Laboratory instrument with safety indicator

Abstract

To solve such a problem that a new teaching process is required since there is such a possibility that the content and / or arrangement of a reagent storage compartment is changed after removal of the reagent storage compartment and re-insertion of a laboratory instrument.SOLUTION: A laboratory instrument comprises: a. at least one housing having at least one sample processing device disposed therein; b. at least one reagent storage compartment reversibly removable from the housing; and c. at least one safety indicator 128 configured for automatically altering a detectable state of the safety indicator 128 during the process in which the laboratory instrument removes and re-inserts the reagent storage compartment. Further, a method of operating the laboratory instrument, a computer program and a computer-readable storage medium are proposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Technical Field The present invention relates to a laboratory instrument for processing at least one sample and a method for operating the laboratory instrument. The laboratory instrument and method can be particularly applied in the field of automated in vitro diagnostic (IVD) sample processing. In particular, the present invention can be used to analyze human body samples such as blood, urine, saliva, interstitial fluid or other body fluids. However, other applications are also possible. [Background technology]

[0002] Background technology In diagnostic laboratories, automated pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical laboratory equipment is used for various sample processing steps to generate accurate and reliable test results that represent critical information, particularly for physicians. Typically, such laboratory equipment includes one or more sample processing devices disposed therein, such as one or more pipetting devices. Additionally, one or more sample handling devices, such as conveyors, may be present.

[0003] To process at least one sample, various types of reagents are typically used by a laboratory instrument. These reagents are typically arranged in one or more reagent storage compartments. By way of example, in commercially available laboratory instruments, reagent cassettes may be stored inside one or more so-called "reagent supply units" (RSUs). These reagent storage compartments are typically located within the housing of the laboratory instrument and are easily accessible.

[0004] However, one technical challenge with typical reagent storage compartments lies in the fact that laboratory instruments typically automatically access reagents placed in the reagent storage compartment. However, a teaching process is generally required to teach the laboratory instrument the contents and arrangement of the reagent storage compartment. This teaching process, also referred to as a "training process," ensures, for example, that a pipette needle of the laboratory instrument correctly addresses the appropriate container in the reagent storage compartment without risk of collision or misplacement. Furthermore, one technical challenge lies in the fact that after a reagent storage compartment is removed and reinserted into the laboratory instrument, the contents and / or arrangement of the reagent storage compartment may have changed, requiring a new teaching process.

[0005] In the field of medical engineering, various systems including a reagent compartment such as a drawer are known. Thus, by way of example, EP 3025740 discloses a dialysis system including a housing, a dialysate pump disposed within the housing, and a dialysate line configured to be operably connected to the dialysate pump such that the dialysate pump can pump dialysate through the dialysate line when the dialysate line is in fluid communication with a dialysate source. The dialysis system includes a hemodialysis machine having a drawer, the drawer being manually openable under certain conditions.

[0006] When reagent storage compartments are used, technical challenges can arise in the event of a loss of power. In particular, since the reagents stored in the reagent storage compartments are typically of high commercial value, it may be necessary to remove the reagents from the system, for example to ensure that these reagents are stored under controlled conditions. Various systems are known in the art that address this problem.

[0007] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050062238 discloses a point-of-care (POC) station that includes a mobile cabinet with a lockable compartment and a pylon release mechanism. The POC station also includes a stationary pylon, an articulating arm, and a terminal with a monitor. The POC station extends medication and supply infrastructure into a patient room. The station also includes a drawer and is configured to unlock the drawer even if power to the system is lost.

[0008] EP 895088 discloses a blood analysis system or instrument generally including an incubator station, a sample and reagent holding station, a pipette assembly, a centrifuge, an analysis station, and a transport assembly. Generally, the incubation station holds containers while reagents and fluids are dispensed into those containers and, if necessary, to incubate the containers. The sample and reagent holding station holds samples and multiple reagents, and the pipette assembly transfers fluids from the sample and reagent holding station to containers in the incubation station. The centrifuge is provided for centrifuging the containers, and the analysis station is provided for optically analyzing the containers to identify reactions therein. The transport assembly transports the containers between the incubator station, the centrifuge, and the analysis station. Preferably, the pipette assembly automatically operates to withdraw fluids and preselected reagents from the sample and reagent holding station and dispense the fluids into containers held in the incubation station to generate predetermined solutions therein. The transfer subassembly also operates automatically to transport the container from the incubator station to the centrifuge after the predetermined solution has been produced in the container, and then from the centrifuge to the analysis station. The system also includes a drawer and means for opening the drawer in the event of a loss of power.

[0009] Despite the advantages achieved by the above-mentioned technological developments, various technical challenges remain. Specifically, during a power outage, system or equipment modifications may be made unnoticed. Thus, for example, at least a reagent storage compartment may be removed and reinserted without notifying the equipment or system. However, this option may pose a risk of damage, as rearrangement of the reagent storage compartment and / or its contents may require different operation and / or an updated teaching process for the equipment or system. However, performing a routine initial teaching process every time the equipment or system is powered on is very time-consuming and reduces user convenience.

[0010] Issues to be resolved It would therefore be desirable to provide a laboratory instrument and method of operation that at least partially addresses the above-mentioned technical challenges, particularly one that allows for safe handling in the event of a power outage, allows for safe retrieval of reagents from reagent storage compartments, and still allows for safe and convenient restart of the laboratory instrument. Summary of the Invention

[0011] overview This problem is addressed by a laboratory instrument for processing at least one sample, a method for operating a laboratory instrument, a computer program product and a computer-readable storage medium, which have the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments, which can be realized alone or in any combination, are set out in the dependent claims and in the entire specification.

