Abstract:
A laboratory tube printer and labeler for labeling laboratory tubes with printed labels, the tube printer and labeler advantageously accommodating an automated tube handling device having a robotic pickup and placement mechanism where the tube printer and labeler has a housing having an upper deck with a printing station and a tube labeling and pickup station displaced from the printing station such that the labeling and pickup station can be accessed by the robotic pickup and placement mechanism wherein a printed label is transported to the labeling and pickup station and applied to a laboratory tube placed in the labeling and pickup station.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an automated tube handling device for laboratory tubes and other cylindrical vessels typically processed in a laboratory or medical facility, and in particular, the invention relates to a laboratory tube printer and labeler. 
     The laboratory tube printer and labeler is designed to cooperate with an automated robotic tube processor that has a robotically controlled pickup and placement mechanism that can deliver a laboratory tube, vial, bottle or other relatively small vessel commonly processed in batches with individual control numbers or bar codes such that for each tube labeled, a different label print marking may be required. 
     This requirement complicates the label printing and label applying process, particularly when the apparatus for printing the label and labeling the tube is desired as an auxiliary component to the automated robotic tube processing apparatus. In such instance the station where the tube is deposited by the pickup and placement mechanism must be located within the field of access of the robotic device to facilitate automation. 
     The laboratory tube printer and labeler of this invention is designed to accommodate many robotic tube handling devices by presenting the deposit and pickup station at a location for convenient access by the robotic pickup and placement mechanism of an associated automated tube handler. Additionally, the laboratory tube printer and labeler is designed to accommodate both batch processing of identical printed and applied labels as well as those circumstances where each label is differently marked. Furthermore, the design is sufficiently flexible that tubes of different sizes within a range can be labeled with printed labels. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The laboratory tube printer and labeler of this invention is designed for cooperative operation with an automated tube handler having a robotically controlled pickup and placement mechanism. However, the laboratory tube printer and labeler, or tube labeler can be an independent standalone component that can present a printed and labeled tube to a tube labeling and pickup station where a tube can be manually placed and retrieved. 
     The versatile design is adapted to utilize rolls of labels on a tape where the labels are closely spaced for economy in a conventional manner. To enable individual labels to be printed with indicia or markings that are unique to a particular label and corresponding laboratory tube, the transport system for the labeling operation is reversible. In this manner, the printed label can be presented to a labeling station that is displaced from the printing station. The tube to be labeled with a printed label can therefor be placed and retrieved at a single location, without the tube being relocated. 
     By displaced it is meant that one or more labels may be carried on a label tape between the printing station and the labeling station. To insure that the correct label is applied to the correct tube, the applied label is examined by an electronic sensor. The next in line unprinted label can be returned to the printing station by reversing the transport of the label tape to situate the next in line unprinted label at the printing station for printing. This feature, of course, is not necessary where all labels in a batch of laboratory tubes are identical. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the laboratory tube printer and labeler of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the tube printer and labeler of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an end elevational view of the printer and labeler of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the printer and labeler of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of the labeler as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the labeler of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The laboratory tube printer and labeler shown in the perspective view of  FIG. 1  is designated generally by the reference numeral  10 . The laboratory tube printer and labeler  10 , or tube labeler for convenience, is also shown in the orthogonal views of  FIGS. 2-4  as a self-contained component that is typically used as an accessory to a robotic tube processor in a laboratory or medical facility for automated handling of test tubes, vials, bottles and other cylindrical test vessels. 
     As a component accessory, the tube labeler  10  is configured as a desktop device that is designed to couple with a robotic tube processor and includes a housing  12  with a top deck  14 . In the preferred embodiment of the tube labeler, the top deck  14  has a cantilevered portion  16  with a tube labeling and pickup station  18  that can project over the deck of an adjacent robotic tube processor. This positioning will enable a pickup mechanism of the robotic tube processor to place a tube at the tube labeling pickup station  18  and to retrieve the tube when labeled. 
     As shown in the drawings, the tube labeler  10  has a thermal transfer printer  20  with a print ribbon transport assembly  22  and a labeler  24  with a label tape transport assembly  26 . 
