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

• US 8,985,441 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• 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:
  US14/149,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20140117089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 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 a user to analyze biological samples comprising:

a mobile device;

a first lab device;

a second lab device; and

a server computer which assigns a first set of steps of a workflow that is read from a storage component to the first lab device and a second set of steps of the workflow to the second lab device,

wherein;

at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device comprises a user identification component for identifying the user via a user identifier for the user that is sent from the user identification component to the server computer, and

the mobile device is configured to display information contained in a signal received from the server computer which indicates at least one determined step of the workflow that is to be executed by the user identified to the server computer by the user identification component via the user identifier and which indicates which of the at least one of the first and second lab devices is to be used by the user for execution of the at least one determined step of the workflow.

2. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the server computer is configured to send the signal which indicates the at least one determined step of the workflow that is to be executed by the user to the at least one of the first and second lab devices that is to be used by the user for execution of the at least one determined step of the workflow.

3. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device comprises a device identification component for identifying the lab device via a device identifier that is sent from the device identification component to the server computer.

4. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the server computer is configured to mark the at least one determined step as completed in a database table upon receiving an indication from the mobile device of completion of the at least one determined step of the workflow.

5. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the signal received from the server computer indicates an order of priority in which the at least one determined steps of the workflow is to be carried out by the at least one of the first and second lab devices.

6. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the server computer is configured to send a message, which provides position information of the lab device that the at least one determined step is assigned, to at least the mobile device.

7. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein one of the first lab device and the second lab device is a lab device that is unconnected to the server computer.

8. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein both the first lab device and the second lab device are connected to the server computer via a network.

9. The analysis system of claim 7, wherein the lab device that is unconnected to the server computer is one of a refrigerator, a reagent shelf, a sample self, a lab device that has no electronic components, a lab device that does not have a network interface for communicating with the server computer, and a receptacle of a sample, analytical adjuvant material, reagent, wash buffer, auxiliary liquid.

10. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device is one of an automatic analyzer which provides analytical data related to a sample, a decapper device, a sample preparation and distribution systems, and an automated sample storage devices.

11. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, an electronic appliance having an interface for communicating with the server computer, and an electronic appliance having a wireless interface for establishing a communication link with the server computer over a wireless digital cellular tele-communications network or a wireless communication channel.

12. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the storage component is provided by at least one of the server computer, the first lab device, the second lab device, the mobile device, and a database server.

13. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is operable for identifying the user to the server computer.

14. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the user identification component is configured to identify the user by a user login operation, RFID, a chip card, or a biometric feature.

15. A method being implemented by an analysis system used by a user to analyze biological samples, the method comprising:

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

sending the user identifier of the user to a server computer networked to the at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device;

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

sending from the server computer a signal comprising the at least one determined step that is to be executed by the user identified by the user identifier on the at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device; and

receiving the signal on a mobile device, wherein said mobile device in response to receiving the signal displays the at least one determined step that is to be executed by the user identified by the user identifier on the at least one of the first lab device and second lab device.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprises providing in the signal received by the mobile device position information indicating a geographic or topological location of the at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device provided in the signal.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprises providing in the signal received by the mobile device one or more steps of the workflow to be executed at a lab device that is not networked to the server computer.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprises sending the signal to the at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device, and displaying the steps in a prioritized order on the mobile device and/or the at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprises signaling completion of the at least one determined step of the workflow to the server computer from the mobile device and/or the at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprises:

receiving a second user identifier identifying a second user by the server computer from one of a second mobile device, the first lab device, and the second lab device;

determining via the server computer using the second user identifier at least one step from the variety of steps of the workflow that is to be executed by the second user identified by the second user identifier on at least one of the first lab device and the second lab device; and

receiving a second signal sent from the server computer on at least one of the second mobile device, the first lab device and the second lab device indicating the at least one step that is to be executed by the second user identified by the second user identifier on the at least one of the first lab device and second lab device.