[0012] When used below, the terms "have," "comprise," or "include," or any grammatical variations thereof, are used in a non-exclusive manner. Thus, these terms may refer both to the situation in which, in addition to the features introduced by these terms, no further features are present in the entity described in this context, and to the situation in which one or more additional features are present. For example, the expressions "A has B," "A comprises B," and "A includes B" may both refer to the situation in which, apart from B, no other elements are present in A (i.e., the situation in which A consists solely and exclusively of B), and to the situation in which, apart from B, one or more further elements are present in entity A, such as element C, elements C and D, and even further elements.

[0013] Furthermore, it should be noted that the terms "at least one," "one or more," or similar expressions indicating that a feature or element may be present one or more times are typically used only once when introducing each feature or element. In the following, in most cases, when referring to each feature or element, the expressions "at least one" or "one or more" will not be repeated, despite the fact that each feature or element may be present one or more than one time.

[0014] Furthermore, when used hereinafter, the terms "preferably," "more preferably," "particularly," "more particularly," "particularly," "more particularly," or similar terms are used in conjunction with any feature without limiting the possibility of substitution. Therefore, features introduced by these terms are optional features and are not intended to constrain the scope of the claims in any way. The present invention may also be implemented by using alternative features, as recognized by those skilled in the art. Similarly, features introduced by "in an embodiment of the present invention" or similar expressions are intended to be optional features without any limitation regarding alternative embodiments of the invention, without any limitation regarding the scope of the invention, and without any limitation regarding the possibility of combining the feature introduced in such a way with other optional or non-optional features of the invention.

[0015] In a first aspect of the present invention, a laboratory instrument for processing at least one sample is proposed, the laboratory instrument comprising: a. at least one housing having at least one sample processing device disposed therein; b. at least one reagent storage compartment reversibly removable from the housing; c. at least one safety indicator, specifically at least one electronically readable safety indicator, wherein the safety indicator is configured to indicate whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing, and wherein the laboratory instrument is configured to automatically change the detectable state of the safety indicator during the process of removing and reinserting the reagent storage compartment.

[0016] The term "laboratory instrument" as used herein is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. The term can specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any device or system configured to perform one or more sample or sample container processing steps. For example, the laboratory instrument can be or comprise a clinical diagnostic analyzer, specifically an automated analyzer. For possible embodiments of the laboratory instrument, reference can be made to the prior art or commercially available laboratory instruments listed above, such as the Roche Cobas® series of laboratory instruments. Other embodiments are also possible.

[0017] Laboratory instruments include at least one sample processing device, such as one or more of a pre-analytical instrument, an analytical instrument, or a post-analytical instrument. A pre-analytical instrument can typically be used for preliminary processing of a sample or sample container. An analytical instrument can be designed, for example, to use a sample or a portion of a sample and a reagent to generate a measurable signal based on which it can be determined whether an analyte is present, and optionally at what concentration. A post-analytical instrument can typically be used for post-processing of a sample, such as sample storage.

[0018] By way of example, the laboratory instrument, and in particular the at least one sample processing device, may comprise at least one of a pipetting device for pipetting samples, a sorting device for sorting samples or sample containers, a decapping device for removing caps or closures on sample containers, a capping device for attaching caps or closures to sample containers, an aliquoting device for aliquoting samples, a centrifugation device for centrifuging samples, an analytical device for analyzing samples, a heating device for heating samples, a cooling device for cooling samples, a mixing device for mixing samples, a separation device for isolating analytes of the samples, a storage device for storing samples, a storage device for storing samples, a sample container type determination device for determining the type of sample container, and a sample quality determination device for determining the quality of the sample. Additionally or alternatively, the laboratory instrument may comprise at least one sample handling system for handling samples, particularly automatically, and / or for handling at least one sample container, such as at least one sample tube. Thus, by way of example, the laboratory instrument may comprise at least one gripper, at least one conveyor, at least one rotator, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the laboratory instrument may include at least one detector for detecting at least one property of the at least one sample, such as an optical property. Thus, by way of example, the laboratory instrument may include at least one fluorescence detector. Other options are possible.

[0019] The term "sample" as used herein is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. This term can specifically, but not exclusively, refer to at least one material to be processed, specifically an aliquot of at least one material suspected of containing an analyte of interest. A sample can be derived from any biological source, such as physiological fluids, including blood, saliva, ocular fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, sweat, urine, milk, ascites, mucus, synovial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, tissue, cells, etc. Samples may be pre-treated before use (preparing plasma from blood, diluting or lysing viscous fluids, etc.), and processing methods can include filtration, distillation, concentration, inactivation of interfering components, and addition of reagents. A sample can be used directly from the source, or after pre-treatment to modify the characteristics of the sample, for example, after dilution with another solution or mixing with a reagent, to perform one or more diagnostic assays, such as clinical chemistry assays, immunoassays, coagulation assays, nucleic acid tests, etc. Thus, the term "sample" as used herein not only refers to the original sample, but also to a sample that has already been processed or pretreated, such as by pipetting, dilution, mixing with reagents, concentration, purification, amplification, etc. As used herein, the term "analyte" can refer to a compound or composition to be detected or measured.

