Auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in the blockchain using independently stored verification keys

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to utilizing independently stored verification keys to enable auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain. A computing platform may receive a first data block from a first block generator, the first data block comprising first measurement data captured by a first instrument and associated with a sample. Subsequently, the computing platform may receive a first verification key for the first data block calculated from the contents of the first data block. The computing platform may then store the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain associated with the data management computing platform. Next, the computing platform may send the first verification key for the first data block to a data hosting database system, which may cause the data hosting database system to store the first verification key in a verification key database.

Description

[0001] Relevant application materials

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 778,510, filed on December 12, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. Background Art

[0003] Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to data processing, measurement and test systems, and distributed data storage and verification. Specifically, one or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to utilizing independently stored verification keys to implement auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain.

[0004] With the development and adoption of new computing technology, the amount of information and information types that are increasing day by day are stored electronically. This trend exists in the laboratory environment that uses various instruments to measure and test physical samples. Because data are obtained from these instruments and other sources and are stored for analysis and other purposes, it may be crucial for laboratory researchers and other entities to maintain, ensure and prove the validity and integrity of such data. However, in some cases, it may be difficult to maintain, ensure and prove the integrity of this data, while also ensuring the privacy and / or confidentiality of some parts of the data, especially in some parts must be shared to verify and other parts must remain private and / or otherwise confidential. Still further, in terms of storing this data, interacting with this data and / or otherwise utilizing the computer system and network of this data, it may be difficult to optimize the use of processing power, the use of network bandwidth and / or the consumption of other computing resources. Summary of the invention

[0005] Aspects of the present disclosure provide an effective, efficient, scalable and convenient technical solution to address and overcome technical problems associated with maintaining, ensuring and verifying the integrity of instrument measurement data by utilizing independently stored verification keys to enable auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain.

[0006] According to one or more embodiments, a data management computing platform having at least one processor, a communication interface, and a memory may receive a first data block from a first block generator through a communication interface, the first data block including first measurement data captured by a first instrument and associated with a sample. Subsequently, the data management computing platform may receive a first verification key for the first data block calculated from the content of the first data block. The data management computing platform may then store the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain associated with the data management computing platform. Thereafter, the data management computing platform may send the first verification key for the first data block to a data managed database system through the communication interface. In addition, by sending the first verification key for the first data block to the data managed database system, the data management computing platform may cause the data managed database system to store the first verification key in a verification key database maintained by the data managed database system.

[0007] In some embodiments, receiving the first data block from the first block generator may include receiving the first data block from a first smart instrument that captured the first measurement data and generated the first data block. In some embodiments, receiving the first data block from the first block generator may include receiving the first data block from a first laboratory computing device that generated the first data block using information received from a linked instrument. In some embodiments, the first data block received from the first block generator may include a unique identifier corresponding to the sample.

[0008] In some embodiments, receiving the first verification key for the first data block may include receiving the first verification key for the first data block from one or more block generators, the one or more block generators calculating the first verification key for the first data block using at least one verification key corresponding to at least one previous block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform.

[0009] In some embodiments, storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform may include storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform in response to receiving a verification message including information verifying the first data block from one or more additional block generators different from the first block generator. In some embodiments, receiving the verification message from the one or more additional block generators may include receiving the verification message from a smart instrument. In some embodiments, receiving the verification message from the one or more additional block generators may include receiving the verification message from a laboratory computing device.

[0010] In some embodiments, storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform may include storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain database maintained by the data management computing platform.

[0011] In some embodiments, the auditor computing device may be configured to verify the integrity of blockchain data associated with the blockchain using a verification key stored in the verification key database maintained by the data escrow database system.

[0012] In some embodiments, the auditor computing device may be configured to verify the integrity of the first block of data based on receiving a request including the first verification key from the first block generator.

[0013] In some embodiments, the data management computing platform may receive a second data block from a second block generator through the communication interface, the second data block including second measurement data captured by a second instrument and associated with the sample. Subsequently, the data management computing platform may receive a second verification key for the second data block calculated from the content of the second data block. The data management computing platform may then store the second data block and the second verification key for the second data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform. Thereafter, the data management computing platform may send the second verification key for the second data block to the data managed database system through the communication interface. In addition, by sending the second verification key for the second data block to the data managed database system, the data management computing platform may cause the data managed database system to store the second verification key in a verification key database maintained by the data managed database system.

[0014] In some embodiments, receiving the second data block from the second block generator may include receiving the second data block from a second smart instrument that captured the second measurement data and generated the second data block. In some embodiments, receiving the second data block from the second block generator may include receiving the second data block from a second laboratory computing device that generated the second data block using information received from a linked instrument.

[0015] These features and many others are discussed in greater detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements, and in which:

[0017] Figure 1A , 1B and 1C depict an illustrative computing environment for implementing auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain using an independently stored verification key according to one or more example embodiments;

[0018] Figures 2A-2F An illustrative sequence of events for implementing auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain using an independently stored verification key is depicted in accordance with one or more example embodiments;

[0019] Figure 3 and 4 depicts an example graphical user interface for implementing auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain using an independently stored verification key in accordance with one or more example embodiments;

[0020] Figure 5 An illustrative method for implementing auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain using an independently stored verification key is depicted in accordance with one or more example embodiments;

[0021] Fig. 6A and 6B depicts an illustrative sequence of events in which a sample enters a laboratory, one or more measurements are taken, and instrument measurement data is stored in a blockchain, according to one or more example embodiments;

[0022] Fig. 7A and 7B depicts an illustrative sequence of events in which a sample is subdivided, one or more measurements are taken, and instrument measurement data is stored in a blockchain according to one or more example embodiments; and

[0023] Fig. 8A , 8B8C depict an illustrative sequence of events in which one or more measurements are taken on a subsample and the instrument measurement data is stored in a blockchain according to one or more example embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In the following description of various illustrative embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the embodiments and in which are shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0025] It should be noted that various connections between elements are discussed in the following description. It should be noted that these connections are universal and, unless otherwise specified, may be direct or indirect, wired or wireless, and this specification is not intended to be limiting in this regard.

[0026] One or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to utilizing independently stored verification keys to implement auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain. For example, some laboratory scientists and other associated entities may collect data from instruments when measuring various samples in a laboratory. In some cases, these laboratory scientists and other associated entities may be responsible for creating a chain of custody for data and / or corresponding samples. These processes may be prone to human error and other challenges. As shown below, one or more aspects of the present disclosure provide the use of laboratory instruments to automatically create a secure, immutable event log that follows a sample throughout its life cycle, thereby creating a provable chain of custody. As shown below, in some cases, an instrument network in a laboratory can be used to generate an auditable log of operations performed on a sample by using one or more blockchains. In some cases, a smart block generator instrument can be used to ensure that the log is not tampered with and is independent of anyone who is a key generator and / or holder. For example, the generated log can provide a complete record of operations performed on a sample. In addition and as described in detail below, a large amount of data from a complete blockchain can be verified, for example, by comparing one or more blocks from a chain with a separate verification key chain stored independently of the complete blockchain, which is different from a conventional blockchain.

