BACKGROUND

[0001] Precise sample dispensing in sample preparation devices can be challenging due to many moving parts in the devices, for example to move a carriage holding a cassette of sample preparation cartridge modules relative to sample receiving wells.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] Reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0003] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example device with position determining devices.

[0004] Figure 2A is a perspective view of an example sample preparation device that incorporates the device of Figure 1 .

[0005] Figure 2B is a block diagram of the device of Figure 2A.

[0006] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the device of Figure 2A, with a carriage in a dispensing position and a shuttle in a sample receiving position.

[0007] Figure 4 is a block diagram of an example device with position determining devices showing motors and optical encoders thereof.

[0008] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing control components of the device of Figure 2A, such as a processor, to implement position determining devices.

[0009] Figure 6 is a flow diagram of an example method for position determining devices.

[0010] Figure 7A is a block diagram showing the carriage, of the device of Figure 2A, in a carriage-home position relative to the shuttle.

[0011] Figure 7B is a block diagram showing the shuttle, of the device of Figure 2A, in a shuttle-home position relative to the carriage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] In biological assays, a biological component can be intermixed with other components in a biological sample that can interfere with subsequent analysis. As used herein, the term “biological component” can refer to materials of various types, including proteins, cells, cell nuclei, nucleic acids, bacteria, viruses, or the like, that can be present in a biological sample. A “biological sample” can refer to a fluid or a dried or lyophilized material obtained for analysis from a living or deceased organism. Isolating the biological component from other components of the biological sample can permit subsequent analysis without interference and can increase an accuracy of the subsequent analysis. In addition, isolating a biological component from other components in a biological sample can permit analysis of the biological component that would not be possible if the biological component remained in the biological sample. In this context, “Isolation” can also be referred to as “purification”, whereby biological component may be separated from the rest of the biological sample after introduction to a sample preparation cartridge module interchangeably referred to hereafter as a sample container, a sample dispensing container, a cartridge module, and the like. It will be understood that the isolated biological component may be output in association with (e.g., bound to) particulate substrate and a reagent solution, or the like. The isolation or purification refers to the separation of the biological component from other components of the biological sample with which it was originally introduced in the cartridge module, but it does not mean that the biological component is completely isolated when it is dispensed. For example, isolation refers to the fact that the biological component is sufficiently separated or “purified” from other components of the original biological sample to facilitate further processing such as detection and/or amplification.

[0013] Many isolation techniques can include repeatedly dispersing and reaggregating samples. The repeated dispersing and re-aggregating can result in a loss of a quantity of the biological component. Furthermore, isolating a biological component with some of these techniques can be complex, time consuming, and labor intensive and can result in less than maximum yields of the isolated biological component. Such Isolation techniques are done using specific devices.

[0014] Obtaining precise biological sample preparation devices can be challenging due to many moving parts present in the devices, for example to move a carriage holding a cartridge of sample dispensing containers relative to sample receiving wells. The cartridge may hold a plurality of the sample dispensing containers or sample preparation devices or sample preparation cartridge modules which contain different respective biological samples.

[0015] During the isolation process, The sample dispensing containers or sample preparation devices or sample preparation cartridge modules may heat the samples to perform for example, lysis on cells in the biological samples to release biological component of interest, coming from the biological sample, may be a nucleic acid (such as DNA or RNA). Resulting sample fluid may be drawn through a fluid density gradient in the sample dispensing containers and dispensed into sample receiving wells, which may be transferred to further analytical assay such as, for example, a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

[0016] However, as initial quantities of the biological component of interest present in the biological sample, may be small, precise dispensing of the component of interest from the sample dispensing containers into the sample receiving wells should occur so as to not lose any content and/or to prevent cross-contamination between samples. As such a precise determination of a position of a shuttle and/or well carriage, that holds the sample receiving wells, relative to the carriage is important, and vice versa.

[0017] In some examples, the device of the present disclosure is a device that can be used to prepare sample to be used in a process of preparing samples for a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) assay. PCR assays are processes that can rapidly copy millions to billions of copies of a very small DNA or RNA sample. PCR can be used for many different application, included sequencing genes, diagnosing viruses, identifying cancers, and others. In the PCR process, a small sample of DNA or RNA is combined with reactants that can form copies of the DNA or RNA.

[0018] As described herein, the biological sample comprises a biological component. In some examples, the biological component of interest, coming from the biological sample, may be a nucleic acid (such as DNA or RNA). A particulate substrate can be configured to be associated with the biological component, to isolate the biological component from the biological sample. In one example, the particulate substrate comprises paramagnetic beads and/or any magnetizing particle and/or magnetizing microparticles. In one example, the biological component comprises nucleic acids such as DNA and/or RNA that may be extracted from the biological sample by lysing, bound to magnetic particulate substrate, and separated from the lysate and dragged towards an output by an externally generated (para)magnetic force. Lysate may refer to the fluid containing the material resulting from the lysis of a biological sample. Such lysis may release the biological component that is contained therein. Lysing itself may include mixing and/or heating the biological sample, chemically lysing the biological sample, and/or a combination of the foregoing.

[0019] Precise sample dispensing in sample preparation devices that perform the sample preparation as described above, can be challenging due to many moving parts in the devices, for example to move a carriage holding a cassette of sample preparation cartridge modules, relative to sample receiving wells that may be transferred to a PCR assay device. However, as initial quantities of the samples and/or biological components of interest therein, may be small, precise dispensing from the sample preparation cartridge modules into the sample receiving wells should occur so as to not lose any of the biological components of interest and/or to prevent cross-contamination between biological components of interest from different sample preparation cartridge modules. As such a precise determination of a position of a shuttle and/or well carriage, that holds the sample receiving wells, relative to the carriage is important, and vice versa.

[0020] As such, provided herein is a device that includes a shuttle that moves along a linear path (e.g. on a planar surface), and receives sample receiving wells. The planar surface may be used to move the shuttle in and out of a larger sample preparation device, for loading of the sample receiving wells. The device further includes a carriage that holds sample preparation cartridge modules. The carriage and the shuttle may move, relative to each other, for example perpendicularly, by way of motors, and the like, which may include optical encoders which may be used to set or determine positions of the carriage and the shuttle. A controller, such as a processor and the like, may control the motors to move the carriage and the shuttle relative to each other. The carriage includes a position determining device located to assist with determining a shuttle-home position of the shuttle, relative to the carriage, as the shuttle moves along the linear path. In one example, the position determining device may comprise a mechanical hard-stop and/or a pin that extends (e. g. perpendicularly) from the carriage towards the shuttle and/or the linear path. However, the position determining device may alternatively comprise an optical sensor which is positioned on the carriage to detect a visual flag on the shuttle (e.g. a mark on the shuttle and/or visually distinct portion of the shuttle); however, the position determining device may alternatively comprise a visual flag which is positioned on the carriage to be detected by an optical sensor on the shuttle. Regardless, the position determining device allows the position of the shuttle to be determined, relative to the carriage, according to a specific physical location of the position determining device. As such, the shuttle-home position is associated with a specific physical location of the shuttle, relative to the carriage.

