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 sample processing apparatus, comprising:
 a sample processing unit configured to process a sample;   a display;   a computer connected with the sample processing unit and with the display, and comprising a non-transitory memory configured to store an electronic manual for the sample processing apparatus, wherein   the non-transitory memory is further configured to store link information designating a part of the electronic manual with respects to each type of error in association with 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 upon determination that an error has occurred, and makes the display to show the part of the electronic manual designated with the link information according to the type of the occurred error.   
     
     
       2. The 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 sample processing, and to show the relevant part of the electronic manual on the first screen image when the error has occurred.   
     
     
       3. The 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 occurred in the sample processing unit, and an operation procedure instruction button;   read out the link information from the non-transitory memory when the operation procedure instruction button of the second screen image is operated by the input device;   make the display to show the part of the electronic manual designated with the link information according to the type of the error selected in the list of errors.   
     
     
       4. The sample processing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the computer is further programmed to show the second screen image to include a cancel process instruction part for instructing execution of a cancel process to cancel the error; and   the computer is further programmed to execute the cancel process when the cancel process instruction part of the second screen image is manually operated by the input device.   
     
     
       5. The 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 while the relevant part of the electronic manual is shown on the display.   
     
     
       6. The sample processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein
 the sample processing unit is configured to process the sample using reagents in a plurality of reagent containers; and   the computer is further programmed to determine an occurrence of an sufficiency 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 sample processing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the sample processing unit is configured to measure the sample; and   the computer is further programmed to:   determine an occurrence of an abnormality of a measurement result of the sample measured by the sample processing unit;   show, on the display, the second screen image to include a detail information instruction part when the abnormality of the measurement result has occurred; and   show, on the display, a measurement result screen image showing the abnormal measurement result, when the detail information instruction part is manually operated by the input device.   
     
     
       8. The 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 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 sample processing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the computer is further programmed to:
 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; 
 show an error object in the sub region when an error has occurred; and 
 show 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 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 ample processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the computer is further programmed 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 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 error-solving operation, the method being executed by a computer of a sample processing apparatus to implement:
 processing and analyzing a sample by a sample processing apparatus;   detecting an occurrence of an error in the sample processing apparatus;   upon a detection of the error, reading out link information which designates, in association with a type of detected error, a certain page of an electronic manual in which an error-solving procedure corresponding to the detected error is described, the electronic manual having a plurality of pages in sequence; and   displaying, on a display of the sample processing apparatus, a view of the designated page of the electronic manual.    
     
     
       15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising displaying an operation status of the sample processing apparatus in a first screen area, wherein responsive to a detection of the error, turning the displayed operation status into an alerting status for alerting an error.  
     
     
       16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:
 showing a dialogue screen on the display which comprises a list of errors which have occurred and at least one of an operation manual display button or a recovery procedure display button; and   receiving a selection input for selecting one of the errors listed in the dialogue screen,   wherein displaying a relevant section of the electronic manual comprises:
 (i) responsive to an operation of the operation manual display button, displaying the relevant section of the electronic manual linked by the link information to the selected one of the errors, wherein the relevant section comprises information on a cause of the selected one of the errors; or 
 (ii) responsive to an operation of the recovery procedure display button, displaying the relevant section of the electronic manual linked by the link information to the selected one of the errors, wherein the relevant section comprises information on procedures for recovering from the selected one of the errors.  
   
     
     
       17. The method according to claim 16, wherein displaying, responsive to an operation of the recovery procedure display button, the relevant section of the electronic manual comprises displaying a video showing the procedures for recovering from the selected one of the errors.  
     
     
       18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising displaying a list of reagents being used in the sample processing apparatus with an indication associated with one of the reagents that indicates that the one of the reagents is running out.  
     
     
       19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising displaying a quality control record showing quality control test results with an indication associated with one of the quality control test results that indicates an abnormality of the one of the quality control test results.  
     
     
       20. A computer-implemented method for a sample processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 detecting an occurrence of an error in the sample processing apparatus;   creating, based on a type of the error detected, a view of a certain page of an electronic manual of the sample processing apparatus in which an error-solving procedure corresponding to the detected error is described, the electronic manual having a plurality of pages in sequence; and   displaying, on a display of the sample processing apparatus, the created view of the electronic manual.    
     
     
       21. The method according to claim 20, wherein
 the creating comprising referring to a link information which designates a certain page of an electronic manual in association with a type of error.    
     
     
       22. A sample processing apparatus, comprising:
 a sample processing unit configured to process a sample;   a display;   a computer connected with the sample processing unit and with the display, and comprising a non-transitory memory configured to store an electronic manual for the sample processing apparatus, wherein   the non-transitory memory is further configured to store link information designating a part of the electronic manual with respects to each type of error in association with 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 upon determination that an error has occurred, and makes the display to show the part of the electronic manual designated with the link information according to the type of the occurred error.    
     
     
       23. The sample processing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the computer is further programmed to show, on the display, a first screen image that shows information related to sample processing, and to show the relevant part of the electronic manual on the first screen image when the error has occurred.  
     
     
       24. The sample processing apparatus of claim 22, 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 occurred in the sample processing unit, and an operation procedure instruction button;   read out the link information from the non-transitory memory when the operation procedure instruction button of the second screen image is operated by the input device;   make the display to show the part of the electronic manual designated with the link information according to the type of the error selected in the list of errors.    
     
     
       25. The sample processing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the computer is further programmed to show the second screen image to include a cancel process instruction part for instructing execution of a cancel process to cancel the error; and
 the computer is further programmed to execute the cancel process when the cancel process instruction part of the second screen image is manually operated by the input device.    
     
     
       26. The sample processing apparatus of claim 25, 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 while the relevant part of the electronic manual is shown on the display.  
     
     
       27. The sample processing apparatus of claim 25, wherein the sample processing unit is configured to process the sample using reagents in a plurality of reagent containers; and
 the computer is further programmed to determine an occurrence of an 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.    
     
     
       28. The sample processing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the sample processing unit is configured to measure the sample, and
 the computer is further programmed to:   determine an occurrence of an abnormality of a measurement result of the sample measured by the sample processing unit;   show, on the display, the second screen image to include a detail information instruction part when the abnormality of the measurement result has occurred; and   show, on the display, a measurement result screen image showing the abnormal measurement result, when the detail information instruction part is manually operated by the input device.    
     
     
       29. The sample processing apparatus of claim 23, 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.    
     
     
       30. The sample processing apparatus of claim 22, further comprising an input device, wherein the computer is connected with the input device and is 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.  
     
     
       31. The sample processing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the computer is further programmed to:
 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;   show an error object in the sub region when an error has occurred; and   show 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.    
     
     
       32. The sample processing apparatus of claim 31, 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.    
     
     
       33. The sample processing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the computer is further programmed 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.  
     
     
       34. The sample processing apparatus of claim 22, 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.