Supplying consumable items to an automated sample analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10338086-B2
Application number	US-201715600089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2017
Priority date	Jun 6, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A method for supplying consumable items to an automated sample analyzer is presented. The automated analyzer comprises a consumable repository including two or more storage areas. Each area is configured to store a plurality of consumable items. The method comprises receiving one or more orders for analytical tests to be carried out by the analyzer, reserving consumable items corresponding to one or more sets of consumable items required for the analytical tests in a first area, switching to a second area for reserving consumable items in response to determining that a predetermined consumable item in the first area has been reserved, supplying the reserved consumable items for use in the one or more analytical tests and indicating that the first area can be replenished in response to determining that a particular consumable item of the first storage area has been used.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for supplying consumable items to an automated sample analyzer, wherein the automated analyzer includes a consumable repository including two or more storage areas, each storage area being configured to store a plurality of consumable items, the method comprises:
receiving one or more orders for analytical tests to be carried out by the analyzer, each of the analytical tests requiring a set of consumable items;
reserving consumable items corresponding to the one or more sets of consumable items required for the analytical tests in a first storage area of the two or more storage areas of the analyzer;
switching to a second storage area of the two or more storage areas of the analyzer for reserving consumable items in response to determining that a predetermined consumable item in the first storage area has been reserved;
supplying the reserved consumable items for use in the one or more analytical tests; and
indicating that the first storage area can be replenished in response to determining that a particular consumable item of the first storage area has been used in the one or more analytical tests while the analyzer continues to supply consumable items from the second storage area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular consumable item triggering an indication that the first storage area can be replenished is a last consumable item contained in the first storage area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular consumable item triggering an indication that the first storage area can be replenished is a last consumable item of a predetermined type contained in the first storage area.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second storage areas are first and second storage compartments.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second storage compartments include first and second drawers for storing the consumable items.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined consumable item whose reservation triggers a switching to a second storage area is a last not reserved consumable item available for reservation in the first storage area.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined consumable item whose reservation triggers a switching to a second storage area is a last not reserved consumable item of a predetermined type available for reservation in the first storage area.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein reserving the sets of consumable items required for the analytical tests includes reserving concrete consumable items contained in the respective storage area.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the consumable items are arranged in a plurality of containers, each being configured to contain two or more consumable items.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising,
scheduling the one or more orders for analytical tests to be carried out by the analyzer in a schedule before reserving consumable items for the respective analytical tests, the schedule defining an order in which the analytical tests shall be carried out; and
reserving the consumable items according to the order laid out in the schedule.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising,
monitoring a filling state of the two or more storage areas, wherein the consumable items are arranged in a plurality of containers each being configured to contain two or more consumable items and wherein monitoring the filling status of the two or more storage areas includes maintaining a filling status indicator for each of the containers.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein monitoring the filling status includes, for all containers which are supposed to include at least some not used positions, checking a consumable item position in a container which has been used in the one or more analytical tests, and, if the position contains a consumable item, changing the status to not used.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein indicating that the first storage area can be replenished includes generating a message for a user of the automated analyzer.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating a message generates a visual, audible, or audio-visible signal for the user.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein a locking closing mechanism of the first storage area is unlocked when the first storage area can be replenished.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicating that the first storage area can be replenished includes issuing an electronic signal to an automated replenishment system.

17. An apparatus for analyzing samples, the apparatus comprising:
a consumable repository including two or more storage areas, each storage area being configured to store a plurality of consumable items;
a supply device for supplying the consumable items to be used in the analysis processes; and
a controller configured to control the apparatus to perform the steps of the method of claim 1 .

18. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a controller of an analyzer controls the analyzer to perform the steps of the method of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Maetzler Marco
• Franzen Liutger Joannes
• Zwahlen Florian
• Reischauer Hans
• Cojocaru Adrian
• Topsakalian Stephan

Classifications

• G01N35/0099

  comprising robots or similar manipulators (robots per se B25J) · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G01N35/1002 Primary

  Reagent dispensers · CPC title

• G01N35/04

  Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N2035/0498

  Drawers used as storage or dispensing means for vessels or cuvettes · CPC title