[0021] A home position of the carriage (e.g. a carriage-home position) may be set by moving the shuttle into a path of the carriage, and moving the carriage towards the shuttle until the carriage stops and/or the motor moving the carriage stalls. The position of the carriage at such a position may be set to the carriage - home position by reading an optical encoder of the motor moving the carriage, when the carriage is at the position. As such, the carriage-home position is associated with a specific physical location of the carriage, relative to the shuttle.

[0022] A home position of the shuttle (e.g. a shuttle-home position) may be set by: moving the carriage to a position where the shuttle may move along the linear path (e.g. without interference from the carriage) and still interact with the position determining device; and moving the shuttle along the linear path until shuttle interacts with the position determining device. For example, the shuttle may be moved until the shuttle is stopped by the mechanical hard stop and/or pin, and/or the optical sensor detects the flag. The position of the shuttle at such a position may be set to the shuttle-home position by reading an optical encoder of the motor moving the shuttle, when the shuttle is at the position.

[0023] Once the home positions are set, they may be stored at a memory, which also stores various positions of the carriage and the shuttle relative to such home positions. Hence, once the carriage and the shuttle are “homed”, the carriage may be moved into a dispensing position, relative to the carriage-home position, and the shuttle may be moved into various sample receiving positions, relative to the shuttle-home position, where respective wells held by the shuttle align with respective sample preparation cartridge modules held by a cassette in the carriage.

[0024] The homing process may occur when the device, or a larger sample preparation device into which the device is incorporated, is turned on, and/or prior to loading of the sample preparation cartridge modules into the carriage and prior to loading of the wells into the shuttle.

[0025] A first aspect of the specification provides a device comprising: a planar surface; a shuttle to: move along a linear path on the planar surface; a carriage comprising a position determining device to assist with determining a shuttlehome position of the shuttle, relative to the carriage, as the shuttle moves along the linear path, the carriage to: to move relative to the shuttle; and hold sample preparation cartridge modules; and a controller to: determine the carriage-home position; determine a shuttle-home position; and position the carriage and the shuttle, relative to each other, based on the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position.

[0026] At the device of the first aspect, the controller may be further to: move the shuttle to align with the carriage; and move the carriage perpendicularly towards the shuttle until the carriage is stopped by the shuttle to determine the carriage-home position.

[0027] At the device of the first aspect, the controller may be further to: move the shuttle to align with the carriage; and move the carriage perpendicularly towards the shuttle until the carriage is stopped by the shuttle to determine the carriage-home position.

[0028] The device of the first aspect may further comprise a memory storing: a relative sample dispensing position of the carriage, relative to the carriage-home position; and relative sample receiving positions of the shuttle, relative to the shuttle-home position, and the controller may be further to position the carriage and the shuttle, relative to each other based on the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position by: positioning the carriage into a sample dispensing position based on the relative sample dispensing position and the carriagehome position; and positioning the shuttle into sample receiving positions based on the relative sample receiving positions and the shuttle-home position.

[0029] The device of the first aspect may further comprise motors to move the carriage and the shuttle, the motors comprising respective optical encoders, and the controller may be further to move the carriage and the shuttle by controlling the motors, and the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position may be read by the controller from respective optical encoders at the motors.

[0030] A second aspect of the present specification provides a device comprising: a shuttle to move along a linear path; a shuttle motor to move the shuttle, the shuttle motor comprising a first optical encoder; a carriage located above the shuttle, the carriage comprising a mechanical hard-stop positioned to stop the shuttle as it moves along the linear path under the carriage, the carriage to: to move relative to the shuttle; a carriage motor to move the carriage, the carriage motor comprising a second optical encoder; and a controller to do at least one following action: control the carriage motor to move the carriage away from the shuttle until the mechanical hard-stop is out of the linear path; control the shuttle motor to move the shuttle under the carriage; control the carriage motor to move the carriage towards the shuttle until the carriage motor stalls; read the second optical encoder to determine a carriagehome position; control the carriage motor to move the carriage away from the shuttle until the mechanical hard-stop is in the linear path of the shuttle; control the shuttle motor move the shuttle towards the mechanical hard-stop until the shuttle motor stalls; read the first optical encoder to determine a shuttle-home position; control the carriage motor to move the carriage into a sample dispensing position relative to the carriage-home position; and control the shuttle motor to move the shuttle into sample receiving positions relative to the shuttle-home position.

[0031] At the device of the second aspect, the mechanical hard-stop may comprise a pin.

[0032] At the device of the second aspect, the mechanical hard-stop may extend from a shuttle facing side of the carriage.

[0033] At the device of the second aspect, the controller may be further to control the carriage motor to move the carriage away from the shuttle until the mechanical hard-stop is out of the linear path based on a predetermined position of the second optical encoder.

[0034] At the device of the second aspect, the controller may be further to control the shuttle motor to move the shuttle under the carriage based on a predetermined position of the first optical encoder.

[0035] A third aspect of the present specification provides a method comprising: moving, at a sample preparation device, a carriage towards a shuttle on a planar surface, until the carriage is stopped by the shuttle to determine a carriage-home position; moving, at the sample preparation device, the carriage away from the shuttle such that the shuttle is movable at the planar surface relative to the carriage; moving, at the sample preparation device, the shuttle until the shuttle is stopped by a mechanical hard-stop of the carriage to determine a shuttle-home position; and positioning, at the sample preparation device, the carriage and the shuttle, relative to each other, respectively into a sample dispensing position and a sample receiving position based on the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position.

[0036] The method of the third aspect may further comprise storing the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position at a memory. [0037] The method of the third aspect may further comprise determining the sample dispensing position and the sample receiving position, respectively, of the carriage and the shuttle based on the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position and using a relative sample dispensing position of the carriage and relative sample receiving positions of the shuttle, stored at a memory.

[0038] At the method of the third aspect, moving the carriage towards the shuttle on the planar surface, until the carriage is stopped by the shuttle, may comprise moving the carriage towards the shuttle until a motor, driving the carriage, stalls.

[0039] At the method of the third aspect, the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position may be read from respective optical encoders at respective motors driving the carriage and the shuttle.

[0040] Figure 1 shows a block diagram of an example device 100 with position determining devices. While describe in more detail below, it is understood that components of the device 100 may be components of a larger device used for sample preparation. In particular, the device 100 may be used in a larger sample preparation device to isolate and/or purify biological components of interest of samples in sample preparation cartridge modules. Such a sample preparation device is described below with respect to Figure 2A and Figure 2B.