[0020] The term "processing a sample" as used herein is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art, and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. This term can specifically, but is not limited to, any treatment of a sample. For example, treatment can include one or more of transferring, aliquoting, isolating, purifying, incubating, reacting, or combining a reagent with the sample. The term "reagent" as used herein is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art, and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. This term can specifically, but is not limited to, any composition necessary for sample processing. A reagent can be any liquid, such as a solvent or chemical solution, that needs to be mixed with a sample and / or other reagents in order, for example, to cause a reaction or enable detection. A reagent can be, for example, a diluent containing water, an organic solvent, a detergent, or a buffer. A reagent can also be a dry reagent adapted to be dissolved by, for example, a sample, another reagent, or a diluent. A reagent in the stricter sense of the term can be, for example, a liquid solution containing a reactant, typically a compound or agent, capable of binding to or chemically converting one or more analytes present in a sample. Examples of reactants are enzymes, enzyme substrates, conjugated dyes, protein-binding molecules, nucleic acid-binding molecules, antibodies, chelators, promoters, inhibitors, epitopes, antigens, etc.

[0021] As further outlined above, a laboratory instrument includes at least one housing having at least one sample processing device disposed therein. The term "housing" as used herein is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. Specifically, the term can refer to, but is not limited to, a device or element that completely or partially encloses at least one interior space that can be completely or partially filled with one or more components, and the housing can be configured to provide protection against mechanical and / or environmental influences to these components. For example, the housing may be completely or partially made of at least one rigid material, such as at least one of a metal material, a rigid plastic material, and glass. The housing may include at least one frame that can be completely or partially covered with one or more housing plates, such as a plastic plate and / or a stainless steel plate. The housing may be composed of a single piece or multiple housing components, such as a base and a cover. For example, the housing of a laboratory instrument may include a base and a cover that can be completely or partially transparent.

[0022] As outlined above, at least one sample processing device is disposed within the housing. As used herein, the term "sample processing device" is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. This term may specifically, but not exclusively, refer to a device configured to perform one or more of the above-defined processing steps for processing at least one sample. By way of example, the at least one sample processing device may be or comprise at least one device configured for at least one of transferring, aliquoting, isolating, purifying, incubating, reacting, or combining a reagent with a sample. Specifically, the at least one sample processing device may comprise at least one pipetting device. Additionally or alternatively, the at least one sample processing device may also comprise at least one detector.

[0023] As further outlined above, the laboratory instrument includes at least one reagent storage compartment reversibly removable from the housing. As used herein, the term "reagent storage compartment" is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, a container configured to store and provide one or more reagents to the laboratory instrument. The reagent storage compartment may include at least one integrated robotic handler for handling at least one reagent and / or reagent container. By way of example, the reagent storage compartment may include at least one robotic handler configured to manage the pick-and-place of at least one reagent and / or reagent container within the reagent storage compartment. Additionally or alternatively, the reagent storage compartment may include at least one temperature control device configured to regulate and / or control the temperature of at least one reagent and / or at least one reagent container within the reagent storage compartment. Thus, by way of example, the reagent storage compartment may include one or more temperature control elements, e.g., for heating and cooling within one or more zones of the reagent storage compartment. By way of example, the reagents may be provided in one or more reagent containers arranged in a reagent storage compartment. The reagent storage compartment may be at least partially open, particularly to allow other components of the laboratory instrument, such as one or more suction pipes and / or pipetting devices, to access the one or more reagents and / or reagent containers when the containers are inserted into the laboratory instrument. The reagent storage compartment may particularly comprise one or more drawers, as outlined in more detail below.

[0024] To be reversibly detachable from the housing, the housing and / or the container may each include one or more connection elements configured to connect the container to the housing. For example, one or more sliders may be provided to slide the reagent storage compartment into and out of the housing. As used herein, the term "inserted into the housing" generally refers to a state in which the reagent storage compartment is fully disposed within and / or attached to the housing such that the reagent storage compartment is in its operating position, thereby providing one or more reagents contained therein to a laboratory instrument for sample processing. In contrast, the term "removed from the housing" refers to a state in which the reagent storage compartment is not fully inserted into the housing and / or is not in place to provide one or more reagents contained therein to a laboratory instrument for use in sample processing. Thus, in the detached state, the reagent storage compartment may be completely removed from the housing or may remain partially attached to the housing, but is not in its operating position, thereby not providing one or more reagents contained therein to a laboratory instrument for sample processing. For example, if the reagent storage compartment comprises a drawer, the term may specifically refer to a situation in which the drawer is fully or partially pulled out from the housing, even though one end of the drawer may still be positioned fully or partially inside the housing.

[0025] As further used herein, the term “reversibly” is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. This term may specifically refer to the fact that a reagent storage compartment can be removed from a housing and then reinserted into the housing, or vice versa. Specifically, the removal and / or insertion may not result in an irreversible change of the reagent storage compartment, such as by destroying a destructible element or the like. The term “reversibly” further does not affect the possibility of changing the contents of the reagent storage compartment between removal and reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment. When reinserting the reagent storage compartment into the housing, the same reagent storage compartment can be reinserted, or a different reagent storage compartment can be reinserted, but at least substantially identical, at least in terms of its dimensions and / or mechanical properties, to the one previously removed from the housing.

[0026] As further outlined above, the laboratory instrument further comprises at least one safety indicator, particularly at least one electronically readable safety indicator, configured to indicate whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing, and the laboratory instrument is configured to automatically change the detectable state of the safety indicator during the process of removing and reinserting the reagent storage compartment.

