Abstract: A multi-view stereo approach generates an inventory of objects located on an object holder. An object may be a sample tube and an object holder may be a tube rack as used in lab automation for healthcare diagnostics. A processor performs 3D tracking of the object holder and the geometric analysis of multiple images generated by a calibrated camera. A homography mapping between images is utilized to warp a second image to a viewpoint of a first image. Plane induced parallax causes a normalized cross-correlation score between the first image and the warped second image of a location on the holder that has an object that is significantly different from a normalized cross-correlation score of a location that has not an object and enables the processor to infer tube inventory and absence or presence of a tube at a location in a rack.

Abstract: An automation system for use in in-vitro diagnostics includes an automation surface configured to provide one or more paths between a plurality of testing stations, which also includes a plurality of predetermined risk zones. A plurality of carriers include an onboard processor configured to make local trajectory decisions and to control the motion of each carrier into the plurality of predetermined risk zones in response to authority granted by a traffic manager. A traffic manager includes at least one processor configured to assign destinations to the plurality of carriers and grant authority to carriers to enter the plurality of predetermined risk zones. Each carrier can be configured to hold one or more fluid vessels and move the one or more fluid vessels to one of the plurality of testing stations.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods adapted to calibrate a robot gripper to a camera. The method includes providing a robot with a coupled moveable gripper, providing one or more cameras, providing a target scene having one or more fixed target points, moving the gripper and capturing images of the target scene at two or more imaging locations, recording positions in the gripper coordinate system for each of the imaging locations, recording images in a camera coordinate system, and processing the images and positions to determine a gripper-to-camera transformation between the gripper coordinate system and the camera coordinate system. The transformation may be accomplished by nonlinear least-squares minimization, such as the Levenberg-Marquardt method. Robot calibration apparatus for carrying out the method are disclosed, as are other aspects.

Abstract: A multi-view stereo approach generates an inventory of objects located on an object holder. An object may be a sample tube and an object holder may be a tube rack as used in lab automation for healthcare diagnostics. A processor performs 3D tracking of the object holder and the geo-metric analysis of multiple images generated by a calibrated camera. A homography mapping between images is utilized to warp a second image to a viewpoint of a first image. Plane induced parallax causes a normalized cross-correlation score between the first image and the warped second image of a location on the holder that has an object that is significantly different from a normalized cross-correlation score of a location that has not an object and enables the processor to infer tube inventory and absence or presence of a tube at a location in a rack.

Abstract: The invention relates, as new compounds, to derivatives of tetrameric human haemoglobin corresponding to the covalent coupling of a haemoglobin tetramer and a polycarboxy-substituted compound having at least 4 -COO.sup.- groups, the said polycarboxy-substituted compound effecting an internal crosslinking of the two dimers of haemoglobin and conferring thereon an affinity for oxygen which is compatible with an in vivo use of the conjugate when the natural allosteric effector of haemoglobin is not present. Among carboxy-substituted compounds, special mention is made of benzenehexacarboxylate and benzenetetracarboxylate.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a procedure for the preparation of water-soluble macromolecular conjugates of hemoglobin, characterized in that:in the first step, Z sites are bound to a polymer P, the Z sites containing, on the one hand, at least one negative charge borne for example by sulfate groups and intended to lead to the formation of an ionic linkage with hemoglobin, and containing, on the other hand, at least one carboxylic group for example intended to lead to the formation of a covalent linkage with hemoglobin,then in the second step, the polymer P containing the Z site(s) is made to react with hemoglobin in the oxygenated form in order to form, on the one hand, at least one ionic linkage between at least one of the Z sites borne by the polymer and hemoglobin and, on the other hand, at least one covalent linkage between the same Z site mentioned above borne by the polymer and hemoglobin.