[0041] The device 100 generally comprises a planar surface 102, and a shuttle 104, which may alternatively be referred to as a well carriage. The shuttle 104 is generally to: move along a linear path 106 on the planar surface 102. The shuttle 104 may also receive sample receiving wells, as described in more detail with respect to Figure 2A. As such, the planar surface 102 and the shuttle 104 may include any suitable combination of apparatuses for guiding the shuttle 104 along the linear path 106, such as grooves, complementary protrusions, and the like. As such, the planar surface 102 may alternatively be to as a horizontal carriage guide (e.g. assuming the linear path 106 is horizontal).

[0042] The device 100 further comprises a carriage 108 comprising a position determining device 110 to assist with determining a shuttle-home position of the shuttle 104, relative to the carriage 108, as the shuttle 104 moves along the linear path 106. The carriage 108 is generally to: to move (e.g. as represented by a path 112) relative to the shuttle 104 on the planar surface 102; and hold sample preparation cartridge modules, as described in more detail with respect to Figure 2A. In some examples, as depicted, the carriage 108 to move about perpendicular to the shuttle 104 (e.g. as represented by a path 112 being perpendicular to the linear path 106), though the carriage 108 may move in any suitable manner relative to the shuttle 104. The device 100 may further include (and/or interact with) any suitable combination of apparatuses for guiding the carriage 108 along the path 112, such as grooves, complementary protrusions, a carriage guide and/or a vertical carriage guide, and the like, a portion of which may be at the carriage 108.

[0043] It is further understood that, while details of the carriage 108 are not depicted, the carriage 108 includes any suitable combination of apparatuses, slots, grooves, windows, and/or any other physical features that enable the carriage 108 to receive, and hold, sample preparation cartridge modules (and/or a cassette hold the sample preparation cartridge modules) enables a sample preparation device (e.g. as described below with respect to Figure 2A and Figure 2B), into which the device 100 is incorporated, to interact with the sample preparation cartridge modules to process samples held therein.

[0044] Furthermore, the planar surface 102, the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 are shown in perspective to show relative angles therebetween; for example wells held by the shuttle 104 may have a smaller pitch (e.g. distance therebetween) than sample preparation cartridge modules held by the carriage 108. Hence, to align a wells held by the shuttle 104 with a corresponding sample preparation cartridge module held by the carriage 108, the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 are at an angle to each other so that different wells held by the shuttle 104 align with different corresponding sample preparation cartridge module held by the carriage 108 at different sample receiving positions of the shuttle 104.

[0045] Furthermore, as depicted, the position determining device 110 comprises a mechanical hard-stop extending towards the planar surface 102 (e.g. as indicated by a dashed line extending from the position determining device 110). In particular, as depicted, the mechanical hard-stop of the position determining device 110 is in the form of a pin extending from the carriage 108 (e.g. from a shuttle-facing side of the carriage 108) towards the planar surface 102, which may include, but is not limited to, a pin extending from the carriage 108 about perpendicularly towards the planar surface 102. However, the mechanical hard- stop of the position determining device 110 may be in any suitable shape and/or position that achieves the functionality described herein. In these examples, the position determining device 110 is positioned at the carriage 108 such that the carriage 108 may be moved to a position where the shuttle 104 may move along the linear path 106 (e.g. under and/or adjacent a shuttle facing side of the carriage 108), but is stopped by the position determining device 110.

[0046] Well not depicted, it is understood that the device 100 may further include a shuttle motor to move the shuttle 104 along the linear path 106, and a carriage motor to move the carriage 108 relative to (e.g. perpendicular to) the linear path 106. Such motors may comprise respective optical encoders such that a position of the shuttle 104 along the linear path 106 may be determined by reading an optical encoder of the shuttle motor, and a position of a carriage 108 may be determined by reading an optical encoder of the carriage motor. For example, optical encoders are understood to comprise devices which include a light source, a sensor, a moveable disk with track thereupon, and a mask through which the sensor detects a track position on the moveable disk when light from the light source is reflected from the tracks. An optical encoder may be incorporated into a shaft of a motor and/or a servo motor and particular tracks of the optical encoder may be associated with particular positions of the shaft as it turns, even through multiple turns; as the shaft may move a component (e.g. the shuttle 104 and/or the carriage 108) linearly (e.g., via gears and the like), a linear position of the component may be associated with a particular optical encoder track or position. Hence, the component may be precisely moved to a linear position that corresponds to a track position of the optical encoder, for example by reading the optical encoder (e.g. a track) as the shaft turns. Such track positions are referred to hereafter as optical encoder positions and may be in provided in some arbitrary relative unit (e.g. indicating a number of read tracks from a “zero” position) which are referred to hereafter as optical encoder units.

[0047] Furthermore, the motors may be to stall when a barrier to movement is encountered by the shuttle 104 or the carriage 108, as described in more detail below.

[0048] Well not depicted, it is understood that the device 100 may further comprise a shuttle guide, and like, at the planar surface 102, to guide the shuttle 104 along the linear path 106, and a carriage guide to guide the carriage 108 relative to (e.g. perpendicular to) the linear path 106 (e.g. see Figure 2B).

[0049] As depicted, the device 100 further comprises a controller 114 communicatively coupled to the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 and/or to the shuttle motor and the carriage motor, as well as optical encoders thereof. While electrical connections from the controller 114 to the various other components are not explicitly depicted, such electrical connections and/or communicative couplings are represented by double ended arrows between the controller 114 the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108, which may represent wiring, and the like, of the controller 114 to the various other components, such as the motors, and optical encoders thereof, and the like, that move the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108.

[0050] For example, the controller 114 is generally to move the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 by controlling respective motors thereof, to determine respective home positions of the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108. As such, the controller 114 may generally move the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 along their respective paths 106, 112 by controlling respective motors thereof, and may determine positions of the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 along their respective paths 106, 112 by reading respective optical encoders of the respective motors.

[0051] Indeed, in the following description, it is understood that certain positions of the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 may be predetermined positions stored at a memory of the device 100 (not depicted) and may comprise optical encoder positions. For example, such a memory may store certain predetermined positions of the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 as predetermined optical encoder positions and/or readings. When the controller 114 is implementing a homing process, the controller 114 may move the shuttle 104 and/or the carriage 108 to the predetermined positions by moving the shuttle 104 and/or the carriage 108 while reading respective optical encoders, until the respective optical encoders of the shuttle motor or the carriage motor provide the associated optical encoder positions. Hence, hereafter, when the controller 114 is described as moving the shuttle 104 or the carriage 108 to a particular position, it is understood that the controller 114 may do so by way of reading optical encoders at the shuttle motor or the carriage motor.

