Patents Assigned to Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.
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Publication number: 20200108397Abstract: A tube picking mechanism is suitable for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g., ?80° C.) storage and retrieval systems which stores biological or chemical samples. The samples are contained in storage tubes held in SBS footprint storage racks that are loaded into trays located within an ultra-low temperature freezer compartment (?80° C.).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2019Publication date: April 9, 2020Applicant: Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Gordon Andrade
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Patent number: 9796574Abstract: A laboratory capper, decapper or combination capper/decapper includes a deck containing with a nest designed to hold an SBS-formatted tube storage rack, and a bit exchange magazine assembly containing one or more sets of adapter bits. The adapter bits are mounted on and unloaded from motor driven fittings, and are exchanged in order to cap or decap laboratory sample tubes or vials that have different head configurations. The bit exchange magazine assembly enables the bit to be exchanged robotically.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2016Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Martin Frey, Beat Thöny, Beat Zahner, Petra Tappe
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Publication number: 20170113909Abstract: A laboratory capper, decapper or combination capper/decapper includes a deck containing with a nest designed to hold an SBS-formatted tube storage rack, and a bit exchange magazine assembly containing one or more sets of adapter bits. The adapter bits are mounted on and unloaded from motor driven fittings, and are exchanged in order to cap or decap laboratory sample tubes or vials that have different head configurations. The bit exchange magazine assembly enables the bit to be exchanged robotically.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2016Publication date: April 27, 2017Applicant: Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Martin Frey, Beat Thöny, Beat Zahner, Petra Tappe
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Patent number: 9255936Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2011Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Frank Hunt, Julian Warhurst, Bruce Zandi, Robert Cloutier
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Patent number: 9163869Abstract: A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g. ?80° C. or ?135° C.) or cryogenic (e.g., about ?140° C. to ?196° 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 ?80° C., about ?135° 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2011Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Julian Warhurst, Bruce Zandi, Alexander Carbone, Frank Hunt, Robert Cloutier, James O'Toole, Elizabeth Alexander
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Patent number: 9028754Abstract: A rack robot lifts and transfers sample tube storage racks or plates with a refrigerated enclosure maintained, e.g., at ?20° C. The samples are normally held in ultra-low temperature, e.g., ?80° 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2012Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Fabian Winter, Halvard Solberg, Julian Warhurst, Frank Hunt, Behrouz Zandi
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Publication number: 20130151004Abstract: A rack robot lifts and transfers sample tube storage racks or plates with a refrigerated enclosure maintained, e.g., at ?20° C. The samples are normally held in ultra-low temperature, e.g., ?80° 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2012Publication date: June 13, 2013Applicant: HAMILTON STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventor: Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.
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Patent number: 8176747Abstract: A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g., ?80° C.) storage and retrieval systems which stores biological or chemical samples. The samples are contained in storage tubes held in SBS footprint storage racks that are loaded into trays located within an ultra-low temperature freezer compartment (?80° C.). A tube picking mechanism resides in a tube picking chamber that is located adjacent the freezer compartment. The tube picking chamber is maintained at about ?20° C. when the tube picking mechanism is in operation. The tube picking mechanism includes a cache within the tube picking chamber to facilitate fast paced shuttling of the tube racks from the freezer compartment into the tube picking chamber. The shuttle has a clamping mechanism to secure a tube rack in place when a gripper head picks a tube from the rack. The system also includes a push pin that pushes on the bottom of the respective tube as it is being picked from the tube rack.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2008Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Raymond T. Howard, Julian Warhurst, Behrouz Zandi, Michael A. Carman, James O'Toole
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Publication number: 20120060539Abstract: A cassette puller for an automated storage and retrieval system that stores biological or chemical samples in freezers maintained at ultra-low temperature (e.g., ?80° C.) or cryogenic temperatures includes a vertical sleeve into which the selected cassette is lifted. The cassette puller is mounted to a traveling gantry and transports cassettes from one freezer location to another and to the system input/output module, and also includes an ejection mechanism that inserts and retrieves tube storage racks or plates from a selected shelf on the cassette. Other components such as a rack robot, a tube picking mechanism, a sample identification station, etc. are mounted on the traveling gantry as well.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2011Publication date: March 15, 2012Applicant: HAMILTON STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Frank Hunt, Bruce Zandi, Julian Warhurst, Robert Cloutier
