The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 07, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 21, 1996
Steven A Bernstein, Los Olivos, CA (US);
Page A Erickson, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Stephen Barker, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Biotek Solutions, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Abstract
A system for performing a plurality of independent analysis procedures simultaneously, each procedure having a sample and at least one process step for operating on that sample the system having a robotic device for moving a sample among a plurality of processing stations where the robotic device comprises substrate to which are coupled a plurality of tiles each one of the tiles disposed at a selected location on the substrate; a plurality of reagent trays coupled to the tiles, each one of the reagent trays having substantially identical shape and size; a robotic arm disposed for reaching substantially all the tiles; and capable of coupling and decoupling from a sample holder, the sample holder capable of holding at least one sample in a selected position, whereby the robotic arm is capable of moving the sample from a first one of the reagent trays to a second one of the reagent trays; and a processor for selecting, at a plurality of times a sample to be moved, and for directing the robotic arm to move the sample to be moved; the processor capable of directing the robotic arm to interleave the process steps of the plurality of independent analysis procedures in a sequence conforming to a predetermined range of durations for each one of the process steps.