[0027] As used herein, the term "safety indicator" is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to a special or customized meaning. This term may specifically refer to any device configured to provide at least one indication, specifically at least one machine-readable indication such as a signal, indicating whether a reagent storage compartment has been removed from a housing and reinserted into the housing. As outlined in more detail below, the indication may refer to a specific period of time, such as the period of time that has elapsed since the last reset of the safety indicator. Accordingly, as outlined in more detail below, the laboratory instrument may be configured to reset the safety indicator, thereby placing the safety indicator in a predetermined state, such as, for example, an armed state, specifically, an armed position. At a later stage, after the reset, the safety indicator may indicate whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from a housing and reinserted into the housing since the most recent reset, for example, by indicating whether the safety indicator is still in an armed state, such as an armed position, or in a different state, such as a disarmed state, specifically, a disarmed position. Further examples are provided below.

[0028] The safety indicator can assume at least two different states, such as at least one armed state and at least one disarmed state, as outlined in more detail below. The state can specifically be detectable by at least one detector. Specifically, the stage can be electronically readable. As used herein, the term "electronically readable" is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to a special or customized meaning. Specifically, the term can refer to the fact that the state of the safety indicator can be detected by electronic means, such as at least one electronic detector, e.g., at least one photoelectronic detector. By way of example, the detector can be part of a readout unit of a safety device that includes at least the safety indicator and a readout unit having at least one detector. The at least one detector can, by way of example, include at least one of an electronic detector, an electromagnetic detector, and a photodetector. Specifically, as outlined above, the safety indicator may be part of a safety device that includes, in addition to the at least one safety indicator, at least one readout unit configured to electronically read out the state of the safety indicator, thereby generating, for example, at least one piece of information regarding the removal and reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment from the safety indicator, particularly for the period since the last reset. Thus, the safety device may provide at least one readout unit, which may be configured to provide an electronic signal configured to provide information regarding whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing, particularly since the most recent reset. For example, the electronic signal may be an analog signal and / or a digital signal. The safety device may also include at least one memory element, such as at least one data storage device, configured to store information regarding whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing, particularly since the most recent reset.By way of example, the information can be or may include binary information. Generally, the safety device may be configured to provide at least one item of electronic information regarding whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing, in particular since the most recent reset, and the at least one item of electronic information may be electronically readable such that an external device, such as a control unit, can obtain information, in particular machine-readable information, regarding whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing.

[0029] As outlined above, the laboratory instrument is configured to automatically change the detectable state of the safety indicator during the process of removing and reinserting the reagent storage compartment. The term “detectable state,” as used herein, is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. Specifically, the term may refer to any characteristic of an element or device that can assume at least two different configurations that are distinguishable by using at least one detector. Thus, the safety indicator may be configured to assume at least two distinguishable states. By way of example, the states may be configurations such as the position of the safety indicator, including different orientation options for the safety indicator. Thus, by way of example, the safety indicator may have at least one first state, also referred to as an “armed state,” or, specifically, an “armed position,” when the state is a specific position, indicating that the reagent storage compartment has not been removed from and reinserted into the housing, particularly since the most recent reset. Further, the safety indicator can have at least one second state, also called a "disarmed state", specifically a "disarmed position" when the state is in a particular position, the second state being different from the first state, the second state indicating that the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing, particularly since the most recent reset.

[0030] The term "automatically changing" as used herein is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to a special or customized meaning. This term may specifically refer to the fact that the state of at least one object changes without the need for human interaction, specifically without any human interaction. Thus, by way of example, automatic changing may mean that the change is mechanically coupled to another action, which may be performed by a machine or a user without specifically or intentionally initiating the change. Thus, by way of example, when a user removes and / or reinserts a reagent storage compartment, the change in the state of the safety indicator by the laboratory equipment may be coupled to the removal and / or reinsertion. By way of example, as outlined in more detail below, the laboratory equipment, or specifically the reagent storage compartment, may include at least one actuating element or actuator, such as a lever, that couples the removal and / or reinsertion to the change in the state of the safety indicator. Thus, even if the removal and / or reinsertion process is performed manually, coupling the change of the detectable state of the safety indicator to the removal and / or reinsertion can provide an automatic change of the detectable state during the process of removing and reinserting the reagent-storage compartment. Thus, in general, an automatic change of the detectable state can mean coupling the change of the detectable state to the process of removing and reinserting the reagent-storage compartment. The change can occur during the removal of the reagent-storage compartment from the housing, during the reinsertion of the reagent-storage compartment into the housing, or both.

[0031] As outlined above, the laboratory equipment may in particular be electrically operable in a powered state, such that electrical energy may be supplied to the laboratory equipment from an external and / or internal power source, in particular to drive at least one sample processing device.

[0032] The reagent storage compartment may specifically be reversibly removable from the housing in a powered and / or unpowered state of the laboratory instrument. Both options are feasible. The reagent storage compartment may specifically be reversibly removable from the housing in an unpowered state, i.e., in one or more of the following states: a state in which the laboratory instrument is switched off, in a sleeping mode, and in a mode in which no external or internal power is supplied to the laboratory instrument. To reversibly remove the reagent storage compartment from the housing in an unpowered state, the laboratory instrument may specifically be configured such that reversible removal of the reagent storage compartment is possible without relying on and / or using an electrically powered device. Thus, by way of example, a mechanical lock may be provided that must be unlocked before removal, and the mechanical lock may not be dependent on electrical power. Thus, even in the event of a power outage, the reagent storage compartment can be removed from the housing by an operator, e.g., to secure at least one reagent and / or reagent container contained therein, e.g., for the purpose of securing the valuable contents of the reagent storage compartment.