     The print ribbon transport assembly  22  has a print ribbon supply reel  28  on a spindle  30  that supplies thermal print ribbon  32  to a printing station  33 . At the printing station  33  a print head  34  of the thermal transfer printer  20  is advanced and the print ink on the print ribbon  32  is thermally transferred to a label  35  rounding the backside of a transfer drum  36 . A guide roller  38  directs the print ribbon  32  to the print head  34  and a series of guide rollers  40 ,  42  and  44  guides the print ribbon  32  around the thermal printer  20  to a take-up reel  46  on a take-up spindle  48 . The print head  34  is advanced and retracted by a conventional spring-loaded solenoid actuator (not shown) in the transfer printer  20  to mark the label  35  with a bar code, text, symbols or other markings useful to the user. 
     The label tape transport assembly  26  similarly has a label tape supply reel  50  on a spindle  52  that supplies label tape  54  with closely spaced, peel-off labels  35  to the printing station  33  guided by guide roller  56 . The label tape  54  with the printed label is then guided by clamp  58  to the labeling and pickup station  18  before being guided without the label to a tape take-up reel  60  on a spindle  61 . 
     At the labeling and pickup station  18  a small diameter switchback roller  62  cooperates with a pressing drum  64  to press the label against a laboratory tube  66  located at the tube labeling and pickup station  18 . The label  35  carried on the label tape  54  is unable to make the switchback around the switchback roller  62  and peels off against the tube  66 . The label tape  54  without the label  35  is guided by a guide roller  67  to the take-up reel  60 . The peeling label  35  is urged against the tube by the controlled rotation of the pressing drum  64 . The tube is pressed against the pressing drum  64  by a cushioned roller  68  located opposite the pressing drum  64 . The pressing drum  64 , shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , has a fixed axis location and driven by a belt  72  connected to a drive motor  74 . 
     The cushioned roller  68 , the switchback roller  62  and the small diameter roller  70  are mounted at the end of a linear actuator assembly  76  to hold the tube  66  in place and allow the label  35  to be rolled on against the tube  66  by rotation of the pressing drum  64  in combination with the controlled feed of the label tape  54 . 
     The linear actuator assembly  76  includes a spanner mechanism  78  on which the switchback roller  62  and the small diameter roller  70  are mounted to assist in maintaining the position of the tube  66  for various diameter tubes. The spanner mechanism has a T-bar  80  that supports the elements for a controlled transverse movement during linear reciprocation of the actuator assembly during the sequence of labeling. The spanner mechanism  78  includes opposed slide carriages  82  on cross rail  84  attached to the underside of the T-bar  80 . The slide carriages  82  have fingers  86  with cam rollers  88  that engage cam slots  90  in the deck  14 . As the spanner mechanism  78  with the T-bar  80  advances toward the pressure drum  64  the switchback roller  62  and opposed small diameter roller  70  converge. In this manner the switchback roller  62  and the small diameter roller  70  maintain the positioning of the tube  66  during the labeling operation. 
     The T-bar  80  of the spanner mechanism  78  is supported on a first carriage  92  on a linear guide rail  94  and slideably engaged with an actuator arm  96  by a bearing pin  98  and displacement limit slot  100 . The actuator arm  96  is mounted on a second carriage  102  on the same guide rail  94  and is reciprocated by a drive belt  104  connected to a depending slotted tab  106  mounted to the actuator arm  96 . A depending sensor flag  105  is also connected to the end of the actuator arm  96  and cooperates with a stationary optical sensor  107  on the deck  14  to limit displacement of the actuator arm  96 . 
     Connected to the other end of the actuator arm  96  for unitary movement with the arm is an extension mount  108 . The extension mount  108  has a connection leg  109  that passes through an opening in the T-bar  80  to fasten to the end of the actuator arm  96 . This construction allows some movement of the actuator arm  96  independent of the more limited movement of the spanner mechanism  78 . At the distal end of the extension mount  108  is the cushioned roller  68 . On the underside of the extension mount  108  is a guide plate  110  with guide slots  111  for the cam rollers  88 . 
     The cushioned roller  68  is directly connected to the actuator arm  96  and is the lead element to contact a tube  66  located in the labeling and pickup station  18 . Actuation of the linear actuator assembly  76  is accomplished by operation of a two-way drive motor  112  with a drive capstan  114  that transports the drive belt  104  around a pair of idler wheels  116  (one shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). 