[0052] Due to slippage and/or give, etc., in the motors, guides, and the like, there may be small changes in the actual positions of the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 over time, as compared to positions of the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 when the various predetermined positions were determined, along with associated optical encoder units and/or readings. As such, a carriage-home position of the carriage 108, and a shuttle-home position of the shuttle 104, may be determined when the device 100 is turned on and/or prior to loading of sample preparation cartridge modules and wells into the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104, respectively, for example to precisely determine the carriage-home position of the carriage 108, and the shuttle-home position of the shuttle 104 in event of slippage and/or give, etc., in the motors, guides over a last use of the device 100.

[0053] In particular, a carriage-home position of the carriage 108, and a shuttlehome position of the shuttle 104 may be determined based on respective known physical locations of the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104, relative to each other, as is next described.

[0054] In a homing process, the controller 114 may move the shuttle 104 along the path 106 to align with the carriage 108, which may include first moving the carriage 108 along the path 112, away from the shuttle 104, to a position (e.g. a predetermined position) along the path 112 where the shuttle 104 may move without physically encountering the position determining device 110 and/or the carriage 108. Furthermore, moving the shuttle 104 along the path 106 to align with the carriage 108 may include moving the shuttle 104 until the shuttle 104 is located along the path 112 of the carriage 108.

[0055] Once the shuttle is aligned with the carriage 108, the controller 114 may move the carriage 108 (e.g. perpendicularly) towards the shuttle 104, until the carriage 108 is stopped by the shuttle 104 to determine a carriage-home position. For example, when the carriage 108 physically encounters the shuttle 104, a carriage motor may stall. Such a position of the carriage 108, where the carriage motor stalls and/or the carriage 108 stops, may be set as the carriagehome position, which may be read from an optical encoder of the carriage motor. While not depicted, the controller 114 may store the carriage-home position (e.g. an optical encoder reading and/or position) in a memory.

[0056] In some examples, where the position determining device 110 comprises a mechanical hard stop and/or a pin, and the like, the controller 114 may move the carriage 108 away from the shuttle 104, along the path 112, for example to a position (e.g. a predetermined position) where the shuttle 104 may move along the linear path 106 (e.g. under and/or adjacent a shuttle facing side of the carriage 108), but is stopped by the position determining device 110.

[0057] The controller 114 may then move the shuttle 104 until the shuttle 104 interacts with the position determining device 110 to determine the shuttle-home position. In particular, in examples where the position determining device 110 comprises a mechanical hard stop and/or a pin, and the like, the controller 114 may move the shuttle 104 until the shuttle 104 is stopped by the mechanical hard stop etc. and/or a shuttle motor stalls. Such a position of the shuttle 104, where the shuttle motor stalls and/or the shuttle 104 stops, may be set as the shuttle-home position, which may be read from an optical encoder of the shuttle motor. While not depicted, the controller 114 may store the shuttle-home position (e.g. an optical encoder reading and/or position) in a memory.

[0058] Put another way, as has already been mentioned, the device 100 may further comprise motors to move the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104, the motors comprising respective optical encoders; the controller 114 may be further to move the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104 by controlling the motors; and the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position may be read by the controller 114 from respective optical encoders at the motors.

[0059] Thereafter, once the home positions are determined, the controller 114 may position the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104, relative to each other, based on the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position.

[0060] As such, it is understood that the controller 114 is generally to: determine the carriage-home position; determine a shuttle-home position; and position the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104, relative to each other, based on the carriagehome position and the shuttle-home position. In particular, the controller 114 may be further to: move the shuttle 104 to align with the carriage 108; and move the carriage 108 perpendicularly towards the shuttle 104 until the carriage 108 is stopped by the shuttle 104 to determine the carriage-home position. Similarly, the controller 114 may be further to: move the carriage 108 away from the shuttle 104; and move the shuttle 104 until the shuttle 104 interacts with the position determining device 110 to determine the shuttle-home position.

[0061] For example, a memory of the device 100 may store a relative sample dispensing position of the carriage 108, relative to the carriage-home position. The memory of the device 100 may further store relative sample receiving positions of the shuttle 104, relative to the shuttle-home position. The controller 114 may be further to position the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104, relative to each other based on the carriage-home position and the shuttle-home position by: positioning the carriage 108 into a sample dispensing position based on the relative sample dispensing position and the carriage-home position; and positioning the shuttle 104 into sample receiving positions based on the relative sample receiving positions and the shuttle-home position.

[0062] In particular, the relative sample dispensing position and the relative sample receiving positions may be predetermined and, similar to the carriagehome position and the shuttle-home position, may be provided as optical encoder positions. For example, the relative sample dispensing position may correspond to a distance (e.g. in optical encoder units) from the carriage-home position that the carriage 108 is to be located, to dispense samples, from sample preparation cartridge modules held by the carriage 108, into sample receiving wells held by the shuttle 104. Similarly, the relative sample receiving positions may correspond to distances (e.g. in optical encoder units) from the shuttle-home position that the shuttle 104 is to be located to receive samples into sample receiving wells when dispensed by the sample preparation cartridge modules.

[0063] While the position determining device 110 has been described with respect to a mechanical hard-stop, and the like, in other examples, the positioning determining device 110 may comprise an optical sensor, such as a camera, and the like, or a visual flag at the carriage 108; in these examples, the shuttle 104 may comprise the other of the optical sensor and the visual flag. Put another way, one of the carriage 108 or the shuttle 104 may comprise an optical sensor, in communication with the controller 114, and the other of the carriage 108 or the shuttle 104 may comprise a visual flag, which may be provided in the form a particular visual feature that may be “read” and/or sensed by optical sensor (e.g. an image of the visual flag may be acquired) as the shuttle 104 is moved to interact with the position determining device 110 when determining the shuttle-home position. The visual flag may comprise a visual mark, and the like, at the carriage 108 or the shuttle 104, specifically provided for the homing process, and/or the visual flag may comprise an existing physical feature of the carriage 108 or the shuttle 104 that is distinct from other physical features of the carriage 108 or the shuttle 104, such as a particular corner thereof, and the like. Furthermore, as optical sensor and the visual flag may be physically located at respective positions associated with the shuttle-home position such that the controller 114 sets the shuttle-home position to the optical encoder reading when the optical sensor senses the visual flag. Hence, for example, when a camera of the optical sensor detects the visual flag, by acquiring an image of the visual flag, for example, in a particular position in such an image, the controller 114 may sets the shuttle-home position to the optical encoder reading at which the camera of the optical sensor detects the visual flag. Regardless, as a position of the carriage 108 when stopped by the shuttle 104 is a specific physical relative position therebetween, such a position may be used to “home” the carriage 108 along the path 112. Similarly, as a position of the shuttle 104 as it interacts with the position determining device 110 of the carriage 108 is another specific physical relative position therebetween, such a position may be used to “home” the shuttle 104 along the path 106.