[0033] The safety indicator may specifically be configured to detect and / or indicate whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing during a period when the laboratory instrument was not powered on. Thus, specifically, the safety indicator may be configured to generate information regarding whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing during a period when the laboratory instrument was not powered independently from a power source. Thus, specifically, the state of the safety indicator can be changed or switched from an armed state to a disarmed state when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing without the need to power the safety indicator. The change occurs automatically, as described above, i.e., without requiring a separate user action to change the state, for example, by mechanically coupling the change of state to the removal and / or reinsertion process.

[0034] The state of the safety indicator can be automatically changed, for example, from an armed state to a disarmed state, particularly when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing. The laboratory instrument may further be configured, as outlined below, not to change the state of the safety indicator back from the disarmed state to the armed state when the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the housing. This allows the safety indicator to provide the necessary information, particularly when the laboratory instrument is returned to a powered state, without requiring power to be supplied to the safety indicator. Thus, even if the safety indicator does not provide information indicating whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing while in an unpowered state, the safety device can be configured to collect said information during the unpowered state by using the safety indicator, store said information, and provide said information, particularly in electronically readable form, when the laboratory instrument is returned to a powered state. The safety device may further comprise at least one power source of its own, such as a battery and / or accumulator, which may be configured to supply electrical energy to the safety indicator even in an unpowered state of the laboratory instrument, the power source of the safety indicator having no effect on the powered or unpowered state of the laboratory instrument. However, in particular, the safety indicator may not include its own power source, as outlined in more detail below.

[0035] The laboratory instrument may specifically include at least one control unit. As used herein, the term "control unit" is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art, and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to any electronic device or combination of devices configured to control one or more operations of the laboratory instrument, such as, but not limited to, controlling one or more processing steps of the laboratory instrument. The control unit may specifically include at least one processor. As used herein, the term "processor" is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art, and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any logic circuitry configured to perform the basic operations of a computer or system, and / or generally to any device configured to perform computational or logical operations. In particular, a processor may be configured to process the basic instructions that drive a computer or system. For example, a processor may include at least one arithmetic logic unit (ALU), at least one floating-point unit (FPU), such as a math coprocessor or a math coprocessor, a plurality of registers, specifically registers configured to supply operands to the ALU and store operation results, and memory, such as L1 and L2 cache memories. In particular, the processor may be a multi-core processor. In particular, the processor may be or include a central processing unit (CPU). Additionally or alternatively, the processor may be or include a microprocessor; thus, in particular, the elements of the processor may be included on one single integrated circuit (IC) chip.Additionally or alternatively, the processor may be or comprise one or more chips, such as one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and / or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and / or one or more tensor processing units (TPUs) and / or dedicated machine learning optimization chips, etc. The processor may be specifically configured, such as by software programming, to perform one or more evaluation operations.

[0036] The control unit may be configured to receive and evaluate at least one readout signal indicating the state of the safety indicator. For example, the readout signal may be received from a readout unit of a safety device that includes at least one readout unit in addition to the safety indicator. Thus, as outlined above, the safety device may be configured to provide at least one item of information indicating whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing, specifically since the most recent reset, e.g., since the most recent reset process that brought the safety indicator to the armed state, specifically the armed position. The item of information may, for example, include at least one of an analog information item and a digital information item. The item of information may also be referred to as a "readout signal" provided by the safety indicator, regardless of whether the readout signal is in analog or digital format. The readout signal may be or include at least one item of information regarding the state of the safety indicator, such as its current state, e.g., whether the safety indicator is currently in the armed or disarmed state. Thus, the readout signal may be a readout signal provided directly or indirectly by a measurement device of the safety indicator and / or a readout signal intermediately stored in a data storage device, e.g., a data storage device of the safety indicator.

[0037] After receiving a readout signal directly or indirectly from the safety indicator, the control unit can evaluate the readout signal. Thus, as outlined in more detail below, the control unit can detect, for example, whether a reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing during a period in which the laboratory instrument is unpowered and / or during a period since the most recent reset. By way of example, the results of the evaluation may be used by the control unit to initiate one or more actions, for example, if a reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing. By way of example, an alert can inform the user.

[0038] Additionally or alternatively, the control unit may be configured to execute at least one automatic teaching procedure when the readout signal indicates that the reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing. The term “automatic teaching procedure,” as used herein, is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. The term may specifically, but not exclusively, refer to a process that is automatically executed, i.e., initiated by the control unit, preferably without requiring user interaction, in which at least one item of information regarding the contents, arrangement, and configuration of the reagent storage compartment and / or at least one of its contents is collected. Specifically, the teaching procedure may include adapting at least one processing step of at least one sample using a sample processing device to at least one item of information regarding the reagent storage compartment. Thus, by way of example, the teaching procedure may include information regarding whether and how at least one pipetting device can access at least one reagent container contained in the reagent storage compartment. As outlined above, at least one control unit may also be distributed throughout the laboratory instrument. Thus, by way of example, the control unit may comprise at least one part integrated into the housing and at least one part integrated into the reagent storage compartment. In particular, at least one part of the control unit integrated into the housing may be configured to execute at least one auto-teach procedure when a readout signal indicates that the reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing. However, it should be noted that other options are also possible.Thus, by way of example, additionally or alternatively, at least one optional portion of the control unit integrated into the reagent-storage compartment may also be configured to perform at least one internal auto-teach procedure, which may be an additional or alternative teach procedure, in particular, when the readout signal indicates that the reagent-storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing. By way of example, at least one optional portion of the control unit integrated into the reagent-storage compartment may be configured to perform at least one internal auto-teach procedure configured to reduce inaccuracies caused by possible manufacturing tolerances of one or more components of the reagent-storage compartment.