     The two-way drive motor  112  is preferably a reversible stepping motor that transports the linear actuator assembly  76  back and forth on its guide rail  94  to facilitate the receipt, labeling and release of a tube  66  at the labeling and pickup station  18 . Detection of the position of the linear actuator assembly  76  is provided by a position sensor  118  that provides data to calculate reciprocal displacements of the actuator arm  96 . The displacement of the spanner mechanism  78  lags the displacement of the actuator arm  96  and limits the transverse movement of the switchback roller  62  and small diameter roller  70  to a fraction of the displacement of the actuator arm  96  and cushioned roller  68 . 
     It is understood that when a tube is absent from the labeling and pickup station  18 , that event is detected by the position sensor  118  and appropriate action is taken. When a tube size has changed, this event is also detected by the position sensor  118  and adjustments are made. Typically, the tube  66  seats on a pedestal  122  that is optionally provided with a probe for a 2D bar code reader for reading any bar code on the bottom of a particular type of tube. The presence or absence of a tube  66  can also be determined by this alternate or cumulative method. 
     Returning to the side elevational view of  FIG. 4 , the profile of the housing  12  and the cantilevered portion  16  of the top deck  14  is illustrated. To accommodate any adjustment necessary for matching the elevation of the labeling and pickup station  18  to the robotic pickup mechanism of the associated robotic tube processor, the housing  12  includes adjustable feet  124 . The housing  12  additionally contains electronics and a system controller (not visible) that coordinate the system operation. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the housing  12  has an input/output panel  126  with a power switch  128 , a specialty power terminal  130  and a series of communication ports  132  to facilitate the connection of the tube labeler  10  to a general purpose computer or remote host processor programmed to operate the sequences desired by the ultimate user. It is to be understood that in addition to the internal controller the tube labeler  10  can include an internal programmable processor and input/output touchscreen to maximize its function as a standalone unit, if desired. 
     To efficiently achieve the required flexibility in operation, the spindle  52  of the label tape supply reel  50  of label tape transport assembly  26  has a bi-directional drive and clutch assembly  134  in part contained within the housing  12  below the top deck  14 . Similarly, the spindle  61  of the take-up reel  60  has a bi-directional drive and clutch assembly  136 . 
     The bi-directional drive and clutch assemblies  134  and  136  for the tape transport assembly  26  allow the control system to reverse the tracking of the label tape  54 . In this manner, the labeling and pickup station  18  can be displaced from the label printer  20  to facilitate pickup by the pickup mechanism of an associated robotic tube processor. In the embodiment of this invention, the displacement distance of the labeling and pickup station  18  from the printing station  33  is a multiple of labels  35  on the label tape  54 . Each label can be individually programmed for specialty markings and checked by an electronic sensor  138  on the top deck  14  of the tube labeler. The electronic sensor  138  is preferably a bar code reader, but may optionally be a character reader, symbol reader, rf reader or other device to confirm the correct printing and labeling of the resident tube. Enabling the label tape  54  to back up by reversing the drive and maintaining tension on the tape allows the labels to be closely spaced with the next in order label to be returned to the printing station  33  for printing. Detection and tracking of the labels on the label tape is accomplished by a tape label sensor  140 , which detects the edge of the labels as they pass the sensor  140  mounted on the deck  14 . 
     The print ribbon transport assembly  22  has a one-directional drive  142  on the take-up spindle  48  of the take-up reel and a clutch on the spindle  30  of the print ribbon supply reel  28 , since there is no need to reverse the thermal print ribbon  32 . A ribbon sensor  144  mounted on the deck  14  detects the presence of the print ribbon  32  and signals when the ribbon supply reel  28  is exhausted and the end of the ribbon passes the sensor  144 . 
     The laboratory tube printer and labeler  10  of this invention is designed for automation and coordinated operation with a robotic laboratory tube processor. Therefore, the programmed controller is typically under the master control of a programmable host computer having the typical tools for inputting the parameters of operation and storing the records developed. Physical control of the mechanical system including the basic protocols for operation is coordinated by the internal controller utilizing the input from the various sensors to control operations within the constraints applied.