Centralized monitor and control system for laboratory instruments

• US 20070282997A1
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Trochman, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A laboratory computer network is set forth. The laboratory computer network comprises a plurality of laboratory instrument workstations connected to respective laboratory instruments. Each laboratory instrument workstation is adapted to provide video screen data indicative of the operational status of the respective laboratory instrument. A transmission medium is provided to transmit video screen data from each of the plurality of laboratory instrument workstations. A central server is also provided. The central server is adapted to receive the video screen data from the transmission media. The central server monitors one or more screen sections of the video screen data received from each of the plurality of laboratory instrument workstations and provides an alert in response to a given visual state of the monitored screen sections of each laboratory instrument workstation.

Claims

1. A laboratory computer network comprising:

a plurality of laboratory instrument workstations connected to respective laboratory instruments, each laboratory instrument workstation being adapted to provide video screen data indicative of the operational status of the respective laboratory instrument;

transmission media adapted to transmit video screen data from each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations;

a central server adapted to receive said video screen data from said transmission media, said central server monitoring one or more screen sections of the video screen data respectively received from said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations and providing an alert in response to a given visual state of said one or more screen sections of each laboratory instrument workstation.

2. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least two of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations have different operating systems.

3. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmission media comprises:

a KVM-over-IP switch connected to receive at least video screen data from at least one of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations; and

means for transmitting data from said KVM-over-IP switch to said central server.

4. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for transmitting comprises:

an ethernet hub;

a first ethernet cable having a first end connected to said KVM-over-IP switch and a second end connected to said ethernet hub;

a second ethernet cable having a first end connected to said ethernet hub and a second end connected to said central server.

5. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for transmitting comprises:

an ethernet switch;

a first ethernet cable having a first end connected to said KVM-over-IP switch and a second end connected to said ethernet switch;

a second ethernet cable having a first end connected to said ethernet switch and a second end connected to said central server.

6. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for transmitting comprises a wireless network.

7. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmission media comprises a wireless network.

8. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations comprises remote-control software for transmitting respective video screen data along said transmission media to said central server.

9. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 1 wherein said central server further comprises data management software adapted to collect and manage data and workflow for one or more of said laboratory instruments.

10. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 1 wherein said central server provides said alert in response to a given color of said one or more screen sections.

11. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 1 wherein said central server comprises at least one video monitor, said central server presenting virtual buttons respectively associated with each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations on said at least one video monitor, said alert comprising a change in the visual appearance of the virtual button for the laboratory instrument workstation upon detection of said given state of the one or more screen sections of said laboratory instrument workstation.

12. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 11 wherein activation of said virtual buttons causes said central server to display the video screen of the respective laboratory instrument workstation on said at least one video monitor.

13. A laboratory computer network comprising:

a plurality of laboratory instrument workstations connected to respective laboratory instruments, each laboratory instrument workstation being adapted to provide video screen data indicative of the operational status of the respective laboratory instrument;

transmission media adapted to transmit video screen data from each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations;

a central server adapted to receive said video screen data from said transmission media, said central server storing one or more screen sections of a video screen received from at least one of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations into a software variable array readable by a computer program operating in said central server, said computer program further adapted to monitor said software variable array and to generate an alert in response to a given state of data in said file.

14. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 13 wherein said central server stores said one or more screen sections on a temporary basis.

15. A laboratory network as claimed in claim 13 wherein said central server comprises random access memory, said software variable array being stored in said random access memory.

16. A laboratory network as claimed in claim 13 wherein said central server comprises a magnetic storage medium, said software variable array being stored in said magnetic storage medium.

17. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 13 wherein at least two of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations have different operating systems.

18. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 13 wherein said transmission media comprises:

a KVM-over-IP switch connected to receive at least video screen data from at least one of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations; and

means for transmitting data from said KVM-over-IP switch to said central server.

19. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 18 wherein said means for transmitting comprises:

an ethernet hub;

a first ethernet cable having a first end connected to said KVM-over-IP switch and a second end connected to said ethernet hub;

a second ethernet cable having a first end connected to said ethernet hub and a second end connected to said central server.

20. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 18 wherein said means for transmitting comprises:

an ethernet switch;

a first ethernet cable having a first end connected to said KVM-over-IP switch and a second end connected to said ethernet switch;

a second ethernet cable having a first end connected to said ethernet switch and a second end connected to said central server.

21. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 18 wherein said means for transmitting comprises a wireless network.

22. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 13 wherein said transmission media comprises a wireless network.

23. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 13 wherein at least one of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations comprises remote-control software for transmitting video screen data corresponding to said at least one laboratory instrument workstation along said transmission media to said central server.

24. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 13 wherein said central server further comprises data management software adapted to collect and manage data and workflow of one or more of said laboratory instruments.

25. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 13 wherein said central server provides said alert in response to a given color of said one or more screen sections.

26. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 13 wherein said central server comprises at least one video monitor, said central server presenting virtual buttons respectively associated with each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations on said at least one video monitor, said alert comprising a change in the visual appearance of the virtual button for the laboratory instrument workstation upon detection of said given state of the one or more screen sections of said laboratory instrument workstation.

27. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 26 wherein activation of said virtual buttons causes said central server to display the video screen of the respective laboratory instrument workstation on said at least one video monitor.

28. A central computer station for use in a laboratory network, the central computer station comprising:

a network interface for receiving video screen data indicative of the operational status of a plurality of laboratory instrument workstations connected to respective laboratory instruments;

operational status monitoring software adapted to monitor one or more screen sections of the video screen data respectively received from each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations and to provide an alert in response to a given visual state of said one or more screen sections of each laboratory instrument workstation.

29. A central computer station as claimed in claim 28 and further comprising data management software adapted to collect and manage data and workflow of one or more of said laboratory instruments.

30. A central computer station as claimed in claim 28 wherein said operational status monitoring software provides said alert in response to a given color of said one or more screen sections.

31. A central server as claimed in claim 28 and further comprising:

at least one video monitor,

said operational status monitoring software presenting virtual buttons respectively associated with each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations on said at least one video monitor, said alert comprising a change in the visual appearance of the virtual button for the laboratory instrument workstation upon detection of said given state of the one or more screen sections of said laboratory instrument workstation.

32. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 31 wherein activation of said virtual buttons causes said central server to display the video screen of the respective laboratory instrument workstation on said at least one video monitor.

33. A laboratory computer network comprising:

a plurality of laboratory instrument workstations connected to respective laboratory instruments, each laboratory instrument workstation being adapted to provide video screen data indicative of the operational status of the respective laboratory instrument;

transmission media adapted to transmit video screen data received from each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations;

a central server adapted to receive said video screen data from said transmission media, said central server comprising

screen monitoring software adapted to monitor software variable arrays corresponding to one or more screen sections of the video screen data respectively received from each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations, and

alert generation software adapted to generate an alert in response to predetermined data values of said software variable arrays.

34. A laboratory network as claimed in claim 33 wherein said central server comprises random access memory, said software variable arrays being stored in said random access memory.

35. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 34 wherein said central server stores said software variable arrays on a temporary basis.

36. A laboratory network as claimed in claim 33 wherein said central server comprises a magnetic storage medium, said software variable arrays being stored in said magnetic storage medium.

37. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 36 wherein said central server stores said software variable arrays on a temporary basis.

38. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 33 wherein at least two of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations have different operating systems.

39. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 33 wherein said transmission media comprises:

a KVM-over-IP switch connected to receive at least video screen data from at least one of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations; and

means for transmitting data from said KVM-over-IP switch to said central server.

40. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 39 wherein said means for transmitting comprises:

an ethernet hub;

a first ethernet cable having a first end connected to said KVM-over-IP switch and a second end connected to said ethernet hub;

a second ethernet cable having a first end connected to said ethernet hub and a second end connected to said central server.

41. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 39 wherein said means for transmitting comprises:

an ethernet switch;

a first ethernet cable having a first end connected to said KVM-over-IP switch and a second end connected to said ethernet switch;

a second ethernet cable having a first end connected to said ethernet switch and a second end connected to said central server.

42. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 39 wherein said means for transmitting comprises a wireless network.

43. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 33 wherein said transmission media comprises a wireless network.

44. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 33 wherein at least one of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations comprises remote-control software for transmitting respective video screen data along said transmission media to said central server.

45. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 33 wherein said central server further comprises data management software adapted to collect and manage data and workflow for one or more of said laboratory instruments.

46. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 33 wherein said central server provides said alert in response to a given color of said one or more screen sections.

47. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 33 wherein said central server comprises at least one video monitor, said central server presenting virtual buttons respectively associated with each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations on said at least one video monitor, said alert comprising a change in the visual appearance of the virtual button for the laboratory instrument workstation upon detection of said given state of the one or more screen sections of said laboratory instrument workstation.

48. A laboratory computer network as claimed in claim 47 wherein activation of said virtual buttons causes said central server to display the video screen of the respective laboratory instrument workstation on said at least one video monitor.

49. A laboratory computer network comprising:

a plurality of laboratory instrument workstations connected to respective laboratory instruments, each laboratory instrument workstation being adapted to provide video screen data indicative of the operational status of the respective laboratory instrument and to receive user input selections for querying the operational status of the respective laboratory instrument;

transmission media adapted to transmit video screen data from each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations and to provide data indicative of user input selections to each of said plurality of laboratory instrument workstations;