US 12,314,881 B2
Method for supporting a user of a biotechnological laboratory
Reinhard Baumfalk, Goettingen (DE); Kai Gloth, Goettingen (DE); Pasi Kankaanpaeae, Goettingen (DE); Rico Luedeke, Hardegsen (DE); and Thomas Schink, Goettingen (DE)
Assigned to Sartorius Lab Instruments GmbH & Co. KG, Goettingen (DE)
Filed by Sartorius Lab Instruments GmbH & Co. KG, Goettingen (DE)
Filed on Jul. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/383,914.
Claims priority of application No. 20198782 (EP), filed on Sep. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0101218 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/06 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0631 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0633 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0639 (2023.01)
CPC G06Q 10/0633 (2013.01) [G06Q 10/06312 (2013.01); G06Q 10/06316 (2013.01); G06Q 10/0639 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for supporting a user of a biotechnological laboratory to execute a biotechnological experiment with a real life experiment workflow in the laboratory based on a nominal experiment workflow using a data processing system comprising data processing modules and a plurality of devices, sensors and resources, the method comprising:
providing at least one device having at least one sensor, and
providing at least one required resource for performing the method,
wherein each experiment workflow comprises at least one workflow item, each comprising at least one workflow step, wherein each workflow step is specified by a type and/or by a required resource and/or by a parameter set comprising at least one parameter describing the values to be set,
wherein in an offline planning routine, the nominal experiment workflow is defined by an offline planning module based on user input,
wherein in a monitoring routine, monitoring information relating real life workflow steps is retrieved from the sensor and stored during the experiment by a monitoring module,
wherein in an execution routine, control information is provided to the user regarding the execution of oncoming nominal workflow steps by an execution module, wherein in a noncompliance routine, based on the monitoring information, noncompliance of the real life experiment workflow with the nominal experiment workflow is detected based on noncompliance criteria by a noncompliance module and in case of detection of noncompliance, a reaction routine is activated by the noncompliance module,
wherein in the reaction routine, a warning is presented to the user via the user interface,
wherein in the offline planning routine, for at least one nominal workflow item, an allowed variability is set within which the user is free to move, and the allowed variability regards at least one of the nominal workflow items, regarding at least one of the number, the type, the resource and the parameter set of the at least one nominal workflow step
wherein in the noncompliance routine, the criteria for noncompliance are fulfilled by, according to the monitoring information, a real life workflow item having moved beyond the allowed variability of the corresponding nominal workflow item of the nominal experiment workflow, and
wherein when a user has moved beyond the allowed variability of the corresponding nominal workflow item of the nominal experiment workflow the experimental process is terminated.