METHOD FOR MONITORING THE USE OF A CONSUMABLE IN A DISPOSABLE DESIGN IN ONE OR MORE ANALYZERS

• US 20090151479A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Ruether, Horst, Bartel, Arnold, Steinboeck, Wolf-Dietrich, Felsberger, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,377,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/864.510
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48771 Coding of information, e.g. calibration data, lot number
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A method for monitoring the use of a consumable in a disposable design in one or more analyzers which are each configured to analyze one or more liquids, in particular body fluids, is provided where the method comprises the following steps: providing a disposable consumable in a first analyzer; using the disposable consumable as intended during operation of the first analyzer; collecting usage relevant information for the disposable consumable which concern the intended use of the disposable consumable during operation of the first analyzer; storing usage-relevant data which are derived from the usage-relevant information in a memory unit assigned to the disposable consumable; removing the disposable consumable from the first analyzer; again providing the disposable consumable in the first analyzer or in a second analyzer, at least partially reading the usage-relevant data from the memory unit in the first or the second analyzer; evaluating the usage-relevant data that have been read out by a control device; and deriving control signals concerning the permissibility and/or type of a further intended use of the disposable consumable during operation of the first or of the second analyzer as a reaction to the evaluation of the usage-relevant data that have been read out.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the use of a consumable in a disposable design in one or more analyzers which are each configured to analyze one or more liquids, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

providing a disposable consumable in a first analyzer,

using the disposable consumable as intended during operation of the first analyzer,

collecting usage-relevant information for the disposable consumable which concern the intended use of the disposable consumable during operation of the first analyzer,

storing usage-relevant data which are derived from the usage-relevant information in a memory unit assigned to the disposable consumable,

removing the disposable consumable from the first analyzer,

again providing the disposable consumable in the first analyzer or in a second analyzer,

at least partially reading the usage-relevant data from the memory unit in the first or the second analyzer,

evaluating the usage-relevant data that have been read out by a control device, and

deriving control signals concerning the permissibility and/or type of a further intended use of the disposable consumable during operation of the first or of the second analyzer as a reaction to the evaluation of the usage-relevant data that have been read out.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the following steps are additionally provided when the control signals indicate the permissibility of the continued intended use of the disposable consumable:

continued intended use of the disposable consumable during the operation of the first or the second analyzer,

collection of further usage-relevant information which concern the further intended use of the disposable consumable during the operation of the first or the second analyzer, and

storage of further usage-relevant data which are derived from the further consumable-relevant information in the memory unit assigned to the disposable consumable.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein data are derived from the usage-relevant data that are read out which influence the manner in which the disposable consumable is subsequently used as intended.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a user information indicating the inadmissibility of the further intended use of the disposable consumable is generated when the control signals indicate the inadmissibility of the further intended use of the disposable consumable.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein further intended use of the disposable consumable in the first or the second analyzer is prevented when the control signals indicate the inadmissibility of the further intended use of the disposable consumable.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collected usage-relevant information and the collected further usage-relevant information comprises one or more information aspects selected from the following group of information aspects:

one or more conditions of use for the intended use or further intended use of the disposable consumable such as chemical usage parameters and/or physical usage parameters,

a period of use for the intended use or for the further intended use of the disposable consumable,

a period of non-use of the disposable consumable after it has been removed from the first analyzer,

a time at which the disposable consumable is inserted into the first or the second analyzer,

the actions carried out with the aid of the disposable consumable such as measuring cycles, calibration cycles, quality control cycles, cleaning cycles and/or standby phases, and

the amount consumed and/or extent of consumption of the disposable consumable during its intended use and/or during its further intended use.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein when collecting usage-relevant information and/or when collecting further usage-relevant information, partial information is collected at time intervals.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collection of usage-relevant information and/or the collection-of further usage-relevant information takes place in each case before, during and/or after the intended use or the further intended use of the disposable consumable.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein partial data are stored at intervals when storing usage-relevant data and/or storing further usage-relevant data.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the usage-relevant data are stored in the assigned memory unit before the disposable consumable is removed from the first analyzer and/or the further usage-relevant data are stored in the assigned memory unit before the disposable consumable is removed from the first or the second analyzer.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the disposable consumable has been provided in the first or the second analyzer, data that are independent of the usage or consumption of the disposable consumable continue to be read out.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the usage-relevant information and/or the further usage-relevant information for the disposable consumable is collected with the aid of a monitoring device of the first/second analyzer.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage of usage-relevant data and/or the storage of further usage-relevant data in the memory unit assigned to the disposable consumable is stored with the aid of a writing device of the first/second analyzer.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the usage-relevant data are at least partially read from the memory unit with the aid of a reading device of the first/second analyzer.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is a body fluid.