Analysis System For Analyzing Biological Samples, Data Processing Method And Computer Program Product

Abstract

Embodiments related to analysis system for analyzing biological samples, a data processing method and a computer program product are disclosed. An analyzer is coupled to an control computer and has a control application program which receives control data, sends analytical data, and generates a host screen image. A remote computer is coupled to the control computer, and provides a data manager application program which sends the control data to the control computer, receives the analytical data, and generates a first window. A remote application program interoperates with a host application program which generates a second window containing a duplicate of the host screen image. A user interface program displays a first display window and a second display window, the first display window being one of the first and second windows and the second display window containing a screen shot of the other one of the first and second windows.

1 . An analysis system for analyzing biological samples comprising:
 at least one analyzer coupled to a respective analyzer control computer, the analyzer control computer comprising an analyzer control application program which receives control data and sends analytical data, the analyzer control application program generates a host screen image, and further comprising a host application program, the at least one analyzer operates to induce a reaction of a biological sample with a reagent and to acquire at least one measurement value being related to the reaction;   a remote computer coupled to the at least one analyzer control computer, the remote computer comprising a data manager application program which sends the control data to the at least one analyzer control computer and receives the analytical data, the data manager application program generates a first window, and further comprising at least one remote application program, the remote application program interoperates with the host application program to generate a second window containing a duplicate of the host screen image;   a user interface program which displays at least a first display window and a second display window, the first display window being one of the first and second windows and the second display window containing a screen shot of the other one of the first and second windows, wherein only the first display window permits entry of user data; and   an input unit to enter a user's selection of the first or the second window for displaying as the first display window.   
     
     
         2 . The analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface program repeatedly updates the screen shot. 
     
     
         3 . The analysis system of  claim 2 , wherein a time interval between two consecutive screen shot update operations is below five seconds. 
     
     
         4 . The analysis system of  claim 2 , wherein a time interval between two consecutive screen shot update operations is below one second. 
     
     
         5 . The analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface program has a window positioning component which stacks the first window and the N second windows such that a user interaction is only enabled with the topmost window of the stack. 
     
     
         6 . The analysis system of  claim 5 , wherein the windows of the stack have identical size and format. 
     
     
         7 . The analysis system of  claim 5 , wherein the window positioning component changes the order of the stack in response to entry of the user's selection, such that the selected window becomes the topmost window of the stack. 
     
     
         8 . The analysis system of  claim 5 , wherein the windows of the stack are aligned in the vertical direction such that only the topmost window is visible. 
     
     
         9 . The analysis system of  claim 5 , wherein a second display window is displayed for each one of the N second windows. 
     
     
         10 . The analysis system of  claim 9 , wherein the N second windows arranged in a side bar next to the first display window. 
     
     
         11 . The analysis system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first interface which transmits a sample identifier and a request for performing an analysis of the sample from the remote computer to one of the analyzer control computers and which transmits the sample identifier and a result of the analysis in response to the request from the one of the analyzer control computers to the remote computer. 
     
     
         12 . The analysis system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second interface which transmits at least a portion of the control data from the remote computer to one of the analyzer control computers and which transmits at least a portion of the result context data related to the requested analysis from the one of the analyzer control computers to the remote computer. 
     
     
         13 . The analysis system of  claim 11 , wherein the first interface is a HL7 interface and the second interface is an XML interface. 
     
     
         14 . A data processing method implemented by a remote computer and a number N of n analyzer control computers comprising:
 generating a host screen image by each one of the analyzer control computers;   generating the number N of windows by the remote computer, the nth window being a duplicate of the nth host screen image; and   displaying a first display window and the number N of second display windows, the first display window being one of the windows and each one of the N second display windows containing a screen shot one of the windows,   wherein each one of the analyzer control computers is coupled to an analyzer and wherein user interaction with one of the analyzer control computers is enabled via the first display window.   
     
     
         15 . The data processing method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving a user's selection of one of the windows and displaying the user selected one of the windows as the first display window, and further comprising stacking the N second windows such that a user interaction is only enabled with the topmost window of the stack. 
     
     
         16 . A computer program product comprising executable program code which causes a remote computer and a number N of n analyzer control computers to perform the method of  claim 14 .