[0027] Figure 1A , 1B 1C depicts an illustrative computing environment for implementing auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain using an independently stored verification key according to one or more example embodiments. Figure 1A, the computing environment 100 may include one or more computer systems, one or more measuring instruments, and / or one or more other devices. For example, the computing environment 100 may include an instrument data management computing platform 110, a first smart instrument 121, a second smart instrument 123, a first laboratory instrument 131, a first laboratory computing device 133, a second laboratory instrument 135, a second laboratory computing device 137, a laboratory firewall 145, a data hosting database system 160, and an auditor computing device 170.

[0028] As described in more detail below, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may include one or more computing devices configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein. For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may include one or more computers (e.g., servers, server blades, etc.).

[0029] Smart instrument 121 may be a laboratory instrument that includes one or more computing devices. Smart instrument 121 may be configured to take and / or otherwise capture measurements from samples in a laboratory and then generate one or more data blocks based on such measurements and send them to other computing devices in computing environment 100. Smart instrument 123 may also be a laboratory instrument that includes one or more computing devices. Smart instrument 123 may similarly be configured to take and / or otherwise capture measurements from samples in a laboratory and then generate one or more data blocks based on such measurements and send them to other computing devices in computing environment 100.

[0030] Laboratory instrument 131 may be a laboratory instrument that may not include one or more computing devices. Laboratory instrument 131 may be configured to take and / or otherwise capture measurements from samples in a laboratory and may subsequently transmit data associated with such measurements to laboratory computing device 133. Laboratory computing device 133 may include one or more computing devices and / or other computer components (e.g., processors, memory, communication interfaces). Additionally, laboratory computing device 133 may be configured to generate one or more data blocks based on data received from laboratory instrument 131 and send them to other computing devices in computing environment 100.

[0031] The laboratory instrument 135 may also be a laboratory instrument that may not include one or more computing devices. The laboratory instrument 135 may be configured to take and / or otherwise capture measurements from samples in the laboratory and may subsequently transmit data associated with such measurements to the laboratory computing device 137. The laboratory computing device 137 may include one or more computing devices and / or other computer components (e.g., processors, memory, communication interfaces). In addition, the laboratory computing device 137 may be configured to generate one or more data blocks based on the data received from the laboratory instrument 135 and send them to other computing devices in the computing environment 100.

[0032] The laboratory firewall 145 may include one or more computing devices and / or other computer components (e.g., processors, memory, communication interfaces). In addition, the laboratory firewall 145 may be configured to encrypt and / or otherwise protect one or more computing devices and / or other devices (e.g., instrument data management computing platform 110, smart instruments 121, smart instruments 123, laboratory instruments 131, laboratory computing devices 133, laboratory instruments 135, laboratory computing devices 137) operating in the laboratory computing environment.

[0033] The data hosting database system 160 may include one or more computing devices configured to perform one or more data hosting functions described herein and / or other functions, as described below. For example, the data hosting database system 160 may include one or more computers (e.g., servers, server blades, etc.).

[0034] The auditor computing device 170 may be a personal computing device (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer) or a mobile computing device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet computer) that may be connected to and / or used by an auditor user. For example, the auditor computing device 170 may be used to verify integrity and / or otherwise audit instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain associated with the instrument data management computing platform 110 using a verification key that may be independently stored by the data escrow database system 160, as described in more detail below.

[0035] The computing environment 100 may also include one or more networks that may interconnect one or more of the following: the instrument data management computing platform 110, the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory instrument 131, the laboratory computing device 133, the laboratory instrument 135, the laboratory computing device 137, the laboratory firewall 145, the data hosting database system 160, and the auditor computing device 170. For example, the computing environment 100 may include a private network 140 that may interconnect computing devices and / or other devices operating in the laboratory computing environment (e.g., the instrument data management computing platform 110, the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory instrument 131, the laboratory computing device 133, the laboratory instrument 135, the laboratory computing device 137). In addition, the computing environment 100 may include a public network 150 that may interconnect computing devices and / or other devices operating in the laboratory computing environment with one or more systems outside the laboratory computing environment (e.g., the data hosting database system 160, the auditor computing device 170) through one or more firewalls (e.g., the laboratory firewall 145).

[0036] In one or more arrangements, the laboratory computing device 133, the laboratory computing device 137, the auditor computing device 170, and / or other systems included in the computing environment 100 may be any type of computing device capable of receiving a user interface, receiving input through the user interface, and transmitting the received input to one or more other computing devices. For example, the laboratory computing device 133, the laboratory computing device 137, the auditor computing device 170, and / or other systems included in the computing environment 100 may, in some cases, be and / or include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, etc., which may include one or more processors, memories, communication interfaces, storage devices, and / or other components. As described above and as described in more detail below, in some cases, any one and / or all of the instrument data management computing platform 110, the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, the laboratory computing device 137, the laboratory firewall 145, the data hosting database system 160, and the auditor computing device 170 may be a dedicated computing device configured to perform a specific function.

[0037] refer to Figure 1B, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may include at least one processor 111, a memory 112, and a communication interface 113. A data bus may interconnect the processor 111, the memory 112, and the communication interface 113. The communication interface 113 may be a network interface configured to support communication between the instrument data management computing platform 110 and one or more networks (e.g., network 140, network 150, etc.). The memory 112 may include one or more program modules with instructions that, when executed by the processor 111, cause the instrument data management computing platform 110 to perform one or more functions described herein. In addition, the memory 112 may include one or more libraries and / or databases that may store and / or otherwise maintain information that may be used by such program modules and / or the processor 111. In some cases, the one or more program modules and / or databases may be stored and / or maintained in different memory units and / or different computing devices of the instrument data management computing platform 110 and / or by different computing devices that may form and / or otherwise constitute the instrument data management computing platform 110. For example, the memory 112 may have, store and / or include an instrument data management module 112a, an instrument data management library 112b and a blockchain database 112c. The instrument data management module 112a may have instructions to direct and / or enable the instrument data management computing platform 110 to store verification keys for auditing instrument measurement data maintained in the blockchain and / or perform other functions, as discussed in more detail below. The instrument data management library 112b may be used by the instrument data management module 112a and / or the instrument data management computing platform 110 to store verification keys for auditing instrument measurement data maintained in the blockchain and / or perform other functions. The blockchain database 112c may store data associated with the blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110. As shown below, the data stored in the blockchain database 112c by the instrument data management computing platform 110 may include measurement data captured from one or more instruments (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123, laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135) and verification keys calculated in the computing environment 100 based on data blocks received from block generators (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123, laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137).

