Sample processing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention is a sample processing apparatus. The apparatus includes: a sample processing unit configured to process a sample; a display; a memory for storing an electronic manual for the sample processing apparatus; and a controller that is capable of showing a relevant part of the electronic manual on the display when a trouble has occurred in the sample processing unit, the relevant part of the electronic manual describing an operation procedure to deal with the trouble.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A clinical sample processing apparatus, comprising:
 a sample processing unit configured to process a clinical sample; 
 a display; 
 a computer connected with to the sample processing unit and with to the display, and comprising including a non-transitory memory configured to store having an electronic manual stored therein for the clinical sample processing apparatus, the electronic manual includes a plurality of pages, at least some of the pages describing operation procedures for measuring a clinical sample and at least some of the pages describing procedures for dealing with several errors including a predefined number of different types of errors in an error message list, wherein 
 the non-transitory memory is further configured to store includes link information designating a part stored therein that associates the pages of the electronic manual with respects to each type predefined number of error in association with different types of errors, 
 the computer is programmed to determine that an error has occurred in monitor a status of the sample processing unit and, upon a detection of an error at the sample processing unit, display an error message along with a button image operable to call up the electronic manual on the display, 
 the computer is further programmed to read out the link information from the non-transitory memory upon determination that an error has occurred in response to operation of the button, and makes the display to show the part to create a view of a page of the electronic manual designated with a reference to the link information according to the that directs the view to a particular page associated with a type of detected error, wherein the link information directs the view to a page describing an operation procedure for dealing with the first type of the occurred error, when a first type of error is detected, and to a page describing an operation procedure for dealing with a second type of error, when the second type of error is detected; and 
 the computer is further programmed to show on the display a view of the electronic manual, and to allow a user to scroll to other pages of the electronic manual. 
 
     
     
       2. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to show, on the display, a first screen image that shows information related to the status of the sample processing unit, and to show the relevant part particular page of the electronic manual on the first screen image when the error has occurred. 
     
     
       3. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising
 an input device, wherein 
 the computer is connected with the input device, and is further programmed to: 
 make the display to show a second screen image that includes a trouble display region showing a list of errors that occurred in the sample processing unit, and an operation procedure instruction button in which one of the errors are selectable; and  
 read out the link information from the non-transitory memory when the in response to operation procedure instruction button of the second screen button image is operated by the input device; 
 make the display operable to show the part of call up the electronic manual designated with the link information according to the type upon selection of the error selected in the list of one of the errors. 
 
     
     
       4. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the computer is further programmed to show the second screen display a cancel button image to include a cancel process instruction part for instructing execution of a cancel process to cancel the error with the error message; and 
 the computer is further programmed to execute the a cancel process when the cancel process instruction part of the second screen image button is manually operatedby the input device. 
 
     
     
       5. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein
 the computer is further programmed to show, on the display, the second screen image together with the relevant part of the electronic manual, and to receive the operation of the cancel process instruction part display the cancel button image while the relevant part particular page of the electronic manual is shown on the display. 
 
     
     
       6. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein
 the sample processing unit is configured to process the clinical sample using reagents in a plurality of reagent containers; and 
 the computer is further programmed to determine an occurrence of an sufficiency insufficiency of a reagent remaining in one of the reagent containers, and to execute a display process, as the cancel process, to show on the display a screen image that distinguishably shows the reagent container where the insufficiency of reagent has occurred. 
 
     
     
       7. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the sample processing unit is configured to measure the clinical sample;, and 
 the computer is further programmed to: 
 determine an occurrence of an abnormality of a measurement result of the clinical sample measured by the sample processing unit; 
 show, on the display, the second screen image to include a detail information instruction part when the an error message regarding an abnormality of the a measurement result has occurred; and a button image operable to view a detail information of the abnormality; and  
 show, on the display, a measurement result screen image showing the abnormal measurement result, when upon receipt of an operation of the button to view the detail informationinstruction part is manually operated by the input device. 
 
