Computer interface module having a flat menu

• US 6,442,440 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Dade Behring, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Miller, Kerry Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Application Number:
  US09/602,695
• Time in Patent Office: 794 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/83, 700/84, 700/266, 345/961, 345/965, 345/970, 436/43, 436/55, 436/166, 422/50, 422/62, 422/63, 422/119, 128/922, 738/63, 738/630.1
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/009 alarms, e.g. audible
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0091 GUI [graphical user interfaces]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration

Abstract

A computer interface module having a first information display screen that is directly linked to a plurality of additional information display screens containing on-line information about the operational status of plurality of interrelated automated devices as well as information describing the location of any specific sample and the status of clinical tests to be performed on the sample. A combination of general function buttons and specific function buttons as well as a scrollable text area where informational messages are displayed.

Claims

1. A computer interface display module adapted to facilitate interactions between an operator and an automated clinical analytical system wherein the module comprises a visual touch screen adapted to display a menu including icons, scroll bars, boxes and buttons through which the operator may interface with said clinical analytical system and wherein said menu comprises a number of function buttons programmed to display functional aspects of said clinical analytical system and further comprises a number of function specific buttons programmed to display functional aspects of said function buttons so that detailed information about the clinical analytical system may be displayed by activating no more than two of said function buttons and function specific buttons.

2. The module of claim 1 wherein the clinical analytical system comprises a plurality of interrelated sample preparation devices adapted to prepare a biological sample for sample analysis and a plurality of automated clinical analyzers adapted to analyze said biological sample.

3. The module of claim 2 wherein the function buttons access information about individual analyzers or sample preparation devices or sample transfer devices.

4. The module of claim 3 wherein the function specific buttons access information about processing status of the analyzer and sample preparation devices and display a color coding of the clinical system'"'"'s main components as described by yellow if the clinical system is low on consumables used in sample handling or analysis, red if out of consumables, and green for all other conditions.

5. The module of claim 3 wherein the function specific buttons access information about a processing status of the analyzer and display a color coding of the analyzer'"'"'s main components as described by yellow if an analysis sub-modules is unavailable, red if in an error state, green for all other conditions.

6. The module of claim 3 wherein the function specific buttons access information about the processing status of the analyzer and display a color coding of the analyzer'"'"'s reagent status as described by yellow if getting low on reagent, red if out of any reagent, green for all other conditions.

7. The module of claim 3 wherein the function specific buttons access information about the status of the sample preparation devices as described by the status of the various components and/or component groups in the sample preparation device as may be required for the different sample preparation operations such as decapping of a closed sample tube, aliquotting of portions of samples from a primary tube to a secondary tube, sample identification, dilution, centrifugation, etc, in order to prepare the original biological sample for analysis by the analyzer.

8. The module of claim 6 wherein the information about individual analyzers within the clinical analytical system includes all messages for all analyzers, messages pertaining to an aliquot portion of all analyzers, messages pertaining to an analysis portion of all analyzers, messages pertaining to a reagent inventory on all analyzers, messages pertaining to low reagent inventory on all analyzers, and a time and date when analyzer information was last changed.

9. The module of claim 6 wherein information about individual analyzers includes an operating manual configuration details such as assay menu, reagent inventories, standard and control readings, incubation temperatures, throughput, a list of System Setup screens, and information that is useful in making a operational diagnostic evaluation before or during routine quality control procedures.

10. The module of claim 2 wherein the function buttons access information about individual samples or racks of samples being analyzed by said analyzers or being prepared for analysis by said sample preparation devices.

11. The module of claim 10 wherein the function specific buttons access information about an identifier, a locator and a processing status of individual biological samples or racks of biological samples being analyzed by said analyzers or being prepared for analysis by said sample preparation devices.

12. The module of claim 5 wherein the processing status of individual biological racks includes information such as the rack is empty, status is unknown, is an input rack waiting for unloading, is currently being unloaded, is an output rack and waiting for loading, is currently being loaded, contains some sample(s) that do not have all the test results for tests ordered on the clinical analytical system reported, all samples in the rack have completed tests ordered, was last used as an output rack and is no longer on the system, is a sorted output rack and is currently empty waiting for sample tubes to be loaded, is the sorted output rack that is currently being loaded, contains only samples that require further processing outside the clinical analytical system but also contains some sample(s) that do not have all test results for tests ordered on the clinical analytical system reported, contains only samples that require further processing outside the clinical analytical system, or was last used as a sorted output rack and is no longer on the system.

13. The module of claim 11 wherein the processing status of individual biological samples includes information such as priority of processing the sample, an unknown status, pre-analytical processing in progress, analyzer(s) processing in progress, testing complete, test results sent to laboratory information system, a list of all samples on the system, a list of all samples with test results pending, a list of all samples completed on a given day, a list of all samples completed in a given day but results have not been sent to the laboratory information system, list of all samples that have laboratory information system information, but have not been identified at the system, an estimated time for all tests ordered for the sample to be complete, including any required pre-analytical processing time, a test abbreviation for ordered tests, any test results reported by the analyzer, a unit of measure used in reporting the results, and a high and a low result value that are considered normal for ordered tests.

14. The module of claim 1 further including a laboratory information system interfaced to said clinical analytical system through said module.