criterion is satisfied, direct the mass spectrometer to acquire a product ion spectrum of the sample stream; (iv) analyze, in real-time, the product ion spectrum to determine whether a second evaluation criterion is satisfied; and (v) if the second evaluation criterion is satisfied, analyze the product ion spectrum to assign an identification to the product ion spectrum. For certain implementations, the controller allows automated, data-dependent acquisition of mass spectrometry data to improve the efficiency at which peptidic data of interest can be acquired.

Real-time analysis of mass spectrometry data for identifying peptidic data of interest

Methods of programming mechanical manipulators are disclosed that permit a mechanical manipulator to be programmed to perform coordinated motions between one or more modules comprised of equipment with which the manipulator will interact by defining an origin point and one or more frame points related to each of the modules relative to the origin point. Each of the modules associated with a frame point is then identified and a module program describing pre-programmed manipulator motions related to each of the modules is accessed. Finally, a sequence of motions between the origin and each of the frame points of the modules is defined. The step of locating frame points can be carried out in several different ways, using a teach pendant or by automatically locating the module frame points using an infrared sensor, electric field sensor, acoustic sensor, or force sensor. Methods of programming a mechanical manipulator to move between an origin point and one or more modules are also disclosed which comprise the steps of creating a programming element representative of each module and its corresponding module program. An origin frame point is again defined and the programming elements are assembled to correspond to one or more modules that represent the desired manipulator motion. Finally, the frame point of each of the selected modules is defined relative to the origin point. The programming elements can be comprised of commands, portions of a computer program or icons that represent the module and module program. In a preferred embodiment, each of the module programs begins and ends with the manipulator at a safe point defined as a point from which the manipulator may move in at least one direction without encountering an obstruction. Methods of controlling a manipulator after it has encountered an obstruction are also disclosed.

Methods for automatically programming spatial information in robotic

A system for controlling a mechanical manipulator in a laboratory environment employs a system of taught motions, attribute operators and procedure rules to simplify the programming task for scientists or engineers skilled in their own fields and not robotics.

Robot motion control system

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos, CA, United States of America

Joseph Charles Roark