     
     
       8. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising
 an input device, wherein 
 the computer is connected with the input device, and is further programmed to: 
 show, in the first screen image, a manual display instruction part for instructing a display of the electronic manual,; and 
 show the electronic manual on the display even when the error has not been detected in the sample processing unit in response to an operation of the manual display instruction part by the input device. 
 
     
     
       9. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an input device, wherein
 the computer is connected with the input device and is further programmed to play an animation file that is a part of the electronic manual when the animation file is executed by an operation of the input device. 
 
     
     
       10. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 3 ,
 wherein 
 the computer is further programmed to:
 read out the screen image from the non-transitory memory;  
 display the first screen image to include a main region for displaying information relating to the sample processing, and a sub region that is different from the main region; 
 showdisplay an error object in the sub region when an error has occurred; and 
 showdisplay the second screen image so as to be overlapped on the first screen image when the error object is manually operated by the input device. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein
 the computer is further programmed to: 
 display the second screen image to include a no-display object; and 
 erase the second screen image on the display when the no-display object is manually operated by the input device, and again show the second screen image so as to be overlapped on the first screen image when the error object of the sub region is manually operated by the input device. 
 
     
     
       12. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the computer is further programmed to read out the link information from the non-transitory memory and to automatically show the relevant part of the electronic manual on the display when information indicating a content of the error is shown on the display. 
 
     
     
       13. The clinical sample processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the sample processing unit comprises:  
 a sample preparation unit configured to prepare a measurement sample from a blood and a reagent; and 
 a detector configured to detect characteristic information from a blood cell contained in the measurement sample prepared by the sample preparation unit, wherein 
 the computer is further programmed to obtain a number of blood cells in the blood based on a detection data obtained by the detector. 
 
     
     
       14. A method for guiding execution of an error-solving operation, the method executed by a computer of a clinical sample processing apparatus to implement steps comprising:
 processing and analyzing the clinical sample by the clinical sample processing apparatus;   detecting an error in the clinical sample processing apparatus;   upon detection of the error, displaying, on a display of the clinical sample processing apparatus, an error message and a button image operable to call up an electronic manual;   upon operation of the button image, accessing a non-transitory memory of the clinical sample processing apparatus that stores the electronic manual for the clinical sample processing apparatus including a plurality of pages, at least some of the pages describing operation procedures for measuring a clinical sample and some of the pages describing operation procedures for dealing with several errors including a predefined number of different types of errors, and link information that links errors in the clinical sample processing apparatus to relevant pages of the electronic manual to operation procedures for dealing with the error, wherein accessing the non-transitory memory comprises locating the link information stored in the non-transitory memory in relation to the error, and   creating a view on the display of a particular page of the electronic manual that is designated by the link information, wherein the particular page appearing in the view differs depending upon the type of error; and   displaying the created view of the electronic manual in a scrollable manner.    
     
     
       15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising displaying an operation status of the clinical sample processing apparatus in a first screen area, wherein responsive to a detection of the error, changing the displayed operation status to an alerting status for alerting the error.  
     
     
       16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:
 displaying a dialogue screen on the display that comprises a list of errors which have previously occurred and at least one of an operation manual display button image or a recovery procedure display button image; and   receiving a selection input for a selected error among the listed errors, wherein displaying the relevant pages of the electronic manual comprises:   (i) responsive to operation of the operation manual display button image, displaying the relevant section of the electronic manual linked by the link information to the selected error, wherein the relevant section comprises information on a cause of the selected error; or   (ii) responsive to an operation of the recovery procedure display button image, displaying the relevant section of the electronic manual linked by the link information to the selected error, wherein the relevant section comprises information on procedures for recovering from the selected error.    
     
     
       17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, responsive to an operation of the recovery procedure display button image, displaying the relevant section of the electronic manual further comprises displaying a video showing the procedures for recovering from the selected error.  
     