[0064] The controller 114 may include a general-purpose processor and/or controller or special purpose logic, such as a microprocessor and/or microcontroller (e.g. a central processing unit (CPU) and/or a graphics processing unit (GPU) an integrated circuit or other circuitry), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a programmable array logic (PAL), a programmable logic array (PLA), a programmable logic device (PLD), and the like. Hence, functionality of the controller 114 may be implemented as a combination of hardware (e.g. a CPU, a GPU, etc.) and software (e.g., programming such as machine- or processorexecutable instructions, commands, or code such as firmware, a device driver, programming, object code, etc. as stored on hardware). Alternatively, the controller 114 may be implemented as a hardware element with no software elements (e.g. such as an ASIC, an FPGA, a PAL, a PLA, a PLD etc.).

[0065] A memory of the device 100 may comprise instructions for controlling the controller 114 and/or a processor thereof. Such a memory may include, but is not limited to, any suitable combination of a volatile computer-readable medium (e.g., volatile RAM, a processor cache, a processor register, etc.), a non-volatile computer-readable medium (e.g., a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device (e.g. a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a paper storage device, flash memory, read-only memory, non-volatile RAM, etc.), and/or the like.

[0066] Attention is next directed to Figure 2A and Figure 2B which respectively depict a perspective view and a block diagram of an example sample preparation device 200 that incorporates aspects of the device 100 of Figure 1 . In Figure 2B, the planar surface 102, the shuttle 104 and the carriage 108 are shown in side views.

[0067] Furthermore, in the following description, it is understood that the homing process, as described above, has already occurred at the sample preparation device 200, for example when the sample preparation device 200 was turned on and/or prior to loading of sample preparation cartridge modules and wells, as described hereafter.

[0068] As depicted, the sample preparation device 200 (interchangeably referred to hereafter as the device 200) includes a chassis 202 that includes a cassette access door 204 for loading a cassette 206 that includes a sample preparation cartridge module 208 and/or sample preparation cartridge modules 208 therein, the sample preparation cartridge module 208 holding a sample for preparation as described hereafter. While the sample preparation cartridge modules 208 are depicted as being in an elongate shape and/or in the form of a column, the sample preparation cartridge modules 208 may be any suitable shape. The chassis 202 further includes a well access door 210 for loading a well holder 212 containing a well 214 and/or wells for receiving processed samples dispensed from the sample preparation cartridge module 208 after processing by the device 200. While only one sample preparation cartridge module 208 is depicted, and eight wells 214 (e.g. as the shuttle 104 may be at an angle to the carriage 110 as shown in Figure 1), it is understood that the cassette 206 may hold a same number of sample preparation cartridge modules 108 as there are wells 214 at the well holder 212. For example, as depicted, there may be eight sample preparation cartridge modules 208 and eight wells. Furthermore, while the cassette 206 is depicted in an end view showing only one sample preparation cartridge module 208, and the well holder 212 is shown in a front view showing eight wells 214, the components of the device 200 may cause the cassette 206 and the well holder 212 to be loaded into the device 200 in any suitable relative orientation including, but not limited to, about parallel to one another such that a line of the sample preparation cartridge module 208 is about aligned with a line of the wells 214.

[0069] As depicted, the device 200 further comprises an input device 218, such as a touch screen display, and the like, which may be used to control the device 200 into a loading mode, which causes the cassette access door 204 and the well access door 210 to open such that the cassette 206 and the well holder 212, with the wells 214, may be manually loaded into the device 200. Hence, it is understood that a sample preparation cartridge module 208 is loaded with a sample 238 (e.g. such as a biological sample retrieved from a human by medical personnel), and the like, via a port 220. The input device 218 may also be used to set given temperatures to which the sample preparation cartridge module 208 is to be heated and/or a heating cycle of the sample preparation cartridge module 208 and/or a heating/mixing cycle (e.g. setting mixing speeds of the actuator 244 of the device 200).

[0070] In the loading mode, the carriage 108 of the device 200, which may alternatively be referred to as the cassette carriage 108, is raised along a vertical carriage guide 226 to at least partially emerge from an opening that is normally covered by the cassette access door 204. The cassette 206 is then manually loaded into the cassette carriage 108.

[0071] Similarly, in the loading mode, the shuttle (e.g. a well carriage) 104, which moves linearly on the planar surface (e.g. horizontal carriage guide) 102, is moved out of an opening that is normally covered by the well access door 210, for example by moving and/or rotating and end of planar surface 102 at which the shuttle 104 is located in the loading mode, out of the opening. The well holder 212 is then manually loaded into a complementary shaped depression and/or holder 231 in the well carriage 108. While the terms vertical and horizontal are used herein with regards to a position of the device 200 in a normal use mode, such terms are meant for ease of description only and/or to indicate relative positions of components of the device 200 (e.g. the guide 226 and the planar surface 102 may be about perpendicular to each other as one is vertical and the other horizontal, but may be in any suitable orientation).

[0072] Once loaded, the cassette carriage 108 moves the cassette 206 into different positions in the device 200 (e.g. closing the door 204), for example along the vertical carriage guide 226, to process the sample 238 before dispensing the sample 238 from the sample preparation cartridge module 208 into a well 214. As such, while not depicted, the device 200 (e.g. and/or the device 100 integrated into the device 200) is further understood to include a motor and/or a servomotor, and the like, to move the cassette carriage 108 into different positions along the vertical carriage guide 226.

[0073] Similarly, once loaded, the planar surface 102 moves inside the device 200 (e.g. closing the door 210) and the shuttle 104 is moved into a position to receive the sample 238 from the sample preparation cartridge module 208 into a corresponding well 214. When there a plurality of sample preparation cartridge modules 208 holding respective samples 238, once the samples 238 are processed, the shuttle 104 is moved into respective positions to receive respective samples 238 dispensed from respective sample preparation cartridge modules 208 into corresponding wells 214. As such, the shuttle 104 may be positioned at an angle relative to the cassette carriage 108 (e.g. as shown in Figure 1) and/or the cassette 206 such that different sample preparation cartridge modules 208 align with different wells 214 at different positions of the shuttle 104.

[0074] As such, while not depicted, the device 200 is further understood to include motors and/or a servomotors, and the like, to move the planar surface 102 into and out of the device 200, and to linearly move the shuttle 104 along the planar surface 102.

[0075] While not depicted, the device 200 may further include respective components for opening and closing the doors 204, 210.

