Method for tracking and imaging biological samples

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9633176-B2
Application number	US-64620806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2006
Priority date	Nov 13, 2001
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus are described for the handling of biological specimens for analysis. The systems, methods and apparatus are designed to reduce errors in misidentification, incorrect processing, and recordkeeping and reporting. The systems, methods, and apparatus can also provide real time tracking of samples at any stage, from collection to processing to analyzing to storage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
obtaining a sample of biological material;
depositing the sample on a sample carrier;
labeling the sample carrier with a unique identifier, which represents the biological material, and which is unique relative to all other identifiers for all other samples carriers;
forming an electronic image indicative of said sample of biological material;
associating the electronic image of said sample with the unique identifier;
maintaining a lossless compressed version of the electronic image at a data center, as a reference copy of the electronic image of the biological material; and
sending a lossy compressed image to a client workstation, to allow review of the electronic image.

2. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the data center, user input region coordinates from the client workstation, and
carrying out an image analysis at the data center based on the received region coordinates and the lossless compressed image.

3. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising:
sending information indicative of the image to a remote database.

4. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising:
performing an action on a sample, wherein an action includes at least one of
reading of the unique identifier;
performing a grossing action on the sample;
performing a staining action on the sample;
performing an analysis action on the sample; and
performing a therapy selection action on a sample;

and maintaining a running list of all actions taken on the sample.

5. A method as in claim 4 , wherein maintaining the running list further comprises recording at least one person who accessed the unique identifier.

6. A method as in claim 4 , wherein assigning the unique identifier further comprises including a portion of the unique identifier indicative of a time when the identifier was assigned.

7. A method as in claim 6 , further comprising:
electronically reading the unique identifier with an identifier reader; and determining the time when the identifier was assigned from the reading.

8. A method as in claim 1 , wherein associating the sample with the unique identifier further comprises including a portion of the unique identifier indicative of a location where the unique identifier was assigned.

9. A method as in claim 8 , further comprising:
electronically reading the unique identifier with an identifier reader; and determining the location where the unique identifier was assigned from the reading.

Assignees

• De La Torre-Bueno Jose
• Dako Denmark As

Inventors

• De La Torre-Bueno Jose

Classifications

• G16H10/60

  for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records · CPC title

• G01N35/00732

  Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers · CPC title

• G01N2035/00881

  network configurations · CPC title

• G01N35/00029

  provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides (G01N35/028 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N2035/00742

  Type of codes · CPC title