     
       18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising displaying a list of reagents accessible by the clinical sample processing apparatus with an identification of one of the reagents that indicates that the identified reagent is running out.  
     
     
       19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising displaying a quality control record showing quality control test results with an identification of one of the quality control test results that indicates an abnormality.  
     
     
       20. A clinical sample processing apparatus, comprising:
 a sample processing unit configured to process a clinical sample;   a display; and   a computer connected to the sample processing unit and to the display, and comprising a non-transitory memory having an electronic manual for the clinical sample processing apparatus stored therein, the electronic manual is deployed in the non-transitory memory to include a plurality of pages, at least some of the pages describing operation procedures for measuring a clinical sample and at least some of the pages describing operation procedures for dealing with several types of errors,   wherein the non-transitory memory further includes link information designating a part of the electronic manual with respect to the operation procedure for dealing with each of the several types of errors, and   the computer is programmed to:   determine that an error has occurred in the sample processing unit;   upon determination that the error has occurred, display a screen image that includes the error, an operation procedure instruction button image and a message indicating user action for dealing with the error;   read out the link information from the non-transitory memory responsive to an operation of the operation procedure instruction button image;   create a view of a page of the electronic manual with reference to the link information that directs the view to a particular page associated with a type of the error, wherein the link information directs the view to a page describing the operation procedure for dealing with the type of error; and   display the created view of the electronic manual, that allows a user to scroll to other pages of the electronic manual.    
     
     
       21. The clinical sample processing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the non-transitory memory includes screen image information, and the computer is programmed to read out the screen image from the non-transitory memory and automatically display the screen image when the error has occurred.  
     
     
       22. A clinical sample processing apparatus comprising:
 a sample processing unit configured to process a clinical sample using reagents in a plurality of reagent containers;   a display; and   a computer connected to the sample processing unit and to the display, and comprising a non-transitory memory having an electronic manual for the clinical sample processing apparatus stored therein, the electronic manual including a series of operation procedures for measuring a clinical sample and for dealing with different types of errors in page sequence,   wherein the non-transitory memory further includes link information designating a part of the electronic manual with respect to the operation procedure for dealing with each of the different types of errors,   the computer is programmed to determine that an error has occurred in the sample processing unit and to read out the link information from the non-transitory memory, and display the part of the electronic manual with respect to the operation procedure for dealing with a type of the error designated with the link information,   wherein the computer is further programmed to:   determine an insufficiency of reagent remaining in one of the reagent containers;   upon determination of the insufficiency of reagent, display a reagent replacement dialogue screen that includes a list of the reagent containers, a remaining amount of reagent in each of the reagent containers, and an identification of the reagent container having the insufficiency of reagent; and   upon receipt of an input from a user after the reagent is replaced, terminate the reagent replacement dialogue.    
     
     
       23. A clinical sample measuring apparatus, comprising:
 a sample measuring unit configured to measure a clinical sample;   a display; and   a computer connected to the sample measuring unit and to the display, and comprising a non-transitory memory having an electronic manual for the clinical sample processing apparatus stored therein, the electronic manual includes a series of operation procedures for measuring a clinical sample and for dealing with each type of error in page sequence,   wherein the non-transitory memory further includes link information designating a part of the electronic manual with respect to the operation procedure for dealing with different types of errors,   the computer is programmed to determine that an error has occurred in the sample measuring unit and to read out the link information from the non-transitory memory, and display the part of the electronic manual with respect to the operation procedure for dealing with a type of error designated with the link information,   wherein the non-transitory memory includes test results obtained by the sample measuring unit,   the computer is further programmed to:   when a quality control test result of a quality control substance has exceeded a normal range, display a dialogue screen including a detail data display button image and an error display region indicating a quality control error; and   responsive to an operation of the detail data display button image, display a chart showing a history of quality control test results of the quality control substance.    
     
     
       24. The clinical sample measuring apparatus of claim 23, wherein the computer is further programmed to display the chart with an identification of any quality control test results that is not within a predesignated normal range.