Distributed automation apparatus for laboratory diagnostics
A distributed automation apparatus for laboratory diagnostics is described, comprising modules for processing biological products transported on an automatic conveyor and modules for interfacing with analysis devices, both said modules being connected to said automatic conveyor, each of said modules is independent of the other modules, it being provided with its own control board, which allows it to work autonomously and independently of a central control unit which provides a worklist to each node which is dynamically read and updated by said control unit, and said module reading and updating said, worklist.
1. A distributed automation apparatus for laboratory diagnostics comprising
first modules for carrying out operations of various types on biological product containers inserted in dedicated transport devices which are transported on an automatic conveyor and second modules for interfacing with analysis devices of biological product specimens, both the first and second modules being connected to said automatic conveyor,
a central control unit comprising a first computer processor in communication with a first storage device storing instructions that are executable to enable the first computer processor to provide worklists to respective first and second modules dynamically read and updated by said central control unit and to temporarily isolate faulty or inoperable first or second modules from the rest of the automation apparatus, which continues to operate normally,
each of said first and second modules being independent with respect to the other first and second modules, and being provided with its own control board comprising a second computer processor in communication with a second storage device storing instructions that are executable to enable the second computer processor to autonomously manage the flow of operations for processing the biological material specimens,
said apparatus also comprises nodes between said central control unit and said first or second modules, one node for each first or second module,
said central control unit being connected to the nodes by an Automation Network,
said central control unit transmitting a worklist to each node for each module,
wherein each module reads and updates the respective worklist at the respective node by the results of its processing on the specimen, each node in turn communicating said results to the central control unit.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the connection between said first and second modules, said nodes and said central control unit is realized through a CAN network and a related communication protocol of CANopen type.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the central control unit is connected via Ethernet to a plurality of Graphical User Interfaces designed for an operator's management of the controls to be manually imparted to each of the first and second modules or even for activities of log analysis or diagnostics of the single first or second modules.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the results of the various tests on the specimens carried out by the analysis devices are provided to a Laboratory Information System comprising a computer processor suitable for interfacing with a whole Hospital Information System, intended as the set of ail the information instruments used in healthcare field for managing both administration and clinical flows of a hospital.