[0038] refer to Figure 1C, the data hosted database system 160 may include at least one processor 161, memory 162, and communication interface 163. A data bus may interconnect the processor 161, memory 162, and communication interface 163. The communication interface 163 may be a network interface configured to support communication between the data hosted database system 160 and one or more networks (e.g., network 140, network 150, etc.). The memory 162 may include one or more program modules having instructions that, when executed by the processor 161, cause the data hosted database system 160 to perform one or more functions described herein. Additionally, the memory 162 may include one or more libraries and / or databases that may store and / or otherwise maintain information that may be used by such program modules and / or the processor 161. In some cases, the one or more program modules and / or databases may be stored and / or maintained by different memory units of the data hosted database system 160 and / or by different computing devices that may form and / or otherwise comprise the data hosted database system 160. For example, the memory 162 may have, store, and / or include a data escrow module 162a, a data escrow repository 162b, and a verification key database 162c. The data escrow module 162a may have instructions to direct and / or cause the data escrow database system 160 to receive verification keys and store them in one or more chains (e.g., to enable auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in one or more separate blockchains) and / or perform other functions, as discussed in more detail below. The data escrow repository 162b may store information used by the data escrow module 162a and / or the data escrow database system 160 in receiving and storing verification keys and / or performing other functions. The verification key database 162c may store one or more verification keys (which may, for example, be associated with a blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110). As shown below, the data stored in the verification key database 162c by the data hosting database system 160 may not include measurement data captured from one or more instruments (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123, laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), but instead may only include verification keys calculated by the instrument data management computing platform 110 in the computing environment 100 based on data blocks received from block generators (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123, laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137).

[0039] Figures 2A-2F An illustrative sequence of events for implementing auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain using an independently stored verification key is depicted in accordance with one or more example embodiments. Figure 2AAt step 201, the smart instrument 121 may perform a first measurement on a sample. For example, the smart instrument 121 may capture measurement data associated with a particular physical sample being evaluated in a laboratory. At step 202, the smart instrument 121 may generate a first data block based on the measurement data captured by the smart instrument 121 when performing the first measurement on the sample. The first data block generated by the smart instrument 121 may, for example, contain the measurement data captured by the smart instrument 121, one or more keys calculated by the smart instrument 121, and / or other data generated and / or captured by the smart instrument 121 (e.g., a unique identifier associated with the sample, i.e., a timestamp identifying when the sample was measured, etc.).

[0040] At step 203, the smart instrument 121 may broadcast the first data block to one or more other systems and / or devices (which may also be included in the laboratory computing environment, for example). For example, at step 203, the smart instrument 121 may broadcast the first data block to the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 (e.g., by sending, transmitting, and / or otherwise broadcasting the first data block to the instrument data management computing platform 110, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137). At step 204, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may request blockchain data from the instrument data management computing platform 110. For example, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may request a portion and / or all of a blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110, in which the measurement data and one or more verification keys are stored. At step 205, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may send the blockchain data to the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137. For example, at step 205, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may (e.g., in response to receiving one or more requests from the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137) send information associated with one or more portions and / or all of a blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110 in which the measurement data and one or more verification keys are stored.

[0041] refer to Figure 2BAt step 206, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may generate a verified data block and a verification key (e.g., based on the first data block broadcasted by the smart instrument 121 and received from the smart instrument at step 203, and further based on the blockchain data received from the instrument data management computing platform 110 at step 205). For example, at step 206, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may calculate one or more verification keys based on the content of the first data block received from the smart instrument 121 and the blockchain data received from the instrument data management computing platform 110.

[0042] At step 207, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may send the verified data block and the verification key to the instrument data management computing platform 110. For example, at step 207, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may generate and send one or more verification messages to the instrument data management computing platform 110 and / or one or more other systems and / or devices (which may also be included in the laboratory computing environment, such as the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137). In some cases, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may also store (e.g., in one or more blockchains maintained by the respective instruments or devices) the verified data block associated with the data received from the smart instrument 121 and / or the calculated verification key associated with the data received from the smart instrument 121.

[0043] At step 208, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive one or more verified data blocks and one or more verification keys from the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 and may verify the one or more verified data blocks and one or more verification keys received from the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137. For example, at step 208, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the first data block (e.g., from the smart instrument 121) after the first data block has been broadcast to the instrument data management computing platform 110 by one or more of the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137, verified by the instrument data management computing platform, and / or sent to the instrument data management computing platform. For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the first data block including the first measurement data captured by the first instrument (e.g., the smart instrument 121) and associated with the sample from the first block generator (e.g., the smart instrument 121) via the communication interface (e.g., the communication interface 113). In some cases, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may also receive the first data block and / or one or more verification messages from one or more other systems and / or devices (which may also be included in the laboratory computing environment, such as smart instruments 123, laboratory computing devices 133 and / or laboratory computing devices 137, and which may also maintain their own, independent, separate copies of the blockchain, which is also maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110).

[0044] In some embodiments, receiving the first data block from the first block generator may include receiving the first data block from a first smart instrument that captures the first measurement data and generates the first data block. For example, in some cases, when receiving the first data block from the first block generator at step 208, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the first data block from a first smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121) that captures the first measurement data and generates the first data block.

[0045] In some embodiments, receiving the first data block from the first block generator can include receiving the first data block from a first laboratory computing device that generated the first data block using information received from a linked instrument. For example, in some cases, when receiving the first data block from the first block generator at step 208, the instrument data management computing platform 110 can receive the first data block from a first laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133) that generated the first data block using information received from a linked instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131).

[0046] In some embodiments, the first data block received from the first block generator may include a unique identifier corresponding to the sample. For example, in some cases, the first data block received by the instrument data management computing platform 110 from the first block generator at step 208 may include a unique identifier corresponding to the sample. Such an identifier may be a unique string of numbers, letters, and / or other characters that is connected to the sample and allows the sample to be identified from other samples that may be analyzed in the laboratory.

[0047] Additionally, at step 208, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive and verify a verification key for the first data block. For example, at step 208, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive a first verification key for the first data block calculated from the content of the first data block. For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the first verification key from one or more of the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137, which may calculate the first verification key using one or more predefined key calculation algorithms that utilize the content of the first data block as an independent variable and / or other input value. Additionally or alternatively, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may verify the first verification key by calculating the first verification key (e.g., based on the content and / or verification key of the data block and / or one or more previous data blocks). For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may verify the first verification key by calculating the first verification key using one or more predefined key calculation algorithms that utilize the content of the first data block as an independent variable and / or other input value.

[0048] In some embodiments, receiving the first verification key for the first data block includes receiving the first verification key for the first data block from one or more block generators, the one or more block generators using at least one verification key corresponding to at least one previous block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform to calculate the first verification key for the first data block. For example, in some cases, when receiving the first verification key for the first data block, the instrument data management computing platform 110 can receive the first verification key for the first data block from one or more block generators (e.g., smart instrument 123, laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137), the one or more block generators using at least one verification key corresponding to at least one previous block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform (e.g., instrument data management computing platform 110) to calculate the first verification key for the first data block. For example, the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 can use the at least one verification key corresponding to at least one previous block as an independent variable and / or other input value for the one or more predefined key calculations.

