METHOD FOR SPOOLING EXPERIMENTAL DATA

• US 20080301202A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellomics Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cellomics Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boyce, Keith S., Dunlay, R. Terry, McKenna, Brian K., Glick, Phillip W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1433 using image recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1475 using image analysis for extracting features of the particle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1477 Multiparameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1497 Particle shape
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/69 Microscopic objects, e.g. biological cells or cellular parts

Abstract

Methods and system for efficient collection and storage of experimental data allow experimental data from high-throughput, feature-rich data collection systems, such as high-throughput cell data collection systems to be efficiently collected, stored, managed and displayed. The methods and system can be used, for example, for storing, managing, and displaying cell image data and cell feature data collected from microplates including multiple wells and a variety of bio-chips in which an experimental compound has been applied to a population of cells. The methods and system provide a flexible and scalable repository of experimental data including multiple databases at multiple locations including pass-through databases that can be easily managed and allows cell data to be analyzed, manipulated and archived. The methods and system may improve the identification, selection, validation and screening of new drug compounds that have been applied to populations of cells.

Claims

1. A method for spooling experimental data on a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

copying a second database from an analysis instrument to a shared database, wherein the second database includes configuration data used to collect data from a container, summary data for the container calculated from a plurality of sub-containers in the container and summary data for sub-containers in the container calculated from a plurality of image data and plurality of feature data collected from desired sub-containers, and wherein the data in the second database is organized into a plurality of database tables;

copying a plurality of third databases from an analysis instrument to a shared database file server, wherein the plurality of third databases include a plurality of image data and a plurality of feature data collected from the plurality of sub-containers in the container, and wherein the data is organized in a plurality of database tables; and

updating the location of the second database and the plurality of third databases in a first database on the analysis instrument to reflect new storage locations for the second database on the shared database and the plurality of third databases on the shared database file server, wherein the first database is a pass-through database that includes links to the second database and plurality of third databases but does not include any data collected from the container, and wherein the first database is used by a display application to view data collected from a container.

2. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute instructions for the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

copying the first database from the analysis instrument to a local storage location on a store client computer to allow a display application on the store client computer to view the data collected from the container; and

viewing the data collected from the display application on the store client computer by using the first database to retrieve container and sub-container data from the second database on the shared database and image and feature data from the plurality of third databases on the shared database file server.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

locating the first database from a store client computer at a remote location to allow a display application on the store client computer to view the data collected from the container; and

viewing the data collected from the display application on the store client computer by using the first database at the remote location to retrieve container and sub-container data from the second database on the shared database and image and feature data from the plurality of third databases on the shared database file server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the container includes a microplate, and the plurality of sub-containers included wells in the microplate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the container includes a bio-chip and the plurality of sub-containers include selected micro-gels on the bio-chip.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sub-containers include a plurality of cells treated with an experimental compound.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared database includes faster access local storage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared database file server includes slower access remote storage.