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Publication number: 20120060541Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2011Publication date: March 15, 2012Applicant: HAMILTON STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Frank Hunt, Julian Warhurst, Bruce Zandi, Robert Cloutier
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Publication number: 20120060514Abstract: A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g. ?80° C. or ?135° C.) or cryogenic (e.g., about ?140° C. to ?196° 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 ?80° C., about ?135° 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2011Publication date: March 15, 2012Applicant: HAMILTON STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Julian Warhurst, Bruce Zandi, Alexander Carbone, Frank Hunt, Robert Cloutier, James O'Toole, Elizabeth Alexander
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Publication number: 20120060520Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system for storing chemical and biological samples includes freezer chests maintained at an ultra-low temperature (e.g. ?80° C.) or a cryogenic temperature. The freezer chests are located within a refrigerated (e.g. ?20° C.) enclosure. Samples are loaded through a wall of the enclosure and are then transferred to an input/output buffer section in an ultra-low temperature or cryogenic freezer chest that is thermally segregated from a long-term storage section in the same freezer. Specialized input/output cassettes are used for transferring the samples through an input/output module into the system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2011Publication date: March 15, 2012Applicant: HAMILTON STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Scott Collins, Frank Hunt, Julian Warhurst, Bruce Zandi
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Publication number: 20110088424Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system stores containers, typically containing biological or chemical samples, at ultra-low temperatures, i.e., from about ?50° C. to about ?90° C., preferably about ?80° C. under normal operating conditions. A robot automatically places sample storage containers in stationary storage racks within the freezer compartment. Magnetic couplings are used to transmit mechanical power from outside of the freezer compartment to the robot inside of the freezer compartment. The robot has a simplified mechanical configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2010Publication date: April 21, 2011Applicant: HAMILTON STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Robert P. Cloutier, Julian Warhurst, Behrouz Zandi, James O'Toole, Halvard Solberg
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Patent number: 7861540Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system stores containers, typically containing biological or chemical samples, at ultra-low temperatures, i.e., from about ?50° C. to about ?90° C., preferably about ?80° C. under normal operating conditions. Dry gas air flows are used to reduce moisture and the consequential frost within the freezer compartment. A custom insulated door is provided with an access module and a tube picking compartment as well as servo motors for controlling a robot within the ultra-low temperature freezer compartment. The robot automatically places sample storage containers in stationary storage racks within the freezer compartment. Magnetic couplings are used to transmit mechanical power from outside of the freezer compartment to the robot inside of the freezer compartment. The robot has a simplified mechanical configuration. The custom door can be readily attached to standard freezer bodies.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2008Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Hamilton Storage Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Robert P. Cloutier, Julian Warhurst, Behrouz Zandi, James O'Toole, Halvard Solberg
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Publication number: 20100028214Abstract: A tube picking mechanism is designed for use in an automated, ultra-low temperature (e.g., ?80° C.) storage and retrieval systems which stores biological or chemical samples. The samples are contained in storage tubes held in SBS footprint storage racks that are loaded into trays located within an ultra-low temperature freezer compartment (?80° C.). A tube picking mechanism resides in a tube picking chamber that is located adjacent the freezer compartment. The tube picking chamber is maintained at about ?20° C. when the tube picking mechanism is in operation. The tube picking mechanism includes a cache within the tube picking chamber to facilitate fast paced shuttling of the tube racks from the freezer compartment into the tube picking chamber. The shuttle has a clamping mechanism to secure a tube rack in place when a gripper head picks a tube from the rack. The system also includes a push pin that pushes on the bottom of the respective tube as it is being picked from the tube rack.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2008Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicant: HAMILTON STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Raymond T. Howard, Julian Warhurst, Behrouz Zandi, Michael A. Carman, James O'Toole