Information management device for mass spectrometer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12176197-B2
Application number	US-201816162503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 18, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

An imager 13 takes an image of a sample-placement surface of a sample plate 5 . A plate identifier 103 decodes a barcode on the image to acquire a plate ID, recognizes the well arrangement, and retrieves a template having a cell arrangement corresponding to the well arrangement from a plate information storage section 101 . A sample presence identifier 104 identifies, from the image, a well on which a sample is placed. A plate correspondence information input assistant 105 creates a template image in which the background color of the cells is changed depending on the presence of the sample, and displays it on a display unit 12 . An analysis operator inputs information into each cell by a direct character-input operation or a drag-and-drop operation from a previously created sample list. The inputted information is associated with the corresponding well number and stored in a registration information storage section 107.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An information management device for a mass spectrometer that performs mass spectrometry on samples placed on wells on a sample plate having a plurality of wells, the information management device being equipped with an input unit and a display unit as a user interface, and comprising:
an imager configured to take an image of a sample-placement surface including wells of the sample plate on which the samples have been placed;
a plate information storage section in which plate information for various sample plates used for mass spectrometry is stored, the plate information including an arrangement of the plurality of wells of each of the various sample plates;
a plate information retriever configured to retrieve the plate information corresponding to the sample plate from the plate information storage section, based on the image of the sample plate taken with the imager or information relating to the sample plate which is inputted by a user using the input unit;
a sample presence identifier configured to identify first type of wells on which the samples are placed and to identify second type of wells that do not include any sample, based on the image of the sample plate taken with the imager;
an input assistant controller configured to display a template, which comprises a table including a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix form, including a cell arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of wells included in the plate information retrieved by the plate information retriever, on a screen of the display unit in such a manner that sample-placed cells, which are a part of the plurality of cells corresponding to the first type of wells identified by the sample presence identifier as having a placed sample, are distinguishable from empty cells which are a part of the plurality of cells corresponding to the second type of wells identified by the sample presence identifier as not including any sample;
a cell designation and sample information retriever configured to retrieve designation of one of the plurality of cells of the table and sample identification information inputted into the designated cell, by the user using the input unit;
a display controller configured to:
when the designated cell is one of the sample-placed cells of the table, send an instruction for displaying the sample identification information retrieved by the cell designation and sample information retriever to the display unit, such that the sample identification information retrieved by the cell designation and sample information retriever is displayed in the designated cell by the display unit based on the instruction, and
when the designated cell is one of the empty cells of the table, send an instruction for displaying a status of prohibition of any input of information into the designated cell to the display unit, such that the status of prohibition of any input of information is displayed in the designated cell by the display unit based on the instruction; and
a registration information storage section configured to:
associate identification information of each of the wells on the sample plate with the sample identification information, and
store a result of the association.

2. The information management device for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1 , wherein
the plate information retriever is configured to recognize a position of each of the wells based on the image of the sample plate, and retrieve the plate information based on a result of the recognition.

3. The information management device for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the sample plate is provided with a barcode serving as identification information including a type of the sample plate; and
the plate information retriever is configured to read the barcode based on the image of the sample plate, and retrieve the plate information based on a result of decoding of the barcode.

4. The information management device for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the mass spectrometer is configured to employ a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization method.

5. The information management device for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the mass spectrometer is configured to employ a laser desorption ionization method.

6. The information management device for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the input unit, the display unit, the imager, the plate information storage section, the plate information retriever, the sample presence identifier, the input assistant controller, the cell designation and sample information retriever, and the display controller are included in a tablet terminal device having an imaging function.

7. The information management device for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the registration information storage section is configured to associate at least one of analysis result information obtained by performing mass spectrometry on the sample placed on each of the wells on the sample plate and analytical-processing result information obtained by performing a predetermined analytical processing on a result of the mass spectrometry, with the identification information of each of the wells, and store a result of the association.

8. The information management device for a mass spectrometer according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a repository creator configured to create a repository for storing, for each sample, identification information of the sample plate, the identification information of the wells, analysis conditions, as well as at least one of the analysis result information and the analytical-processing result information, and construct a database including repositories for a plurality of samples.

9. An information management device for a mass spectrometer that performs mass spectrometry on samples placed on wells on a sample plate having a plurality of wells, the information management device comprising:
an imager configured to take an image of a sample-placement surface including wells of the sample plate on which the samples have been placed;
a data processing unit storing plate information for various sample plates used for mass spectrometry, the plate information including an arrangement of the plurality of wells of each of the various sample plates;
an input unit configured to directly input information into a part of a plurality of cells on a template, which comprises a table including the plurality of cells arranged in a matrix form, including a cell arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of wells included in the plate information; and
a display unit configured to display the template on a screen,
wherein the plate information is retrieved based on the image of the sample plate taken with the imager or information relating to the sample plate which is inputted by the user using the input unit,
wherein first type of wells on which the samples are placed and second type of wells that do not include any sample are identified by the data processing unit, based on the image of the sample plate taken with the imager,
wherein the template is displayed on the screen of the display unit in such a manner that sample-placed cells, which are a part of the plurality of cells corresponding to the first type of wells identified as having a placed sample, are distinguishable from empty cells which are a part of the plurality of cells corresponding to the second type of wells identified as not including any sample,
wherein designation of one of the plurality of cells of the table and sample identification information inputted into the designated cell each performed by the user using the input unit are re

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• Iwamoto Shinichi
• Hioki Yusaku

Classifications

• H01J49/0027

  Methods for using particle spectrometers · CPC title

• H01J49/164

  Laser desorption/ionisation, e.g. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation [MALDI] (sample holders H01J49/0418) · CPC title

• H01J49/0004

  Imaging particle spectrometry · CPC title

• G06K7/1408

  the method being specifically adapted for the type of code · CPC title

• G01N21/84

  Systems specially adapted for particular applications · CPC title