[0049] At step 209, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may store the first data block in a blockchain. For example, at step 209, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may store the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain associated with a data management computing platform (e.g., the instrument data management computing platform 110). For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may store the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a copy of the blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110 in the blockchain database 112c.

[0050] In some embodiments, storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform may include storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform in response to receiving a verification message including information for verifying the first data block from one or more additional block generators different from the first block generator. For example, when storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform (e.g., the instrument data management computing platform 110) at step 209, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may store the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform (e.g., the instrument data management computing platform 110) in response to receiving a verification message including information for verifying the first data block from one or more additional block generators (e.g., the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, the laboratory computing device 137) different from the first block generator (e.g., the smart instrument 121). For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may wait to store the first data block in the blockchain until the instrument data management computing platform 110 receives a predetermined number of verification messages from one or more other systems and / or devices associated with the blockchain (e.g., other block generators, such as smart instruments 123, laboratory computing devices 133, laboratory computing devices 137, etc.). Each verification message may be provided, for example, by a different block generator in the laboratory computing environment, and each verification message may, for example, contain the same verification key calculated by the instrument data management computing platform 110 (e.g., because each block generator may generate the verification key based on the same data block content).

[0051] In some embodiments, receiving the verification message from the one or more additional block generators may include receiving the verification message from a smart instrument. For example, when receiving the verification message from the one or more additional block generators, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the verification message from a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 123). In some embodiments, receiving the verification message from the one or more additional block generators may include receiving the verification message from a laboratory computing device. For example, when receiving the verification message from the one or more additional block generators, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the verification message from a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137).

[0052] In some embodiments, storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform may include storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain database maintained by the data management computing platform. For example, when storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain associated with a data management computing platform (e.g., the instrument data management computing platform 110) at step 209, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may store the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain database (e.g., blockchain database 112c) maintained by the data management computing platform (e.g., the instrument data management computing platform 110). For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may store the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a copy of the blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110 in the blockchain database 112c.

[0053] At step 210, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may send the verification key to the data escrow database system 160. For example, at step 210, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may send the first verification key for the first data block to the data escrow database system (e.g., the data escrow database system 160) through the communication interface (e.g., the communication interface 113). In addition, by sending the first verification key for the first data block to the data escrow database system (e.g., the data escrow database system 160), the instrument data management computing platform 110 may cause the data escrow database system (e.g., the data escrow database system 160) to store the first verification key in a verification key database (e.g., the verification key database 162c) maintained by the data escrow database system (e.g., the data escrow database system 160). Specifically, the data escrow database system 160 may store and / or otherwise maintain a verification key chain that sequentially corresponds to the data blocks in the blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110. The instrument data management computing platform 110 may thus trigger the data escrow database system 160 to add another element - namely, the first verification key corresponding to the first data block - to the verification key sequence chain maintained by the data escrow database system 160 in the verification key database 162c. As shown below, this may enable the instrument measurement data contained in the first data block and maintained in the blockchain by the instrument data management computing platform 110 to be audited by a third party, as a laboratory researcher or other entity with access to the first data block may be able to provide the first verification key to an auditor, who may then verify the verification key with the data escrow database system 160. Additionally, such an audit may occur while maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of the measurement data contained in the first data block, as only the first verification key - and not the contents of the data block itself - may be sent to the data escrow database system 160 by the instrument data management computing platform 110.

[0054] refer to Figure 2C , at step 211, laboratory instrument 131 may perform a second measurement on the sample. For example, laboratory instrument 131 may capture measurement data associated with the same physical sample evaluated in the laboratory in the above example. At step 212, laboratory computing device 133 may generate a second data block based on the measurement data captured by laboratory instrument 131 when performing the second measurement on the sample. The second data block generated by laboratory computing device 133 may, for example, contain the measurement data captured by laboratory instrument 131, one or more keys calculated by laboratory computing device 133, and / or other data generated and / or captured by laboratory instrument 131 and / or laboratory computing device 133 (e.g., a unique identifier associated with the sample, i.e., a timestamp identifying when the sample was measured, etc.).

[0055] At step 213, the laboratory computing device 133 may broadcast the second data block to one or more other systems and / or devices (which may also be included in the laboratory computing environment, for example). For example, at step 213, the laboratory computing device 133 may broadcast the second data block to the smart instruments 121, the smart instruments 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 (e.g., by sending, transmitting, and / or otherwise broadcasting the second data block to the smart instruments 121, the smart instruments 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137). At step 214, the smart instruments 121, the smart instruments 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may request blockchain data from the instrument data management computing platform 110. For example, the smart instruments 121, the smart instruments 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may request a portion and / or all of a blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110, in which the measurement data and one or more verification keys are stored. At step 215, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may send the blockchain data to the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137. For example, at step 215, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may (e.g., in response to receiving one or more requests from the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137) send information associated with one or more portions and / or all of a blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110 in which the measurement data and one or more verification keys are stored.

[0056] refer to Figure 2D At step 216, the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may generate a verified data block and verification key (e.g., based on the second data block broadcasted by the laboratory computing device 133 and received from the laboratory computing device at step 213, and further based on the blockchain data received from the instrument data management computing platform 110 at step 215). For example, at step 216, the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may calculate one or more verification keys based on the content of the second data block received from the laboratory computing device 133 and the blockchain data received from the instrument data management computing platform 110.

[0057] At step 217, the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may send the verified data block and the verification key to the instrument data management computing platform 110. For example, at step 217, the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may generate and send one or more verification messages to the instrument data management computing platform 110 and / or one or more other systems and / or devices (which may also be included in the laboratory computing environment, such as the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137, for example). In some cases, the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 may also store (e.g., in one or more blockchains maintained by the respective instruments or devices) the verified data block associated with the data received from the laboratory computing device 133 and / or the calculated verification key associated with the data received from the laboratory computing device 133.

[0058] At step 218, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive one or more verified data blocks and one or more verification keys from the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137 and may verify the one or more verified data blocks and one or more verification keys received from the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137. For example, at step 218, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the second data block (e.g., from the laboratory computing device 133) after the second data block has been broadcast to the instrument data management computing platform 110 by one or more of the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137, verified by the instrument data management computing platform, and / or sent to the instrument data management computing platform. For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the second data block including the second measurement data captured by the second instrument (e.g., the laboratory computing device 131) and associated with the sample from the second block generator (e.g., the laboratory computing device 133) via the communication interface (e.g., the communication interface 113). In some cases, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may also receive a second data block and / or one or more verification messages from one or more other systems and / or devices (which may also be included in the laboratory computing environment, such as smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123 and / or laboratory computing device 137, and which may also maintain its own, independent, separate blockchain copy, which is also maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110).

