Laboratory automation apparatus, automated analytical apparatus and system
View Patent ↗A laboratory automation system capable of reducing a wasting time of an operator work by giving a notification that enables a device state and a summary of an operator call to be recognized. The laboratory automation system having notifying means such as a display unit or a speaker which can be recognized by the operator distant from the device, includes a notifying unit for calling the operator, and a notifying unit for notifying a status of the device, in which a state device and a summary of the work conducted by the operator can be easily recognized by the combination of notifications of those notifying units.
1. A laboratory automation device or an automated analytical device, comprising:
a plurality of processing modules that process samples, each of the processing modules operating independently; and
a transporting device that transports samples between said plurality of processing modules;
wherein at least two of the processing modules each have:
a notifying unit mounted thereon and having a status notifying illumination device that notifies a consumables status or a processing module status of the corresponding processing module, and a call notification illumination device that notifies a call state which indicates whether or not the corresponding processing module requires intervention by an operator;
a plurality of input switches mounted thereon and disposed adjacent to the notifying unit and each switch having a one to one relationship with one of the status notifying illumination device and the call notification illumination device of the notifying unit, respectively; and
a controller programmed to:
control the status notifying illumination device or the call notification illumination device to independently provide notification at the same time or at different times, wherein the controller is programmed to control the status notifying illumination device and the call notification illumination device automatically based on the status of the corresponding processing module, and wherein the controller is further programmed to control the status notifying illumination device and the call notification illumination device based on a selection of an input from at least one of the plurality of input switches; and
control a status of the corresponding processing module upon receiving the input from the at least one of the plurality of input switches of the corresponding processing module, and, upon an occurrence of an error at the corresponding processing module, control the notifying unit to produce a notification of the error at the corresponding processing module.
2. The laboratory automation device or an automated analytical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the status notifying illumination device includes a plurality of notifying illumination devices that notifies of at least one of an operating state, a suspension state, and a stop state of the corresponding processing module.
3. The laboratory automation device or an automated analytical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the status notifying illumination device and the call notification illumination device include a plurality of illuminators, and
wherein the controller is further programmed to cause the illuminators of the call notification illumination device and the status notifying illumination device to turn ON, blink or turn OFF.
4. The laboratory automation device or an automated analytical device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the controller is further programmed to cause the illuminator to blink while the corresponding processing module is transitioning from one state to another state.
5. The laboratory automation device or an automated analytical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of input buttons include at least one of a call clear button that clears a call state, a start button that transitions the corresponding processing module from a suspension state or a stop state to an operating state, a suspension button that temporarily suspends the corresponding processing module from the operating state, and a stop button that transitions the respective processing module from the operating state or the suspension state to the stop state,
wherein the start state, suspension state and stop state indicate the processing module status.
6. The laboratory automation device or an automated analytical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the input buttons each include an illuminator, and
wherein each of the at least two of the processing modules have a control circuit that turns ON, blinks, and turns OFF the corresponding illuminator according to an input from the input buttons.
7. The laboratory automation device or an automated analytical device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing modules are coupled with each other.
8. The laboratory automation device or automated analytical device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of illuminators are comprised of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).