[0039] As outlined above, the safety indicator may specifically be at least partially mechanically operable without the need to supply power to the safety indicator. Specifically, the safety indicator may be configured to transition from at least one armed state to at least one disarmed state without the need to supply power to the safety indicator, such as by purely mechanical operation. Accordingly, specifically, the safety indicator may include at least one movable indicator element. The movable indicator element may be configured to transition to at least one armed position and at least one disarmed position. Thus, when the movable indicator element is in the armed position, the safety indicator may also be in the armed position, and when the movable indicator element is in the disarmed position, the safety indicator is in the disarmed position. Accordingly, hereinafter, no distinction is made between the armed position of the safety indicator and the armed position of the movable indicator element, and between the disarmed position of the safety indicator and the disarmed position of the movable indicator element. Similarly, when the safety indicator is in the armed state, the movable indicator element may be in the armed position and thus in the armed state, and when the safety indicator is in the disarmed state, the movable indicator element may be in the disarmed position and thus in the disarmed state.

[0040] The laboratory instrument, and in particular the safety device of the laboratory instrument, may further comprise at least one readout unit, as outlined above. The readout unit may be configured to detect whether the movable indicator element is in the armed or disarmed position, and in particular to provide at least one readout signal, such as the readout signal described above, indicating whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing. Specifically, in a reset process, the movable indicator element may be placed in the armed position. The safety indicator and readout unit may be components of the safety device. In addition to the safety indicator and optional readout unit, the safety device may further optionally comprise one or more actuators, such as at least one compartment actuator and / or at least one indicator actuator, as outlined in more detail below.

[0041] The term "movable indicator element" as used herein is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. This term may specifically refer to any element or combination of elements that are movable in at least one dimension, such as, but not limited to, slidable, pivotable, and / or rotatable, and that can detect the position of the element and thus provide at least one item of information. Thus, at least one item of information can be position-encoded in the position of the indicator element. The term "position" as used herein is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. This term may specifically refer to any spatial configuration of an element, such as, but not limited to, at least one configuration selected from the group consisting of: absolute position in space; relative position with respect to at least one other element; absolute orientation in space; and relative orientation with respect to at least one other element.

[0042] The term "arm position" as used herein is a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. The term can specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any position of the above meaning that is predefined or definable as a reference position indicating that the reagent storage compartment has not been removed from the housing, for example, during a power outage, after the most recent reset, or for a predetermined period of time after the most recent auto-teach procedure. The arm position can therefore define a position at which the laboratory instrument can operate with the reagent storage compartment inserted into the housing.

[0043] Similarly, the term "disarmed position" as used herein is also a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to any special or customized meaning. This term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any position different from the armed position, which may be predefined or definable as a position indicating that the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing for a predetermined period of time, such as during a power outage, after the most recent reset, or after the most recent auto-teach procedure. Thus, the disarmed position may generally define a position where the laboratory instrument cannot operate without further steps, such as the auto-teach procedure described above, and / or a position indicating that further action is required before the laboratory instrument can be used with the reagent storage container.

[0044] The term "readout unit" as used herein is also a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to a special or customized meaning. This term may specifically refer to, but is not limited to, any device or any combination of devices configured to detect the position of a movable indicator element, specifically distinguishing between at least one armed position and at least one disarmed position. Various types of detectors may be used, as those skilled in the art will recognize. Thus, by way of example, at least one of an electronic detector, a magnetic detector, and an optical detector may be used. As outlined in more detail below, by way of example, at least one optical switch, such as an optical switch with a light barrier, may be used. However, other detector principles are also feasible. The readout unit may specifically be configured, by way of example, to provide at least one readout signal that can be retrieved by a control unit. For possible examples of readout signals that can be transmitted or provided to a control unit directly or indirectly, for example, after intermediate storage in at least one data storage device, reference may be made to the above description. The readout signal may, by way of example, be or include at least one analog and / or digital signal. By way of example, the readout signal may be or may include a binary signal that provides information regarding whether the movable indicator element is in an armed or disarmed position.

[0045] The laboratory instrument may further include at least one compartment actuator. The compartment actuator may be configured to move the movable indicator element from the armed position to the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing. Thus, the compartment actuator may be specifically configured to perform the above-described operations that couple the removal and / or reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment to a change in the state of the safety indicator, thereby automatically changing the detectable state of the safety indicator during the process of removing the reagent storage compartment from the housing and reinserting the reagent storage compartment into the housing. The term "compartment actuator" as used herein is also a broad term and should be given its ordinary and accustomed meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to a special or customized meaning. This term may specifically, but is not limited to, any actuator, specifically a mechanical actuator configured to perform the indicated operation, i.e., to directly or indirectly act on the movable indicator element when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing. By way of example, the compartment actuator may be or may include at least one lever, e.g., a lever directly or indirectly mechanically connected to and / or integrated into the reagent storage compartment, that acts on the movable indicator element during movement of the reagent storage compartment. Thus, a force, e.g., a mechanical force, applied to the reagent storage compartment during removal of the reagent storage compartment from the housing can be transmitted to the movable indicator element by the compartment actuator.