[0059] In some embodiments, receiving the second data block from the second block generator may include receiving the second data block from a second smart instrument that captures the second measurement data and generates the second data block. For example, in some cases, when receiving the second data block from the second block generator at step 218, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the second data block from a second smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 123) that captures the second measurement data and generates the second data block.

[0060] In some embodiments, receiving the second data block from the second block generator can include receiving the second data block from a second laboratory computing device that generated the second data block using information received from a linked instrument. For example, in some cases, when receiving the second data block from the second block generator at step 218, the instrument data management computing platform 110 can receive the second data block from a second laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 137) that generated the second data block using information received from a linked instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 135).

[0061] Additionally, at step 218, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive and verify a verification key for the second data block. For example, at step 218, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive a second verification key for the second data block calculated from the content of the second data block. For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the second verification key from one or more of the smart instrument 121, the smart instrument 123, and / or the laboratory computing device 137, similar to how the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive the first verification key from one or more of the smart instrument 123, the laboratory computing device 133, and / or the laboratory computing device 137. Additionally or alternatively, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may verify the second verification key, similar to how the instrument data management computing platform 110 may verify the first verification key (e.g., by calculating the second verification key based on the content and / or verification key of the data block and / or one or more previous data blocks using one or more predefined key calculation algorithms that use the content of the second data block as an independent variable and / or other input value).

[0062] At step 219, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may store the second data block in the blockchain. For example, at step 219, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may store the second data block and the second verification key for the second data block in a blockchain associated with a data management computing platform (e.g., the instrument data management computing platform 110). For example, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may store the second data block and the second verification key for the second data block in a copy of the blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110 in the blockchain database 112c.

[0063] At step 220, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may send the verification key to the data managed database system 160. For example, at step 220, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may send the second verification key for the second data block to the data managed database system (e.g., the data managed database system 160) via the communication interface (e.g., the communication interface 113). In addition, by sending the second verification key for the second data block to the data managed database system (e.g., the data managed database system 160), the instrument data management computing platform 110 may cause the data managed database system (e.g., the data managed database system 160) to store the second verification key in a verification key database (e.g., the verification key database 162c) maintained by the data managed database system (e.g., the data managed database system 160). As in the example using the first data block above, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may thus trigger the data managed database system 160 to add another element, e.g., the second verification key corresponding to the second data block, to the verification key sequence chain maintained by the data managed database system 160 in the verification key database 162c. This may enable the instrument measurement data contained in the second data block and maintained in the blockchain by the instrument data management computing platform 110 to be audited by a third party, as a laboratory researcher or other entity with access to the second data block may be able to provide the second verification key to an auditor, who may then verify the verification key with the data escrow database system 160. Additionally, such an audit may occur while maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of the measurement data contained in the second data block, as only the second verification key—and not the contents of the data block itself—may be sent to the data escrow database system 160 by the instrument data management computing platform 110.

[0064] refer to Figure 2EAt step 221, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive a data integrity request. For example, at step 221, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may receive a data integrity request in the form of input from a user (who may be, for example, a laboratory researcher or other entity having access to the first data block, the second data block, and / or other data blocks stored in the blockchain maintained by the instrument data management computing platform 110). Figure 2E In the example shown, the data integrity request may indicate that the auditor wishes to audit the first data block described in the example above, and the request may trigger the instrument data management computing platform 110 to send the first data block to the auditor computing device 170 (which may, for example, be associated with the auditor identified in the data integrity request). At step 222, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may (e.g., in accordance with the data integrity request received at step 217) send the first data block to the auditor computing device 170 along with any and / or all of the verification keys in the blockchain until the first data block exists in the blockchain. For example, by sending all of the verification keys in the blockchain to the auditor computing device 170 until the first data block exists in the blockchain, the instrument data management computing platform 110 may enable the auditor computing device 170 to verify the integrity of the data and verification keys in the blockchain.

[0065] At step 223, the auditor computing device 170 may receive the first data block and one or more verification keys from the instrument data management computing platform 110. For example, in some cases, the auditor computing device 170 may be configured to verify the integrity of the blockchain data associated with the blockchain using a verification key stored in a verification key database (e.g., verification key database 162c) maintained by a data escrow database system (e.g., data escrow database system 160). For example, after receiving the first data block at step 223, the auditor computing device 170 and / or the user of the auditor computing device 170 may wish to decrypt the first data block and / or verify the integrity of the first data block. To do so, the auditor computing device 170 and / or the user of the auditor computing device 170 may compare the verification key corresponding to the first data block (which may, for example, be received from the instrument data management computing platform 110 along with the first data block at step 223) with the corresponding verification key of the first data block maintained by the data escrow database system 160, as shown below.

[0066] At step 224, the auditor computing device 170 may send a request for a verification key corresponding to the first data block to the data escrow database system 160. For example, the auditor computing device 170 may send this request based on receiving the first data block from the instrument data management computing platform 110 and / or based on input received from a user of the auditor computing device 170 (who, for example, may wish to audit the measurement data associated with the first data block). This request may trigger the data escrow database system 160 to identify the verification key corresponding to the first data block in a verification key chain maintained by the data escrow database system 160 in the verification key database 162c, and then return this identified verification key to the auditor computing device 170 for verification.

[0067] refer to Figure 2F At step 225, the auditor computing device 170 may receive a first verification key from the data escrow database system 160. At step 226, the auditor computing device 170 may verify the integrity of the first data block received from the instrument data management computing platform 110 (e.g., using the first verification key received from the data escrow database system 160). For example, in some cases, the auditor computing device 170 may be configured to verify the integrity of the first data block based on receiving a request including the first verification key from the first block generator. For example, to verify the integrity of the first data block received from the instrument data management computing platform 110 based on the first verification key received from the data escrow database system 160, the auditor computing device 170 may confirm that the verification key associated with the first data block and / or received from the instrument data management computing platform 110 together with the first data block matches the first verification key received from the data escrow database system 160.

[0068] At step 227, the auditor computing device 170 may generate a verification interface (e.g., based on verifying the integrity of the first data block received from the instrument data management computing platform 110). At step 228, the auditor computing device 170 may display and / or otherwise present the generated verification interface. For example, if the auditor computing device 170 is able to verify the integrity of the first data block received from the instrument data management computing platform 110 (e.g., by confirming that a verification key associated with and / or received from the instrument data management computing platform 110 along with the first data block matches a first verification key received from the data escrow database system 160), the auditor computing device 170 may generate, display and / or otherwise present a verification interface similar to Figure 3 The graphical user interface 300 is depicted as a graphical user interface. Figure 3As seen in FIG. 1 , the graphical user interface 300 may include text and / or other content indicating that a verification key has been verified for a particular data block, as well as information derived from the content of the data block, such as information identifying a sample, one or more measurement results, one or more instruments, one or more time stamps, and / or other information. Alternatively, if the auditor computing device 170 is unable to verify the integrity of the first data block received from the instrument data management computing platform 110, the auditor computing device 170 may generate, display, and / or otherwise present a message similar to Figure 4 The graphical user interface 400 is depicted as a graphical user interface. Figure 4 As seen in FIG. 4 , graphical user interface 400 may include text and / or other content indicating that a verification key for a particular block of data could not be verified.

