Analysis system for analyzing biological samples, methods, and computer program product thereof

• US 8,511,549 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Steimle, Anton, Von Allmen, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US12/883,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20110220715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/376, 235/487, 235/485, 235/382
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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: G16B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis

Abstract

An analysis system for analyzing biological samples, such as body fluids, methods implemented by the analysis system, and a computer program product for implementing the analysis system are disclosed. The system may include first and second lab devices, at least one of the lab devices may have a user identification component for identifying a user, a device identification component for identifying the lab device, and an interface component for sending a user identifier of the identified user and a device identifier of the lab device. The system may include a server computer having a server interface component for receiving the user identifier and the device identifier, and a processing component for determining a step of a workflow to be executed by the identified user, wherein the server interface component is operable to send a signal being indicative of a determined workflow to the lab device identified by the device identifier.

Claims

1. An analysis system for analyzing biological samples comprising:

a first lab device, a second lab device, and a server computer, wherein;

at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device comprises;

a user identifier for identifying the user;

a device identifier for identifying the lab device; and

an interface component which sends the user identifier and the device identifier to the server computer;

the server computer comprises;

a server interface component which receives the user identifier and the device identifier; and

a processing component which determines a step from a variety of steps of a workflow to be executed by the identified user, wherein said workflow comprises at least two steps which are to be executed at different lab devices, wherein the server interface component is operable to send a signal being indicative of the determined step to the lab device identified by the device identifier, and wherein the server computer further comprises a database which assigns a first set of steps of the workflow to the first lab device and assigns a second set of steps of the workflow to the second lab device.

2. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the interface component of the lab device is operable to signal completion of the processing component in determining the step of the workflow to the server computer.

3. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the processing component generates a message when the determined step is not assigned to the identified lab device in the database, and wherein the server interface component sends the message to the identified lab device.

4. The analysis system of claim 3, wherein the message is indicative of at least one of the lab devices to which the determined step is assigned.

5. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the analysis system further comprises at least one mobile device, wherein the mobile device receives the signal comprising of the determined step of the workflow and the signal comprising at least one of the lab devices to be used for execution of the determined step of the workflow.

6. A computer program product comprising executable instructions which when executed by a system according to claim 1, causes the system to:

identify a user of at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device;

send the user identifier and the device identifier of the at least one of the first and second lab devices to the server computer;

determine a step from a variety of steps of a workflow using the server computer by the user identifier and the device identifier of the at least one of a first and second lab devices; and

send a signal comprising the determined step from the server computer to at least one of the first and second lab devices.

7. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the lab device in response to receipt of the signal displays output descriptive of the determined step of the workflow to be executed by the identified user.

8. A method being implemented by an analysis system for analyzing biological samples, the method comprising:

identifying a user of at least one of a first lab device and a second lab device;

sending a user identifier and a device identifier of the at least one of the first and second lab devices to a server computer, the server computer assigning from a database a first set of steps of the workflow to the first lab device and assigns a second set of steps of the workflow to the second lab device;

determining a step from a variety of steps of a workflow using the server computer by the user identifier and the device identifier of the at least one of a first and second lab devices, wherein said determined step is to be executed by the identified user, and wherein said workflow comprises at least two steps which are to be executed at different lab devices; and

sending a signal comprising of the determined step from the server computer to at least one of the first and second lab devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying the user using the other one of the first and second lab devices;

sending a user identifier and a device identifier of the other one of the first and second lab devices to the server computer;

determining a step of the workflow to be executed by the identified user of the other one of the first and second lab devices; and

sending a signal comprising of the determined step of the workflow to the other one of the first and second lab devices.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving the signal on at least one mobile device, wherein the signal comprises the at least one determined step of the workflow and at least one of the lab devices to be used for execution of the at least one step of the workflow.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the signal comprises position information indicating a geographic or topological location of the at least one lab device to be used for the execution of the at least one determined step.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the signal comprises one or more steps of the workflow to be executed at an at least one unconnected lab device, wherein the unconnected lab device comprises a lab device that is not coupled to the server computer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the signal comprises a priority of the steps of the workflow, and wherein the mobile device or the lab device displays the steps in a prioritized order.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising signaling completion of the at least one determined step of the workflow from the mobile device to the server computer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising executing the determined step of the workflow at an unconnected lab device.

16. A method being implemented by an analysis system for analyzing biological samples, the method comprising:

identifying a user by at least one of a first lab device and a second lab device, said second lab device being separate from said first lab device;

sending a user identifier and a device identifier of the at least one of the first and second lab devices to a server computer to which the first lab device and the second lab device are networked, the server computer assigning from a database a first set of steps of the workflow to the first lab device and assigns a second set of steps of the workflow to the second lab device;

determining a step from a variety of steps of a workflow with the server computer using the user identifier and the device identifier, wherein said workflow comprises at least two steps which are to be executed at different ones of the first and second lab devices for maintenance or operation of the analysis system to analyze the biological samples;

sending a signal comprising the determined step from the server computer to at least one of the first and second lab devices;

receiving the signal on at least one mobile device, wherein the signal comprises the at least one determined step of the workflow, at least one of the lab devices to be used for execution of the at least one step of the workflow by the identified user, position information indicating a geographic or topological location of the lab device to be used for the execution of the at least one determined step by the identified user, and one or more steps of the workflow to be executed at an unconnected lab device by the identified user, and

wherein the unconnected lab device comprises a lab device that is not coupled to the server computer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising displays on the mobile device output descriptive of the determined step of the workflow to be executed on the lab device by the identified user in response to receipt of the signal.