Automated lean methods in anatomical pathology

• US 20070141711A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ventana Medical Systems Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Ventana Medical Systems Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Kram, Brian, Stephens, Randy
• Application Number:
  US11/639,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20070141711A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/43
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/06 providing a thin slice, e.g. microtome
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/286 involving mechanical work, e.g. chopping, disintegrating, compacting, homogenising microtomes G01N1/06; pulverising in general B02C; mixing in general B01F
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2873 Cutting or cleaving
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00861 printing and sticking of identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00722 Communications; Identification
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis

Abstract

An embodiment of the method of the invention is a method of automating information flow in a laboratory performing tissue staining comprising positioning a networked label printer adjacent to a cutting station, the printer configured to access patient data directly or indirectly from the hospital LIS, the printer being configured with a data element scanner in electronic communication with said printer; inputting data from a tissue cassette-associated data element at said printer, whereby inputting data comprises reading the data from the cassette-associated data element and uploading the cassette data to the LIS; identifying the corresponding test protocol identifier and then downloading the test protocol data to the printer; printing information on labels corresponding to each test specified in the LIS for the patient; attaching a single label to each slide; and cutting a tissue section for each labeled slide and mounting the section on the slide.

Claims

1. A method of automating information associated with tissue samples to be stained in a tissue staining laboratory comprising the steps of:

a. positioning a networked label printer adjacent to a cutting station, said printer configured to access patient data directly or indirectly from the hospital LIS, said printer being configured with a data element scanner in electronic communication with said printer;

b. reading cassette data from the cassette-associated data element and uploading said cassette data to the LIS;

c. identifying the corresponding test protocol identifier and then downloading said test protocol data to said printer;

d. printing information on labels corresponding to each test specified by the LIS for said patient;

e. attaching a single label to each slide; and

f. cutting and mounting at least one tissue section on each labeled slide.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said printer is networked to the LIS using the HL-7 protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said patient data includes a case number uniquely associated with a patient.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said patient data includes the test protocol identifiers corresponding to the tests ordered for that specific patient.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said data element comprises a barcode.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said data element comprises an RFID.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said data element scanner comprises a barcode reader.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said data element scanner comprises a RFID reader.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein said protocol identifier comprises an identification number that uniquely identifies the test protocol to be performed on that slide.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said label information comprises machine readable information.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said machine readable information comprises a bar code.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said machine readable information comprises a RFID.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said label information comprises both human- and machine-readable information.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein reading cassette data comprises scanning the tissue cassette-associated data element using a scanner.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to said printing, performing load leveling to distribute said tissue samples for cutting.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said load leveling is performed to distribute said tissue samples to a plurality of cutting stations in accordance with at least one of:

work load of each of said plurality of cutting stations and cutting expertise.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing load leveling to distribute said tissue samples for cutting, wherein said step of performing load leveling is performed after downloading said test protocol data to said printer.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing load leveling to distribute said tissue samples for cutting, wherein said step of performing load leveling is performed prior to downloading said test protocol data to said printer.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein an order in which said printing is performed for a plurality of samples indicates the order in which each of said plurality of samples are cut.

2. A method of coordinating tissue sample information in a laboratory staining process, comprising the steps of:

a. identifying a tissue cassette comprising a tissue sample to be tested to a LIS-networked machine-vision system;

b. transferring machine-readable identifying information associated with said tissue sample to said LIS;

c. accessing test instructions for said tissue sample via the LIS, the test instructions determining the sections to be cut and the protocols to be performed on the respective sections;

d. instructing a label printer to print the required number of labels encoding the protocols to be performed on the corresponding tissue sections;

e. printing a slide label encoding each protocol to be performed on the corresponding tissue section;

f. attaching said slide label to a slide;

g. placing at least one tissue section on the labeled slide; and

h. staining the tissue section(s) on the slide in accordance with the protocol identified on the corresponding slide label.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein said printer is networked to the LIS using the HL-7 protocol.

17. The method of claim 2 wherein said machine-readable identifying information includes a case number uniquely associated with the patient.

18. The method of claim 2 wherein said test instructions comprise the test protocol identifiers corresponding to the tests ordered for that specific patient.

19. The method of claim 2 wherein said machine-readable identifying information comprises a barcode.

20. The method of claim 2 wherein said machine-readable identifying information comprises an RFID.

21. The method of claim 2 wherein said machine-readable identifying information comprises both human- and machine-readable information.

22. The method of claim 2 wherein inputting data comprises scanning the machine-readable identifying information associated with said tissue sample using a scanner.

28. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

prior to said printing, performing load leveling to distribute tissue samples for cutting.

29. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

performing load leveling to distribute tissue samples for cutting, wherein said step of performing load leveling is performed after sending instructions to the label printer to print.

30. The method of claim 2, performing load leveling to distribute tissue samples for cutting, wherein said step of performing load leveling is performed prior to sending instructions to the label printer to print.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said load leveling is performed to distribute said tissue samples to a plurality of cutting stations in accordance with at least one of:

work load of each of said plurality of cutting stations and cutting expertise.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein an order in which said printing is performed for a plurality of samples indicates the order in which each of said plurality of samples are cut.