[0069] As described above, by implementing one or more aspects of the present disclosure, one or more value propositions may be achieved. For example, a trust theory may be implemented, wherein a trust agent (e.g., an entity operating a data escrow database system 160) may be able to verify a chain to an auditor (e.g., a user of an auditor computing device 170) without the trust agent having knowledge of the data elements in the chain. In addition, one or more aspects of the present disclosure provide several technical benefits over conventional blockchain implementations. For example, in conventional blockchain implementations, in order to verify the integrity of a given block, the integrity of the entire blockchain must be verified, which typically requires a large amount of processing usage, network bandwidth consumption, and time. In contrast, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the integrity of a given block (or blocks) may be verified by verifying an immutable list of verification keys (which may be maintained, for example, by the data escrow database system 160 as shown above). Therefore, relative to conventional blockchain implementations, one or more aspects of the present disclosure provide various technical benefits rooted in computing technology, such as reduced processing usage and reduced network bandwidth consumption.

[0070] Although the example sequence of events described above involves processing two data blocks, the use of two data blocks in the examples should be understood to be illustrative. In one or more embodiments, any number of data blocks and any number of smart instruments and / or laboratory instruments can be used according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In addition, in some cases, samples can be split and multiple measurements can be performed. These measurement results can be stored, for example, in a tree arrangement, where new chains are created for subsamples and the new chains are related to pre-existing chains of the parent sample. For example, samples can be subdivided, the resulting subsamples can be measured, and the measurement data can be stored in multiple related chains, as discussed in more detail below.

[0071] Figure 5An illustrative method for implementing auditing of instrument measurement data maintained in a blockchain using independently stored verification keys is depicted in accordance with one or more example embodiments. Figure 5 At step 505, a data management computing platform having at least one processor, a communication interface, and a memory may receive a first data block from a first block generator through a communication interface, the first data block including first measurement data captured by a first instrument and associated with a sample. At step 510, the data management computing platform may receive a first verification key for the first data block calculated from the content of the first data block. For example, the data management computing platform may receive the first verification key for the first data block from the first block generator and / or one or more additional block generators different from the first block generator. At step 515, the data management computing platform may store the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain associated with the data management computing platform. At step 520, the data management computing platform may send the first verification key for the first data block to a data escrow database system through a communication interface. In addition, by sending the first verification key for the first data block to the data escrow database system, the data management computing platform may cause the data escrow database system to store the first verification key in a verification key database maintained by the data escrow database system.

[0072] Fig. 6A and 6B An illustrative sequence of events is depicted in which a sample enters a laboratory, one or more measurements are taken, and the instrument measurement data is stored in a blockchain, according to one or more example embodiments. Fig. 6AAt step 601, a first technician may assign a barcode to a sample (e.g., when the sample enters the laboratory). The barcode may be assigned to the sample by a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), a laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137) used by the first technician. In addition, the device used by the technician may transmit data to the instrument data management computing platform 110, which may create a data record for the sample. At step 602, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained in a blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include a first verification key and regulatory data (e.g., indicating that the sample is owned by the first technician based on the first technician assigning the barcode to the sample). The first verification key may also be sent to the escrow record of the sample (e.g., the verification key may be sent without actual regulatory data). At step 603, the escrow record of the sample (which may be maintained in a verification key database, for example, by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the first verification key.

[0073] At step 604, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained in the blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include the second verification key and the barcode data (e.g., identifying one or more values ​​associated with the barcode assigned to the sample). Additionally, at step 605, the escrow record of the sample (which may be maintained in the verification key database, for example, by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the second verification key.

[0074] At step 606, the first technician may weight the sample. For example, the sample may be weighted using a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), a laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137) used by the first technician. At step 607, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained in the blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include a third verification key and weight data (e.g., identifying the weight of the sample measured by the first technician). At step 608, the escrow record of the sample (which may be maintained in the verification key database, for example, by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the third verification key.

[0075] refer to Figure 6BAt step 609, the first technician may place the sample in a storage device. For example, the sample may be placed in a laboratory locker, and the location of the sample may be captured and / or recorded using a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), a laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137) used by the first technician. In some cases, the location of the sample may be tracked by a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag, and the location signal of the tag may be detected and recorded by the smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), the laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or the laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137). At step 610, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained in a blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include a fourth verification key and location data (e.g., identifying the updated location of the sample in the locker). At step 611, the escrow record of the sample (which may be maintained, for example, by the data escrow database system 160 in the verification key database) may be updated to include the fourth verification key. At step 612, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110 in the blockchain) may be updated to include the fifth verification key and the supervisory data (e.g., indicating that the sample is no longer owned by the first technician based on the sample being moved to the locker). At step 613, the escrow record of the sample (which may be maintained, for example, by the data escrow database system 160 in the verification key database) may be updated to include the fifth verification key.

[0076] Fig. 7A and 7B An illustrative sequence of events is depicted in which a sample is subdivided, one or more measurements are taken, and instrument measurement data is stored in a blockchain according to one or more example embodiments. Fig. 7A In , the example sequence can be found in Figure 6B. For example, a data record for a sample (which may be maintained, for example, in a blockchain by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may include a sequence of verification keys and the measurement data stored in the above example, and a escrow record for a sample (which may be maintained, for example, in a verification key database by the data escrow database system 160) may include the sequence of verification keys stored above. For example, a certain amount of time may pass after a first technician places a sample in a storage device, and then at step 701, a second technician, different from the first technician, may retrieve the sample from the storage device. In addition, the removal of a sample from a storage device may be detected and / or recorded using a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), a laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137) used by the second technician. At step 702, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained in the blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include the sixth verification key and the custody data (e.g., indicating that the sample is now owned by the second technician based on the sample being removed from the locker). At step 703, the escrow record of the sample (which may be maintained in the verification key database, for example, by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the sixth verification key.

[0077] At step 704, the second technician may remove a small amount of the sample, thereby subdividing the sample and creating a new subsample. At step 705, the second technician may weight the subsample. For example, the subsample may be weighted using a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), a laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137) used by the second technician. In addition, the device used by the technician may transmit data to the instrument data management computing platform 110, which may create a data record for the subsample. The data record of the subsample may be different from the data record of the sample (i.e., the sample from which the subsample was extracted), but is related to it. At step 706, the data record of the subsample may be updated (which may be maintained, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110 in a new blockchain different from the blockchain associated with the sample from which the subsample was extracted but related to it) to include a seventh verification key and weight data (e.g., identifying the subsample weight measured by the second technician). The seventh verification key may also be sent to the escrow record of the subsample. At step 707, the escrow record for the subsample (which may be created and maintained in the verification key database, for example, by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the seventh verification key.