[0046] The compartment actuator can be further configured to leave the movable indicator element in the released position when the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the housing. For example, in the armed position, the movable indicator element may be in a position such that the compartment actuator acts on the movable indicator element during removal of the reagent storage compartment from the housing, thereby placing the movable indicator element in the disarmed position. However, during the reverse movement, and thus during reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment into the housing, the indicator element, now in the disarmed position, may be out of reach of the compartment actuator, so that the compartment actuator does not act on the indicator element and return it from the disarmed position to the armed position. This configuration can be achieved by an appropriate mechanical design of the movable indicator element, as outlined in more detail below. As illustrated, this functionality may be provided in particular when the movable indicator element is designed as a fully or partially rotatable indicator element, and during movement from the armed position to the disarmed position, the rotatable indicator element may be rotated out of reach of the compartment actuator. However, a similar configuration can be realized, for example, for a linearly movable indicator element, for example, by sliding the indicator element out of reach of the compartment actuator. In general, however, laboratory equipment can be designed such that the movable indicator element, in conjunction with the compartment actuator, moves from the armed position to the disarmed position upon removal and reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment, thereby providing an indication that the reagent storage compartment has been removed and reinserted, even during, for example, a power outage.

[0047] As mentioned above, the compartment actuator may specifically be a mechanical compartment actuator that mechanically acts on the movable indicator element. Therefore, specifically, the compartment actuator may be purely mechanical, without the need to supply electrical energy to the compartment actuator and / or without mechanical interaction between the compartment actuator and the movable indicator element. It should be noted, however, that other actions are also possible, such as magnetic action, for example, by providing a permanent magnet in the compartment actuator that acts on the movable indicator element. However, specifically, the compartment actuator may be designed so that it does not require electrical power to act on the movable indicator element.

[0048] The laboratory instrument may further include at least one indicator actuator. The indicator actuator can be configured to return the movable indicator element to the armed position, for example, during a reset process. Therefore, the term "indicator actuator" as used herein is also a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to a special or customized meaning. The term can specifically, but not exclusively, refer to any actuator configured to perform an indicated action, i.e., to act directly or indirectly on the movable indicator element to return the indicator actuator to the armed position. Therefore, the indicator actuator may also be referred to as a "reset actuator" because it can be specifically actuated during the reset process in which the movable indicator element is returned from the disarmed position to the armed position. The reset actuator may specifically be different from and / or separate from the compartment actuator. Specifically, the indicator actuator may be an actuator configured to return the movable indicator element from the disarmed position to the armed position independently of any movement of the reagent-storage compartment. Specifically, the indicator actuator may be configured not to be actuated and not to automatically return the movable indicator element from the disarmed position to the armed position when the reagent-storage compartment is reinserted into the housing. By way of example, the indicator actuator may be electrically controlled, for example by the control unit, and thus, by way of example, in the reset process described above, the control unit may be configured to send a control signal to the indicator actuator to trigger the indicator actuator to return the movable indicator element from the disarmed position to the armed position.

[0049] Specifically, and generally, the indicator actuator may therefore comprise at least one actuator that can be triggered by the control unit. Thus, by way of example, the control unit may be configured to execute at least one auto-teach procedure and, for example, when the auto-teach procedure is completed, trigger the indicator actuator to reset the movable indicator element, thereby returning the movable indicator element from the disarmed position to the armed position, e.g., to indicate that the laboratory instrument can properly operate with the reagent storage compartment. Specifically, the indicator actuator may comprise at least one electric actuator, such as at least one electric motor, specifically at least one stepper motor. However, other actuators, such as other actuators that can be controlled by the control unit, are also feasible. The indicator actuator may specifically be separate from the compartment actuator.

[0050] As outlined above, the laboratory instrument can be configured, in particular, to mechanically move the movable indicator element from the armed position to the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing, for example by using a compartment actuator. The laboratory instrument may be further configured to leave the movable indicator element in the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the housing. Furthermore, the laboratory instrument may be configured to perform at least one auto-teach procedure when it is detected that the movable indicator element is in the disarmed position, such as by being triggered by the control unit. The laboratory instrument can be further configured, in particular, to return the movable indicator element to the armed position when the auto-teach procedure is completed, for example by using an indicator actuator, in particular by being triggered by the control unit.

[0051] As mentioned above, there are various ways to design the movable indicator element. Specifically, the movable indicator element may be or may include at least one mechanically movable indicator element, such as at least one slidable and / or at least one rotatable indicator element. The movable indicator element may, for example, include at least one lever and / or at least one cam that can act during removal of the reagent storage compartment, thereby moving the movable indicator element from the armed position to the disarmed position. On the other hand, the lever and / or cam may not act during reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment into the housing, thereby leaving the movable indicator element in the released position during reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment into the housing.

[0052] Thus, specifically, the movable indicator element can comprise at least one rotatable movable indicator element. For example, the rotatable movable indicator element can comprise a wheel disposed on an axle, the wheel having, for example, one or more cams on its circumferential surface, and action on the one or more cams can cause the wheel to rotate about the axle. Generally, the movable indicator element can comprise at least one rotatable movable indicator element, and the armed position and disarmed position can specifically be different rotational or angular positions of the rotatable movable indicator element. For example, the armed position can be or include at least one first angular position of the rotatable movable indicator element, and the at least one disarmed position can be or include at least one second angular position of the rotatable movable indicator element, the second angular position being different from the first angular position.

