Beckman Coulter, Inc.

Other

Optimetrix Corporation

Ruediger F Rauskolb

Wing S Pang

Mark Gross

G Andrea Pedrazzini

Santiago F Allen

Hendra Tanumihardja

A system for a clinical lab that is capable of automatically processing, including sorting, of multiple specimen containers. The system comprises a central controller, a workstation, one or more analyzers, and an automated centrifuge. The workstation has automatic detectors for detecting the presence of a holder holding specimen containers. The workstation has a bar code reader for reading bar codes on the containers. The system has a transport subsystem, preferably a workstation robotic arm and an analyzer robotic arm for transporting the specimen containers, moving them to and from the workstation, to and from the analyzers, and to and from the centrifuge. The centrifuge is loaded with buckets containing specimen containers. The workstation can be provided with a balance system for balancing the weight of the buckets used. The workstation can also have a decapper for automatically removing caps from the specimen containers.

Automated sample processing system

Automated sample processing system including automatic centrifuge device

A completely automated apparatus for disk certification which has a very high volume production per unit area of square footage required. Volumes of 108 million disks per year require only 1200 square feet of facility, about 3% of the space required for the prior art certification systems. The apparatus uses standard unmodified disk drives and is completely integrated with a conveyor and pickup system for automatic loading and unloading of diskettes. A method of sequencing operations on a disk is disclosed whereby all tracks of disk are written to provide a first test signal. Then all tracks are read after all tracks are written to provide a first read signal. Calculations are performed on the first read signal to obtain a calculated signal and the calculated signal is compared with a known standard. By writing an entire disk before reading the entire disk, rather than writing and reading on a track by track basis, operations on several disk drives can be sequenced to be performed simultaneously while using the same measurement electronics as would be required for one drive.

Disk certifier

A pair of position control circuits is employed for controlling the position of an interferometrically controlled stage along orthogonal X and Y axes of motion of the stage. Each of these position control circuits is provided with a variable phase shifter responsive to a reference signal and a control signal for producing an output signal of the same frequency as the reference signal but shifted in phase as determined by the control signal, and with a phase detector responsive to the output signal from the variable phase shifter and to a measurement signal obtained from the interferometrically controlled stage for producing a position control signal proportional to the difference in phase between those signals. The sum and the difference of the position control signals of selected phase produced by these position control circuits are employed to extend the resolution of the position control circuits.

Position control circuit

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Ruediger F Rauskolb