[0078] At step 708, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained in the blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include the eighth verification key and weight data (e.g., identifying the new weight of the sample due to the removal of the subsample). At step 709, the escrow record of the sample (which may be maintained in the verification key database, for example, by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the eighth verification key.

[0079] At step 710, the second technician may place the subsample into storage. For example, the sample may be placed in a laboratory locker, and the location of the sample may be captured and / or recorded using a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), a laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137) used by the second technician. At step 711, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained in the blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include the ninth verification key and location data (e.g., identifying the updated location of the sample in the locker). At step 712, the escrow record of the sample (which may be maintained in the verification key database, for example, by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the ninth verification key. At step 714, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained in the blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include the tenth verification key and custody data (e.g., indicating that the sample is no longer owned by the second technician based on the sample being moved to the locker). At step 714, the escrow record for the sample (which may be maintained, for example, in a verification key database by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the tenth verification key. At this point in the example sequence of events, the sample itself may be located in a locker, but the subsample may still be in the laboratory and may be measured, as discussed in conjunction with the next example sequence of events described below.

[0080] Fig. 8A , 8B 8C depict an illustrative sequence of events in which one or more measurements are taken on a subsample and the instrument measurement data is stored in a blockchain according to one or more example embodiments. Fig. 8A In , the example sequence can be found in Figure 7B. For example, the data record of the sample (which may be maintained in the blockchain by the instrument data management computing platform 110, for example) may include the sequence of verification keys and the measurement data stored in the above example, and the escrow record of the sample (which may be maintained in the verification key database by the data escrow database system 160, for example) may include the sequence of verification keys stored above. In addition, the data record of the sub-sample (which may be maintained in a blockchain corresponding to the sub-sample that is different from but related to the blockchain corresponding to the same sample by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may include the sequence of verification keys and the measurement data stored in the above example, and the escrow record of the sub-sample (which may be maintained in the verification key database by the data escrow database system 160, for example) may include the sequence of verification keys stored above.

[0081] For example, Fig. 8A and 8B As shown, the escrow record of the sample (which can be maintained in the verification key database by the data escrow database system 160, for example) can include the first verification key, the second verification key, the third verification key, the fourth verification, the fifth verification key, the sixth verification key, the eighth verification key, the ninth verification key and the tenth verification key. The data record of the sample (which can be maintained in the blockchain by the instrument data management computing platform 110, for example) can include the first verification key and the corresponding supervision data, the second verification key and the corresponding barcode data, the third verification key and the corresponding weight data, the fourth verification and the corresponding position data, the fifth verification key and the corresponding supervision data, the sixth verification key and the corresponding supervision data, the eighth verification key and the corresponding weight data, the ninth verification key and the corresponding position data, and the tenth verification key and the corresponding supervision data. In addition, the escrow record of the sub-sample (which can be maintained in the verification key database by the data escrow database system 160, for example) can include the seventh verification key. In addition, the data record of the sub-sample (which can be maintained in a blockchain corresponding to the sub-sample, which is different from the blockchain corresponding to the same sample, but is related to it, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) can include the seventh verification key and the corresponding weight data.

[0082] For example, then Figure 7B , the subsample may still be in the laboratory and can now be measured by a second technician. Figure 8BAt step 801, the second technician may test the subsample. For example, the subsample may be tested using a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), a laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137) used by the second technician. At step 802, the data record of the subsample (which may be maintained in a blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include an eleventh verification key and setup data (e.g., indicating the experimental setup used by the second technician). At step 803, the escrow record of the subsample (which may be maintained in a verification key database, for example, by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the eleventh verification key.

[0083] At step 804, the data record of the sub-sample (which may be maintained in the blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include the twelfth verification key and result data (e.g., indicating one or more results of the experiment performed by the second technician). At step 805, the escrow record of the sub-sample (which may be maintained in the verification key database, for example, by the data escrow database system 160) may be updated to include the twelfth verification key.

[0084] refer to Figure 8C At step 806, the second technician may destroy the subsample. For example, the subsample may be destroyed using a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), a laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137) used by the second technician, and / or the destruction of the subsample may be recorded using a smart instrument (e.g., smart instrument 121, smart instrument 123), a laboratory instrument (e.g., laboratory instrument 131, laboratory instrument 135), and / or a laboratory computing device (e.g., laboratory computing device 133, laboratory computing device 137) used by the second technician. At step 807, the data record of the subsample (which may be maintained in a blockchain, for example, by the instrument data management computing platform 110) may be updated to include a thirteenth verification key and supervision data (e.g., indicating that the subsample is no longer owned by the second technician based on the subsample being destroyed). At step 808, the escrow record for the sub-sample (which may be maintained, for example, by the data escrow database system 160 in a verification key database) may be updated to include the thirteenth verification key.

[0085] In the above examples, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, after various technicians interact with samples and subsamples, and after updating data records and escrow records, auditors can use one or more escrow records in the escrow records to verify the integrity of one or more data records in the data records. For example, because the data records for samples and subsamples contain verification keys and associated measurement data, laboratory technicians can provide any and / or all of these data records to auditors to verify data integrity. In addition, such auditors can use one or more escrow records in the escrow records as described above (e.g., based on one or more verification keys in the escrow records that match one or more verification keys in the data records) to verify data records received from laboratory technicians. In addition, and as described above, the trust agent that maintains the escrow keys can be able to verify the integrity of the blockchain data to the auditor without having a copy and / or knowledge of the data elements themselves in the blockchain, because only the verification key sequence is required to verify the integrity of the blockchain data. Further, and as described above, this computing implementation provides several technical benefits over conventional blockchain implementations. Specifically, rather than verifying the integrity of the entire blockchain as in conventional blockchain implementations, the integrity of a given block (or blocks) may be verified by verifying an immutable list of verification keys (which may be maintained, for example, by data escrow database system 160), thereby improving efficiency and reducing consumption of computing resources, such as processing power and network bandwidth.

[0086] One or more aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in computer-usable data or computer-executable instructions executed by one or more computers or other devices, for example, in one or more program modules, so as to perform the operations described herein. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types when executed by one or more processors in a computer or other data processing device. Computer-executable instructions may be stored as computer-readable instructions on computer-readable media such as hard disks, optical disks, removable storage media, solid-state memory, RAM, etc. The functions of program modules may be combined or distributed as needed in various embodiments. In addition, the functions may be embodied in firmware or hardware equivalents in whole or in part, for example, integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. Specific data structures may be used to more effectively implement one or more aspects of the present disclosure, and it is expected that such data structures are within the scope of computer-executable instructions and computer-usable data described herein.