[0076] To effect processes of the device 200, the sample preparation cartridge module 208 may be divided into a first region 232 and a second region 234, divided by a barrier 236. A sample 238 is received into the sample preparation cartridge module 208 via the port 220, and may resides at a bottom of the first region 232, at the barrier 236. The sample preparation cartridge module 208 may further comprise an agitator 240 in the first region 232 which may be actuated via a mixer actuator 242 and an actuator 244, and the like of the device 200 as described below. In particular, the mixer actuator 242 may include a servomotor and/or servomotors, and the like, to move/rotate the actuator 244 to mix the sample 238 via the agitator 240, while the sample 238 is heated, as described below.

[0077] For example, the cassette 206 may be moved, along the vertical carriage guide 226, via the cassette carriage 108, into a heating position for heating by one or both of two heaters 246 (e.g. heaters 246-1 , 246-2) attached to respective mechanical devices 248 (e.g. mechanical devices 248-1 , 248-2).

[0078] While not depicted in Figure 2A, the device 200 is understood to include respective temperature sensors at the heaters 246 and/or the mechanical devices 248 so that, in a heating position of the cassette carriage 108, the heaters 246 may be positioned adjacent the first region 232 of the sample preparation cartridge module 208 to heat the sample 238, while the agitator 240 is actuated by the actuator 244, to agitate and/or mix the sample 238 while it is being heated, for example to promote lysis in cells of the sample 238. As such, the actuator 244 itself is understood to be further moved by the mixer actuator 242 into a position to agitate and/or mix the sample 238, while it is being heated, and actuated by the mixer actuator 242 which may comprise any suitable combination of motors for moving and turning the actuator 244.

Alternatively, as will be explained in further detail below, the first region 232 (or the second region 234) may include magnetizing microparticles having surfaces to which the biological components of interest, expelled by cells of the sample 238 due to lysis, bond; hence, in some examples, the actuator 244 may comprise a magnetic agitating device which agitates the sample 238 during lysis by applying a changing magnetic field to the first region 232 to move the magnetizing microparticles; In such examples, the agitator 240 may be omitted from the sample preparation cartridge module 208.

[0079] However, as depicted, it is understood that the agitator 240 is generally configured to mate with the actuator 244; for example, as depicted, the agitator 240 may be attached to a pressure source 250, such as a plunger, and he like, an outer surface of which may be used to both mate with the actuator 244, to actuate the agitator 240, and move the sample 238 to the second region 234, for example by applying pressure to the pressure source 250 via the actuator 244 to break the barrier 236.

[0080] Once lysis is performed on the sample 238, biological components of interest may be released from the sample 238 and bond to magnetizing microparticles. While not depicted, the second region 234 may further include a wash buffer which may be mixed with the biological components of interest (e.g. bonded to the magnetizing microparticles) 238 (e.g. when plunged into the second region 234), by actuation of a suitable reservoir 252 of a plurality of reservoirs 252 that perform different functions for the sample preparation cartridge module 208; such reservoirs 252 may be alternatively referred to as blisters and/or pouches, and the like. For example, one reservoir 252 may hold the wash buffer, another reservoir 252 may hold chemicals to stabilize the biological components of interest, another reservoir 252 may hold a grease barrier, and yet another reservoir 252 may be for dispensing the biological components of interest into a well 214, for example via a needle and/or tip 254 of the sample preparation cartridge module 208.

[0081] As mentioned above, the cassette 206 may hold a plurality of sample preparation cartridge modules 208 and hence the device 200 may include various devices for actuating a plurality of corresponding reservoirs 252 (e.g. concurrently) on a plurality of sample preparation cartridge modules 208 and devices for actuating individual reservoirs 252 (e.g. independent of each other) on the sample preparation cartridge modules 208. For example, as depicted, the device 200 may include a multiple reservoir actuator 256 including a plurality of reservoir tips 258 (though only one is depicted) which may be used to actuate a plurality of corresponding reservoirs 252 (e.g. concurrently) on a plurality of sample preparation cartridge modules 208, for example to concurrently introduce the wash buffer, or the stabilizing chemicals or the grease barrier into the second regions 234 of the plurality of sample preparation cartridge modules 208. However, the device 200 may include a plurality of single reservoir actuators 260 (though only one is depicted) including respective reservoir tips 262 (though, again, only one is depicted), for independently actuating respective reservoirs 252 at the plurality of sample preparation cartridge modules 208 to independently dispense samples 238 into respective wells 214 via respective tips 262. In other examples, the device 200 may comprise one single reservoir actuator 260 including one reservoir tip 262 that is movable within the device 200 between sample preparation cartridge modules 208.

[0082] It is understood that the cassette carriage 108 may be moved into various suitable positions along the vertical carriage guide 226 relative to other components of the device 200, to effect actuation of the pressure source 250 and/or actuation of respective reservoirs 252 by the reservoir actuators 256, 260.

[0083] The device 200 and/or the sample preparation cartridge module 208 may include other suitable components. For example, as mentioned above, the sample preparation cartridge module 208 may include magnetizing microparticles in the first region 232 which have surfaces treated to bond to biological components of interest from the sample 238 when heated.

Furthermore, the second region 234 may include a wash buffer density gradient, when the wash buffer is introduced into the second region 234; in particular, the second region 234 may comprise a fluid density gradient which isolates and/or purifies the biological components of interest as bonded to magnetizing microparticles. As depicted, the device 200 may include a magnet 264, which may be actuated via a magnetic actuator 266 to move the magnet 264 adjacent the sample preparation cartridge module 208 as the sample preparation cartridge module 208 is moved along the vertical carriage guide 226, for example to attract the magnetizing microparticles in the sample 238 and move the sample 238 towards the tip 254 and/or through the wash buffer density gradient in the second region 234.

[0084] As depicted, the device 200 further includes a cooler and/or air-intake port 268 and/or tube which may include a fan, and the like (not depicted) for drawing air into the device 200 via a filter 270, and an exhaust port 272 (which may also include a fan) for expelling air drawn into the device 200 via the cooler port 268 via a respective filter 274. In particular, the ports 268, 272 may provide passive and/or active cooling at the device 200 to cool the sample 238 when heated. Furthermore, the ports 268, 272 may be located in any respective suitable positions at the device 200.

[0085] Finally, once the samples 238 are processed as described, the cassette carriage 108 may be moved into a sample dispensing position relative to the shuttle 104 and/or the wells 214 to dispense samples 238 into the wells 214 from the sample preparation cartridge modules 208; the shuttle 104 may be moved into sample receiving positions, relative to the carriage 108, to position the wells 214 relative to the sample preparation cartridge modules 208 to receive the samples 238 as dispensed. As described above, the sample dispensing position of the carriage 108 and the sample receiving positions of the shuttle are determined as described above with respect to Figure 1 , and elsewhere in the present specification.

