Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.

Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.

Riccardo Leone Benedetti

Gregor Hotz

Goran Savatic

Urs Suter

Armin Birrer

Reto Huesser

Norbert Schmitt

Robert Theiler

Oliver Rusterholz

A method to localize a carrier on a laboratory transport system is presented. The laboratory transport system comprises a carrier associated with an identity, a multi-lane transport module, and a control unit. The carrier comprises a signal transmitter configured to transmit a signal comprising information about the identity. The multi-lane transport module comprises a transport surface comprising a first and a second transport lane as well as a first signal receiver and a second signal receiver each configured to receive the transmitted signal. Based on received signal strengths, the control unit localizes the carrier on one of the transport lanes of the multi-lane transport module.

Method and system to localize a carrier on a laboratory transport system

A consumable management system comprising a consumable storage cluster with a plurality of storage compartments is presented. Each storage compartment is configured to receive one or more consumables. The consumable management system further comprises storage compartment indicators to provide guidance to a user and a detection unit for validating user action(s).

Consumable management system for laboratories

A container carrier for carrying a sample container along a track is presented. The container carrier comprises a holding portion for receiving and holding a sample container and a base portion. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag containing identifying information is provided with an antenna for wireless communication of the RFID tag with a reader device of the diagnostics system to read the identifying information. The RFID tag is on the holding portion. An arrangement for a diagnostics system is provided comprising container carriers and a track with a transport mechanism for moving the container carriers along a transportation lane. The transport mechanism defines a transport plane along which the container carriers move. A reader device reads the identifying information from the RFID tags. The reader device comprising a reader antenna above the transport plane to generate and emit a reader field for wireless communication with the RFID tag's antenna.

Sample container carrier with data carrier for an in-vitro diagnostics system

A method is provided for associating an RFID tag to an RFID reader antenna in a laboratory device with a number N RFID reader antennae, the method including the steps of reading a unique identifier corresponding to each of a number M of RFID tag(s); registering received signal strength indications by each of the N RFID reader antennae of corresponding response signals from each RFID tag(s) and associating each RFID tag with the reader antenna having received the strongest received signal strength indication corresponding to the RFID tag. A laboratory device is also provided which is configured to perform the disclosed method.

Method for RFID tag-reader antenna association in a laboratory device

A method for storing temporary data in a memory of a RFID tag associated with a consumable of a laboratory instrument for processing a reagent or biological sample is disclosed. The method comprises providing the RFID tag associated with the consumable. The RFID tag comprises a memory. The memory comprises a user memory configured to store user data and a system memory configured to store system data. The laboratory instrument writes the temporary data into the system memory. The temporary data are associated with a process to be carried out by the laboratory instrument. Further, a system comprising a laboratory instrument for processing a reagent or biological sample, a consumable and a RFID tag associated with the consumable is disclosed. The laboratory instrument is configured to carry out the method.

Method for storing temporary data in a memory of an RFID tag associated with a consumable of a laboratory instrument and system comprising a laboratory instrument, consumable and RFID tag

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Fehraltorf, Switzerland

Riccardo Leone Benedetti