Enhanced scheduling sample processing system and methods of biological slide processing

• US 7,960,178 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dako Denmark A/S (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Welcher, Rosanne, Key, Marc, Feingold, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nagpaul; Jyoti
• Application Number:
  US10/539,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,734 Days
• Field of Search: 422 63- 67, 422 99-100, 700/1, 700/95, 700/108, 436/43, 436/180, 435/266.4
• US Class Current: 436/43
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/30 Staining; Impregnating ; Fixation; Dehydration; Multistep processes for preparing samples of tissue, cell or nucleic acid material and the like for analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/31 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00039 Transport arrangements specific to flat sample substrates, e.g. pusher blade
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00306 Housings, cabinets, control panels (details)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00366 Several different temperatures used
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00376 Conductive heating, e.g. heated plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00435 Refrigerated reagent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00891 Displaying information to the operator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/009 alarms, e.g. audible
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0091 GUI [graphical user interfaces]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00712 Automatic status testing, e.g. at start-up or periodic
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 : Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 : Tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 : Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 : with sample on test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 : with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114165 : with step of insertion or removal from test line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114998 : with treatment or replacement of aspirator element [e.g., cleaning, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A sample processing system 101 that may be automated and methods are disclosed where sample(s) 198 are arranged on a carrier element 197 and a process operation control system 171 automatically processes the sample(s) perhaps robotically according to an desired aggregation of event dictated by an input 173. Alteration of an initial aggregated event topology may be accepted while the system is processing an initial aggregation and varied-parameter robotic control simulation functionalities 606 may be accomplished to determine an enhanced sequence for processing. Suggested operator actions may be displayed that might further enhance the scheduling of the altered aggregated event topology together with an automatic operator need prompt 608 that may inform an operator of a need for a particular action in order to accomplish the desired tasks. Reversibility to proposed changes may be made available so that an operator may avoid having to activate proposed changes if they cause a processing result that is not acceptable.

Claims

1. A method of adaptively scheduling robot tasks for a robot coupled to a stainer, wherein the robot processes slides in the stainer according to a protocol, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a network connection between a computer and the stainer;

sending commands from the computer to the stainer over the network connection;

introducing a first at least one slide into the stainer, the stainer being configured to process the first at least one slide using a plurality of desired slide process operations comprising one or more robot tasks;

creating a robot task list of the one or more robot tasks for the stainer, wherein robot tasks include dispensing reagents to the slide with a moveable robotic dispenser;

processing the first at least one slide according to the robot task list;

during processing of the first at least one slide according to the robot task list, receiving a second at least one slide into the stainer; and

adaptively rescheduling the robot tasks of the robot task list to create an altered robot task list of the one or more robot tasks for the stainer.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of discontinuing processing of the first at least one slide according to the robot task list and commencing processing of the first at least one slide according to the altered robot task list.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein rescheduling includes running one or more simulations using varied schedules in order to determine the altered robot task list.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein adaptively rescheduling comprises:

determining a robot task priority for each robot task in the robot task list; and

sorting the robot task list in order of robot task priority.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the steps are performed automatically by the stainer.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one slide includes a sample.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one slide is arranged in a substantially horizontal position.