[0086] Attention is next directed to Figure 3 which is substantially similar to Figure 2B with like components having like numbers. However, in Figure 3, the cassette 206 has been loaded into the cassette carriage 108, and the carriage access door 204 has been closed. Further, the sample 238 has undergone lysis via heating by the heaters 246, and moved to the second region 234 of the sample preparation cartridge module 208 via the pressure source 250 being actuated (e.g. by moving the cassette carriage 108 to move the sample preparation cartridge module 208 towards the actuator 244 so that the actuator 244 actuates the pressure source 250 to break the barrier 236, for example by pushing the agitator 240 towards the barrier 236). Furthermore, the reservoirs 252 containing the wash buffer, the stabilizing chemicals and the grease barrier have been actuated by the multiple reservoir actuator 256 and the reservoir tips 258. Further, the sample 238 (e.g. now including the biological components of interest as bonded to magnetizing microparticles ) has been drawn through the wash buffer density gradient/fluid density gradient to isolate and/or purify the biological components of interest as bonded to magnetizing microparticles.

[0087] For example, in Figure 3, the processed sample 238 (e.g. the biological components of interest as bonded to magnetizing microparticles) is depicted at being at the tip 254 of the sample preparation cartridge module 208, while other fluids remain in the second region 234 (e.g. as represented by different patterned areas of the second region 234), and the cassette 108 has been moved to a sample dispensing position determined during the homing process. Similarly, the wells 214 have been loaded into the well holder 212 at the shuttle 104, and the planar surface 102, with the shuttle 104, has been moved into the device 200, with the well access door 210 closed. Furthermore, the shuttle 104 has been moved into a sample receiving position determined during the homing process such that a well 214 is aligned with the sample preparation cartridge module 208, and specifically the tip 254 thereof.

[0088] As depicted, a single reservoir actuator 260 has been controlled to move the reservoir tip 262 to actuate a dispensing reservoir 252 (not depicted in Figure 3, but nonetheless understood to be present). As such, the processed sample 238 at the tip 254, now processed to contain the biological components of interest as bonded to magnetizing microparticles is being dispensed into a corresponding well 214.

[0089] While the shuttle 104 is depicted as being at one sample receiving position, the shuttle 104 may be moved to other sample receiving positions (e.g. up to eight sample receiving positions, one for each well 214 and corresponding sample preparation cartridge module 208 when there are eight of each; sample preparation cartridge modules 208, that do not contain a sample may be skipped in the dispensing process). Once samples are dispensed into the wells 214, the shuttle 104 may again be moved out of the device 200 and the wells 214 transferred to a PCR assay device, and the like.

[0090] Attention is next directed to Figure 4 which depicts a block diagram of another example device 400 with position determining devices. The device 400 is substantially similar to the device 100, with like components having like numbers, but in a “400” series rather than a “100” series. The device 400 may be used in place of the device 100 at the sample preparation device 200. For example, as depicted, the device 400 comprises: a shuttle 404 to move along a linear path 406; a carriage 408 located above the shuttle 404, the carriage 408 comprising a mechanical hard-stop 410 (and/or any suitable position determining device) positioned to stop the shuttle 404 as it moves along the linear path 406 under the carriage 408, the carriage 408 to: to move relative to (e.g., about perpendicularly to) the shuttle 404 (e.g. along a path 412); and a controller 414.

[0091] Hence, in contrast to the device 100, the device 400 may not include a planar surface similar to the planar surface 102, and the shuttle 404 may be on any suitable surface, and the like, with associated guides, and the like.

[0092] Also explicitly shown in Figure 4, the device 400 further comprises: a shuttle motor 424 to move the shuttle 404; and a carriage motor 428 to move the carriage 408. The motors 424, 428 are respectively depicted adjacent to the shuttle 404 and the carriage 408 to show associations therewith, not to indicate specific mechanisms for movement. Rather, the motor 424, 428 may comprise any suitable combination of components (e.g. gears, pulleys, wires, screws etc.) and the like for respectively moving the shuttle 404 and the carriage 408, in addition to servomotors, and the like.

[0093] Furthermore, as depicted, the shuttle motor 424 comprises a first optical encoder 434 and the carriage motor 428 comprises a second optical encoder 434. As depicted, the controller 414 is communicatively coupled to the motors 424, 428 and the optical encoders 434, 438.

[0094] The controller 414 is generally to implement a homing process similar to as described above with respect to the controller 114. For example, the controller 414 may do at least of the following actions: control the carriage motor 428 to move the carriage 408 away from the shuttle 404 until the mechanical hard-stop 410 is out of the linear path 406; control the shuttle motor 424 to move the shuttle 404 under the carriage 408; control the carriage motor 428 to move the carriage 408 (e.g. perpendicularly) towards the shuttle 404 until the carriage motor 428 stalls; read the second optical encoder 438 to determine a carriage-home position; control the carriage motor 428 to move the carriage 408 away from the shuttle 404 until the mechanical hard-stop 410 is in the linear path 406 of the shuttle 404; control the shuttle motor 424 move the shuttle 404 towards the mechanical hard-stop 410 until the shuttle motor 424 stalls; read the first optical encoder 434 to determine a shuttle-home position; control the carriage motor 428 to move the carriage 408 into a sample dispensing position relative to the carriage 408 home position; and control the shuttle motor 424 to move the shuttle 404 into sample receiving positions relative to the shuttle 404 home position.

[0095] It is further understood that the controller 414 is generally to control the carriage motor 428 to move the carriage 408 away from the shuttle 404 until the mechanical hard-stop 410 is out of the linear path 406 based on a predetermined position of the second optical encoder 438. For example, to move the shuttle 404 into a position where the carriage 408 may be moved (e.g. perpendicularly) towards the shuttle 404 until the carriage motor 428 stalls, the carriage 408 is first raised “out of the way” of the shuttle 404 and/or so that the shuttle 404 may move to a position “under” the carriage 408. As the mechanical hard-stop 410 generally extends from a shuttle facing side of the carriage 408, the carriage 408 is raised to a position where the mechanical hard-stop 410 does not stop the shuttle 404 as it moves along the linear path 406; such a position of the carriage 408 may be a predetermined position of the second optical encoder 438 stored at a memory of the device 400.

[0096] Similarly, it is further understood that the controller 414 is generally to control the shuttle motor 424 to move the shuttle 404 under the carriage 408 based on a predetermined position of the first optical encoder 434 (e.g. so that the carriage 408 may be moved (e.g. perpendicularly) towards the shuttle 404 until the carriage motor 428 stalls). Such a position of the shuttle 404 may be a predetermined position of the first optical encoder 438 stored at a memory of the device 400.

