System for tracking biological samples

• US 20070122797A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dako Denmark A/S (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: De La Torre-Bueno, Jose
• Granted Patent: US 9,659,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/4
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00138 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00742 Type of codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00752 bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00831 identification of the sample, e.g. patient identity, place of sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00841 results of the analyses
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0091 GUI [graphical user interfaces]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 40/00 ICT specially adapted for biostatistics; ICT specially adapted for bioinformatics-related machine learning or data mining, e.g. knowledge discovery or pattern finding
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 50/00 ICT programming tools or database systems specially adapted for bioinformatics
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are described for the handling of biological specimens for analysis. The systems, methods and apparatus are designed to reduce errors in misidentification, incorrect processing, and recordkeeping and reporting. The systems, methods, and apparatus can also provide real time tracking of samples at any stage, from collection to processing to analyzing to storage.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining a biological sample and obtaining a unique identifier which is unique across both space and time, and associating the unique identifier with the biological sample;

carrying out at least one test on the biological sample; and

storing results of said at least one test, along with the unique identifier, and along with information indicative of a time when the test was carried out and a place where the test was carried out.

8. A method as in claim 1, further comprising maintaining a running list of all actions taken on said sample, said running list including times when said unique identifier was used.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein said running list comprises at least a time when the unique identifier was accessed.

10. A method as in claim 8, wherein said running list comprises at least a person who accessed said unique identifier.

2. A method of testing a sample, comprising:

obtaining a sample of a biological material;

associating the sample with a unique identifier, which represents the biological sample, and which is unique relative to all other identifiers for all other samples;

using an automatic reader associated with a sample processing equipment, to electronically read information indicative of the unique identifier; and

using the sample processing equipment to carry out an operation on the biological sample, and associating the result of said operation with said unique identifier read by said automatic reader, said sample processing equipment producing an image representative of said operation, and associating said image with said unique identifier read by said automatic reader.

4. A method as in claim 2, further comprising sending at least part of said image to a reviewing workstation for a diagnosis.

5. A method as in claim 2, further comprising image processing said image.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein said image processing comprises using automated spectrometry on at least one selected region to determine a concentration of an analyte.

7. A method as in claim 2, further comprising sending information indicative of said image and said unique identifier to a remote database.

3. (canceled)

11. A method of testing a sample, comprising:

obtaining a sample of biological material;

associating said sample with a unique identifier; and

carrying out a plurality of tests on the biological material, where each of the plurality of tests is carried out by electronically reading the unique identifier, carrying out a test, and maintaining a record of a result of said test associated with said unique identifier, wherein said carrying out a plurality of tests comprises maintaining a running list of each test that was carried out for each unique identifier including at least a time when said test was carried out.

12. A method of testing a sample, comprising:

obtaining a sample of a biological material;

associating the sample with a unique identifier that uniquely identifies said biological material sample, and no other biological material samples;

carrying out at least one test at a first location by using a machine to read said unique identifier, carrying out the test, and associating a first result of the test with said unique identifier;

carrying out at least one second test at a second location by using another machine to read said unique identifier, carrying out the second test, and associating a second result of the second test with said unique identifier; and

storing information about said first and second tests in a centralized database.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein said information that is stored in said centralized database includes at least a time when the tests were carried out.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said information further includes information indicative of a person who carried out the test.