SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ENSURING CORRECT EXECUTION OF A LABORATORY PROTOCOL OR PROCEDURE

• US 20100329648A1
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Wu, David, TADMOR, Arbel D.
• Application Number:
  US12/823,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20100329648A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/343
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/143 Quality control, feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/02 Laboratory benches or tables; Fittings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A system and a method of ensuring correct execution of a laboratory protocol or procedure are provided. An embodiment of the disclosure records videos of a bench area with a monitoring device, processes and stores the recorded video, and allows users to review the video. By reviewing the video of the lab procedure while conducting the laboratory protocol or procedure or shortly thereafter, users can resolve doubts and problems about particular steps of the lab procedure and conduct the procedure correctly.

Claims

1. A method of ensuring correct execution of a laboratory protocol or procedure, comprising:

installing a monitoring device near a bench area;

connecting an electronic computing device with the monitoring device;

recording videos of the bench area with the monitoring device;

storing and processing the recorded video on the electronic computing device; and

enabling users to resolve problems and uncertainties regarding the laboratory protocol by reviewing the video while conducting the laboratory protocol or procedure or shortly thereafter, wherein the reviewing includes playing back, rewinding, fast forwarding, stepping backward, stepping forward the videos.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

zooming in or out the videos while the videos are playing, paused, rewinding, or fast-forwarding.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing application programming interfaces for add-on applications to add additional functions; and

providing the add-on applications configured to be executed while the monitoring device is recording.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying advertisement messages on the electronic computing device while the monitoring device is recording video.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic computing device is wirelessly connected to the monitoring device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the add-on application is a timer, a calculator, a social networking client, a molecular weight converter, or a pH buffer calculator.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is a wide-field camera or a camera with two lenses.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic computing device is a computer, a laptop, a mobile electronic device, a cell phone, or a displaying device integrated with a touch screen and the displaying device is adapted to receive, process, store, and display video signals, and to process inputs from the touch screen.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recoded video is encoded and compressed with non-uniform compression rates, frame rates and resolutions.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recording a laboratory protocol or procedure and to distributing the recorded laboratory protocol or procedure to other electronic computing devices.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

downloading an additional video to the electronic computing device; and

enabling users to follow and correctly conduct the laboratory protocol or procedure by reviewing the video by playing back, rewinding, fast forwarding, stepping backward, stepping forward, and zooming in or out the additional video.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

installing a plurality of client electronic computing assemblies near a plurality of bench areas, wherein each client electronic assembly comprises a client electronic computing device and a camera;

connecting the plurality of client electronic computing assemblies to a master electronic computing device;

monitoring each bench area via the master electronic computing device; and

controlling the playing of the video on the plurality of client electronic computing assemblies.

13. A system for ensuring correct execution of a laboratory protocol or procedure, comprising:

a monitoring device, installed near a bench area; and

an electronic computing device, coupled with the monitoring device;

wherein the monitoring device is adopted to record a video of the bench area, and the electronic computing device is adapted to store and process the recorded video, and to enable users to resolve problems and uncertainties regarding the laboratory protocol by reviewing the video while conducting the laboratory protocol or procedure or shortly thereafter, wherein the reviewing includes playing back, rewinding, fast forwarding, stepping backward, and stepping forward the videos.