Laboratory apparatus with a control device
For the simplified, intuitive and reliable operation of laboratory apparatuses, it is proposed that the laboratory apparatus be equipped with a control device comprising a touch-sensitive display unit ( 100 ), wherein the display unit ( 100 ) is configured to display a plurality of control elements ( 111, 112, 113 etc), which are assigned to different control functions of the laboratory apparatus, wherein the control elements are embodied ( 111, 112, 113 etc) to set parameters ( 121, 122, 123 ) of the control functions. At the same time, at least two of the control elements ( 111, 112, 113, 114 ) are assigned to the same control function and embodied differently for setting the same parameter ( 121 ) of this control function. Therefore, the user is always offered a plurality of ways for setting a parameter or for operating the apparatus, such as, for example, for setting the rotational speed of a centrifuge. The touch-sensitive display unit is preferably embodied as a multi-touch screen, which is also able to recognise finger movements of the user, so-called gestures, as operator commands.
1. A laboratory apparatus include a centrifuge, thermocycler, shaker, ULT freezer, CO2 incubator, mixer or bioreactor or fermenter and/or as an automatic laboratory machine, the laboratory apparatus having a control device comprising a touch-sensitive display unit ( 100 ), wherein the display unit ( 100 ) is configured to display a plurality of control elements ( 111 , 112 , 113 . . . ) within a control panel ( 110 ), the plurality of control elements being assigned to different control functions of the laboratory apparatus, wherein the control elements ( 111 , 112 , 113 . . . ) are embodied to set parameters ( 121 , 122 , 123 ) of the control functions, wherein at least two of the control elements ( 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 ) are assigned to a same control function and are embodied differently to set the same parameter ( 121 ) of this same control function, said control functions include a control of an electric motor, a control of a heating and/or cooling element, a valve control, or a time control, and said parameters include a temperature ( 122 ), a speed, a rotational speed ( 121 ), an acceleration, a duration ( 123 ), a volume, a distance, a length, a width, a height or a radius;
wherein the display unit ( 100 ) displays the at least two control elements ( 111 , 112 , 113 ) in an at least partially interleaved arrangement;
wherein one of the at least two control elements is a circular slide control ( 112 ), which is continuously set by means of a sliding movement along a slide path being a full circular ring, and other control elements of the at least two control elements are located in the interior of the full circular ring,
wherein, a value of a setting point selected by the one of the at least two control elements is shown in the display unit;
wherein the control panel also displays a further control element ( 114 ) inside the full circular ring taking on a function of a favorite button, with which said same parameter of said same control function can be set to a favorite value.
2. The laboratory apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two control elements ( 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 ) are embodied to set the same parameter ( 121 ) are operated by at least one of a tapping, swiping or pointing gesture.
3. The laboratory apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two control elements ( 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 ) comprise at least two of the following differently embodied control elements: slide control, rotary control ( 112 ), key ( 111 ), rocker, switch and stepping switch ( 113 ).
4. The laboratory apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit ( 100 ) displays the plurality of the parameters to be set ( 121 , 122 , 123 ) within a display panel ( 120 ), wherein the display panel displays the parameter ( 122 ) which is currently being set as highlighted relative to the other parameters ( 121 , 123 ).
5. The laboratory apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the display unit ( 100 ) also displays at least one of the control elements ( 115 ).
6. The laboratory apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive display unit is embodied as a multi-touch screen.
7. A control device for at least one laboratory apparatus include a centrifuge, thermocycler, shaker, ULT freezer, CO2 incubator, mixer or bioreactor or fermenter and/or as an automatic laboratory machine, the at least one laboratory apparatus having a touch-sensitive display unit ( 100 ), wherein the display unit ( 100 ) is configured to display a plurality of control elements ( 111 , 112 , 113 etc), which are assigned to different control functions of the laboratory apparatus, wherein the control elements ( 111 , 112 , 113 etc) are embodied to set parameters ( 121 , 122 , 123 ) of the control functions, said control functions include a control of an electric motor, a control of a heating and/or cooling element, a valve control, or a time control, and said parameters include a temperature ( 122 ), a speed, a rotational speed ( 121 ), an acceleration, a duration ( 123 ), a volume, a distance, a length, a width, a height or a radius;
wherein at least two of the control elements ( 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 ) are assigned to a same control function and are embodied differently for setting the same parameter ( 121 ) of this same control function,
wherein one of the at least two control elements is a circular slide control ( 112 ), which is continuously set by means of a sliding movement along a slide path being a full circular ring, and other control elements of the at least two control elements are located in the interior of the full circular ring,
wherein a value of a setting point selected by the one of the at least two control elements is shown in the display unit, wherein the control panel also displays a further control element ( 114 ) inside the full circular ring taking on a function of a favorite button, with which said same parameter of said same control function can be set to a favorite value.
8. The control device according to claim 7 , wherein the control device comprises a housing arranged spatially separate from the at least one laboratory apparatus.
9. The control device according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the control device is connected to the plurality of laboratory apparatuses, including a plurality of mixers, centrifuges or thermocyclers, and is configured for a central operation of the plurality of laboratory apparatuses.