[0087] The various aspects described herein may be embodied as methods, devices, or as one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions. Thus, those aspects may take the form of all hardware embodiments, all software embodiments, all firmware embodiments, or embodiments combining software, hardware, and firmware aspects in any combination. In addition, various signals representing data or events as described herein may be transmitted between a source and a destination in the form of light or electromagnetic waves passing through a signal conducting medium such as a metal wire, an optical fiber, or a wireless transmission medium (e.g., air or space). In general, one or more computer-readable media may and / or include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media.

[0088] As described herein, various methods and actions may operate across one or more computing servers and one or more networks. The functions may be distributed in any manner, or may be located in a single computing device (e.g., a server, a client computer, etc.). For example, in an alternative embodiment, one or more computing platforms in the computing platforms discussed above may be combined into a single computing platform, and the various functions of each computing platform may be performed by a single computing platform. In such an arrangement, any and / or all of the communications between the computing platforms discussed above may correspond to data accessed, moved, modified, updated, and / or otherwise used by a single computing platform. Additionally or alternatively, one or more computing platforms in the computing platforms discussed above may be implemented in one or more virtual machines provided by one or more physical computing devices. In such an arrangement, the various functions of each computing platform may be performed by one or more virtual machines, and any and / or all of the above communications between computing platforms may correspond to data being accessed, moved, modified, updated, and / or otherwise used by one or more virtual machines.

[0089] Various aspects of the present disclosure have been described in terms of their illustrative embodiments. Many other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of this disclosure. For example, one or more of the steps depicted in the illustrative figures may be performed in an order other than that described, and one or more of the depicted steps may be optional according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A data management computing platform, comprising: at least one processor; a communication interface communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; as well as a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the data management computing platform to: receiving, via the communication interface, from a first block generator, a first data block including first measurement data captured by a first instrument and associated with a sample, and a unique identifier associated with the sample; receiving a first verification key for the first data block calculated from content of the first data block; storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain associated with the data management computing platform; and The first verification key for the first data block is sent to a data managed database system through the communication interface, wherein sending the first verification key for the first data block to the data managed database system causes the data managed database system to store the first verification key in a verification key database maintained by the data managed database system.

2. The data management computing platform of claim 1, wherein receiving the first data block from the first block generator comprises receiving the first data block from a first smart instrument that captures the first measurement data and generates the first data block.

3. The data management computing platform of claim 1, wherein receiving the first data block from the first block generator comprises receiving the first data block from a first laboratory computing device that generated the first data block using information received from a linked instrument.

4. The data management computing platform of claim 1, wherein the first data block received from the first block generator includes a unique identifier corresponding to the sample.

5. The data management computing platform of claim 1 , wherein receiving the first verification key for the first data block comprises receiving the first verification key for the first data block from one or more block generators, the one or more block generators calculating the first verification key for the first data block using at least one verification key corresponding to at least one previous block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform.

6. The data management computing platform of claim 1 , wherein storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform comprises storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform in response to receiving a verification message including information verifying the first data block from one or more additional block generators different from the first block generator.

7. The data management computing platform of claim 6, wherein receiving the verification message from the one or more additional block generators comprises receiving the verification message from an intelligent instrument.

8. The data management computing platform of claim 6, wherein receiving the verification message from the one or more additional block generators comprises receiving the verification message from a laboratory computing device.

9. The data management computing platform of claim 1, wherein storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform comprises storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain database maintained by the data management computing platform.

10. The data management computing platform of claim 1, wherein an auditor computing device is configured to verify the integrity of blockchain data associated with the blockchain using a verification key stored in the verification key database maintained by the data escrow database system, wherein the auditor computing device is separate from the data management computing platform and the data escrow database system.

11. A data management computing platform according to claim 1, wherein an auditor computing device is configured to verify the integrity of the first data block based on receiving a request including the first verification key from the first block generator, wherein the auditor computing device is separate from the data management computing platform and the data hosting database system.

12. The data management computing platform of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the data management computing platform to: receiving, via the communication interface, a second data block from a second block generator, the second data block comprising second measurement data captured by a second instrument and associated with the sample; receiving a second verification key for the second data block calculated from content of the second data block; storing the second data block and the second verification key for the second data block in the blockchain associated with the data management computing platform; and The second verification key for the second data block is sent to the data managed database system through the communication interface, wherein sending the second verification key for the second data block to the data managed database system causes the data managed database system to store the second verification key in the verification key database maintained by the data managed database system.

13. The data management computing platform of claim 12, wherein receiving the second data block from the second block generator comprises receiving the second data block from a second smart instrument that captures the second measurement data and generates the second data block.

14. The data management computing platform of claim 12, wherein receiving the second data block from the second block generator comprises receiving the second data block from a second laboratory computing device that generated the second data block using information received from a linked instrument.

15. A method comprising: receiving, at a first generator, from a first instrument, first measurement data associated with a sample and captured by the first instrument; generating, at the first block generator, a first data block, the first data block comprising the first measurement data and a unique identifier associated with the sample; as well as At a data management computing platform including at least one processor, a communication interface, and a memory: receiving, by the at least one processor through the communication interface, the first data block from a first block generator; receiving, by the at least one processor, a first verification key for the first data block calculated from content of the first data block; storing, by the at least one processor, the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain associated with the data management computing platform; as well as The at least one processor sends the first verification key for the first data block to a data managed database system through the communication interface, wherein sending the first verification key for the first data block to the data managed database system causes the data managed database system to store the first verification key in a verification key database maintained by the data managed database system. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving the first data block from the first block generator comprises receiving the first data block from a first smart instrument that captures the first measurement data and generates the first data block.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the first data block from the first block generator comprises receiving the first data block from a first laboratory computing device that generated the first data block using information received from a linked instrument.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein an auditor computing device is configured to verify the integrity of blockchain data associated with the blockchain using a verification key stored in the verification key database maintained by the data escrow database system, wherein the auditor computing device is separate from the data management computing platform and the data escrow database system.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein an auditor computing device is configured to verify the integrity of the first data block based on receiving a request including the first verification key from the first block generator, wherein the auditor computing device is separate from the data management computing platform and the data hosting database system.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a data management computing platform comprising at least one processor, a communication interface, and a memory, cause the data management computing platform to: receiving, via the communication interface, from a first block generator, a first data block including first measurement data captured by a first instrument and associated with a sample, and a unique identifier associated with the sample; receiving a first verification key for the first data block calculated from content of the first data block; storing the first data block and the first verification key for the first data block in a blockchain associated with the data management computing platform; and The first verification key for the first data block is sent to a data managed database system through the communication interface, wherein sending the first verification key for the first data block to the data managed database system causes the data managed database system to store the first verification key in a verification key database maintained by the data managed database system.

Images