[0097] Figure 5 is a block diagram of control components of the device 200 that includes the controller 114. While other components of the device 200 are not depicted, they are nonetheless understood to be present.

[0098] The device 200 further depicts a computer-readable medium and/or memory 502. The memory 502 includes instructions that, when implemented by the controller 114, causes the controller 114 to implement a homing process at the device 200. The memory 502 may be a computer-readable medium such as a volatile computer-readable medium (e.g., volatile RAM, a processor cache, a processor register, etc.), a non-volatile computer-readable medium (e.g., a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, a paper storage device, flash memory, read-only memory, non-volatile RAM, etc.), and/or the like. The controller 114 may be a general-purpose processor or special purpose logic, such as a microprocessor (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, etc.), a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a PAL, a PLA, a PLD, etc. The memory 502 or the controller 114 may be distributed among a plurality of computer-readable media or a plurality of controllers and/or processors.

[0099] The memory 502 includes instructions 504 which may be provided in the form of a module and/or software modules (e.g., as used herein, a “module” and/or “software module” is a set of instructions that when executed or interpreted by a processor or stored at a processor-readable medium realizes a component or performs a method). Hence, for example, the instructions 504 may alternatively be replaced with an instruction module.

[00100] In particular, the instructions 504, when implemented by the controller 114, cause the controller 114 to implement a homing process.

[00101] To assist with the homing process, the memory 502 further stores a carriage relative sample dispensing position 506, which has been predetermined and may be provided in the form of a distance (e.g. in optical encoder units) from a carriage-home position, determined during a homing process, as described herein.

[00102] Similarly, to assist with the homing process, the memory 502 further stores shuttle relative sample receiving positions 508, which have been predetermined and may be provided in the form of a distance (e.g. in optical encoder units) from a shuttle-home position, determined during a homing process, as described herein. There may be as many shuttle relative sample receiving positions 508 stored as there are wells 214 etc.

[00103] To further assist with the homing process, the memory 502 further stores predetermined carriage positions 510 and predetermined shuttle positions 512 which may be provided in the form of optical encoder positions and may be used to respectively move the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104 to various positions so that they move as described herein (e.g. so that the shuttle 104 may move without interference by the carriage 108 and/or so that the carriage 108 may be positioned such that the shuttle 104 interacts with the position determining device 110, and the like).

[00104] For completeness, the memory 502 is further depicted as storing a carriage-home position 514 and a shuttle-home position 516, to indicate that, after the homing process, the memory 502 stores such positions 514, 516. However, the positions 514, 516 are depicted in dashed lines to indicate that the positions 514, 516 may not initially be stored at the memory 502 prior to the homing process; while such positions 514, 516 may persist from a last time a homing process was performed, it is understood that the positions 514, 516 may be determined and/or replaced each time the homing process is implemented.

[00105] The instructions 504 may be further to implement other functionality of the device 200, for example to process the samples 238 and/or to position the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104, based on the positions 506, 508, 514, 516, for dispensing the samples 238 into the wells 214, as shown in Figure 3.

[00106] Referring to Figure 6, a flow diagram of an example method 600 to perform a homing process is depicted. In order to assist in the explanation of method 600, it will be assumed that method 600 may be performed with the device 200 (e.g. via the controller 114 implementing the instructions 504). The method 600 may be one way in which the device 200 may be configured. Furthermore, the following discussion of method 600 may lead to a further understanding of the device 200, and its various components. Furthermore, it is to be emphasized, that method 600 may not be performed in the exact sequence as shown, and various blocks may be performed in parallel rather than in sequence, or in a different sequence altogether. Furthermore, it is to be emphasized that the method 600 may alternatively be performed with the device 100 and/or the device 400. [00107] It is further understood in the method 600 may occur at the sample preparation device 200 when the device 200 is turned on and/or periodically and/or on demand via input received at the input device 218, and further that the method 600 occurs with the carriage 108 empty of the cassette 206 and the shuttle 104 empty of the wells 214.

[00108] Beginning at a block 602, the device 200 moves the carriage 108 (e.g. perpendicularly) towards the shuttle 104 on the planar surface 102, until the carriage 108 is stopped by the shuttle 104 to determine the carriage-home position 514. For example, as has been previously described, moving the carriage 108 (e.g. perpendicularly) towards the shuttle 104 on the planar surface 102, until the carriage 108 is stopped by the shuttle 104 may comprises moving the carriage 108 (e.g. perpendicularly) towards the shuttle 104 until a motor, driving the carriage 108, stalls.

[00109] At a block 604, the device 200 moves the carriage 108 away from the shuttle 104 such that the shuttle 104 is movable at the planar surface 102 relative to the carriage 108.

[00110] At a block 606, the device 200 moves the shuttle 104 until the shuttle 104 is stopped by the position determining device 110 (e.g. a mechanical hard- stop) of the carriage 108 to determine a shuttle-home position 516.

[00111] For example, the carriage-home position 514 and the shuttle-home position 516 at the memory 502 may be read from respective optical encoders at respective motors driving the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104.

[00112] At a block 608, the device 200 positions the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104, relative to each other, respectively into a sample dispensing position and a sample receiving position based on the carriage-home position 514 and the shuttle-home position 516.

[00113] The method 600 may further comprise storing the carriage-home position 514 and the shuttle-home position 516 at the memory 502.

[00114] The method 600 may further comprise determining the sample dispensing position and the sample receiving position, respectively, of the carriage 108 and the shuttle 104 based on the carriage-home position 514 and the shuttle-home position 516 and using the relative sample dispensing position 506 of the carriage 108 and relative sample receiving positions 508 of the shuttle 104, stored at the memory 502.

[00115] Attention is next directed to Figure 7 A and Figure 7B which depict the device 100 in respective states for determining the carriage-home position 514 and the shuttle-home position 516.

[00116] For example, in Figure 7A, the shuttle 104 has been moved under the carriage 108, and the carriage 108 has been moved towards the shuttle 104 until the carriage 108 stops and/or a motor thereof stalls. As such, the controller 114 sets this position of the carriage 108 as the carriage-home position 514 and, for example, stores the carriage-home position 514 in the memory 502 (e.g. not depicted in Figure 7A or Figure 7B but understood to be present).

[00117] For example, in Figure 7B, the carriage 108 has been moved until the shuttle 104 may move relative to the carriage 108, but with the position determining device 110 located to stop the shuttle 104. In particular, the shuttle 104 has been moved towards the position determining device 110 until the shuttle 104 stops and/or a motor thereof stalls. As such, the controller 114 sets this position of the shuttle 516 as the shuttle-home position 516 and, for example, stores the shuttle-home position 516 in the memory 502.

[00118] It should be recognized that features and aspects of the various examples provided above may be combined into further examples that also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.