[0053] As further outlined above, the rotatable movable indicator element may specifically comprise at least one toothed wheel having at least one tooth, also referred to as at least one cam. Accordingly, the term "toothed wheel" as used herein is also a broad term and should be given its ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and not limited to any special or customized meaning. The term may specifically refer, but is not limited to, a wheel having a circumferential surface with at least one tooth or cam, specifically multiple teeth or cams. By way of example, the toothed wheel may comprise one, two, three, or more teeth or cams. By way of example, one or more teeth or cams of the toothed wheel may interact with a compartment actuator, as outlined above. Thus, by way of example, the compartment actuator may apply torque to the toothed wheel via the at least one tooth or cam when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing. To avoid interaction of the compartment actuator with two or more teeth and / or to avoid interaction of the compartment actuator with any one of the teeth when the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the housing, the toothed wheel may have a small number of teeth or cams, such as four or fewer teeth or three or fewer teeth.

[0054] Thus, in general, the reagent storage compartment may be configured to mechanically act on at least one tooth of the toothed wheel, or at least one of the teeth of the toothed wheel, particularly by at least one compartment actuator, when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing. The reagent storage compartment may further be configured not to act on the teeth of the toothed wheel when the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the housing. As mentioned above, this can be implemented, for example, by an arrangement in which at least one tooth or cam rotates out of reach of the compartment actuator when the rotatable movable indicator element is in the disarmed position, so that the rotatable movable indicator element remains in the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the housing.

[0055] In addition to the purpose of moving the rotatable movable indicator element from the armed position to the disarmed position during removal of the reagent storage compartment from the housing, e.g., via a compartment actuator, one or more teeth or cams of the toothed wheel can also serve one or more other purposes. For example, at least one of the one or more teeth or cams of the toothed wheel can serve an indicating purpose and / or a purpose of being detected by a readout unit. Thus, for example, the toothed wheel may comprise at least two teeth having different purposes. For example, a first tooth, also referred to as an "actuator tooth," may be configured to mechanically act directly or indirectly on the reagent storage compartment, particularly when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing. At least one second tooth, also referred to as a "readout tooth," may be provided for detection purposes, e.g., to detect whether the rotatable movable indicator element is in the armed position. For this purpose, the readout unit may be configured to detect the readout tooth of the tooth. For example, the readout unit may be configured to detect whether the readout tooth is in a particular position, e.g., a position indicating whether the rotatable movable indicator element is in the armed position. As mentioned above, this can be performed by various detection techniques. Specifically, the readout unit can include at least one optical switch. The readout unit can be configured to detect whether a readout tooth is located between the emitter and detector of the optical switch. The function of the tooth can also change over time and / or with the removal and reinsertion process. Thus, by way of example, a rotatable movable indicator element can continuously rotate in one direction such that the teeth sequentially perform the functions of a readout tooth and an actuator tooth.

[0056] As further outlined above, various types of reagent storage compartments are generally feasible. Specifically, the reagent storage compartment may comprise a drawer. The drawer may specifically be housed in a drawer compartment of the housing. However, additionally or alternatively, the reagent storage compartment may also comprise other types of compartments that are attachable to and / or insertable into the housing. For example, the housing may comprise one or more connection elements for reversibly connecting the reagent storage compartment to the housing, and the reagent storage compartment may be removed from the housing, for example, for purposes of refilling and / or protecting the contents of the reagent storage compartment. Consequently, the term "inserted" should be interpreted broadly, and in the "inserted" state indicates that the reagent storage compartment is fully or partially disposed within the housing and / or attached to the housing such that the laboratory instrument can appropriately utilize the contents of the reagent storage compartment.

[0057] In particular, the laboratory instrument may comprise at least one guide mechanism configured to guide the removal of the reagent storage compartment from the housing and / or to guide the reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment into the housing. In particular, the reagent storage compartment may comprise a drawer as described above. Thus, the guide mechanism may in particular comprise at least one guide rail that allows the drawer to slide. The safety indicator may be fully or partially integrated into the guide mechanism. However, other options are also feasible.

[0058] In a further aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a laboratory instrument as disclosed herein, such as according to any one of the above embodiments and / or any one of the embodiments described in more detail below, is proposed. The method includes the method steps described in detail below. These method steps may be specifically performed in a predetermined order. However, in general, different orders may also be feasible. Furthermore, one or more, or even all, of the method steps may be performed once or repeatedly. The method may further include additional method steps not listed herein.

[0059] The method comprises: i. receiving at least one readout signal from a safety indicator; ii. checking whether the readout signal indicates that the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing; and iii. Executing at least one auto-teach procedure of the laboratory instrument depending on the result of step ii.

[0060] Thus, as described above, if the result of step ii. indicates, for example, that the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing since the most recent reset of the laboratory instrument in which the movable indicator element was brought to the arm position, the auto-teach procedure can be performed. Specifically, the auto-teach procedure may be performed after the laboratory instrument is in an unpowered state, for example, if the result of step ii. indicates that the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing during a period in which the laboratory instrument is in an unpowered state. However, if the result of step ii. indicates, for example, that the reagent storage compartment has not been removed from the housing since the most recent reset of the laboratory instrument in which the movable indicator element was brought to the arm position, the teach procedure may not be performed.

[0061] Following the execution of steps i.-iii., sample processing of at least one sample by the laboratory instrument can be performed. Method steps i.-iii. can be performed at various times. Specifically, the method can be performed at regular time intervals and / or at predetermined times. Additionally or alternatively, steps i.-iii. can be performed each time the laboratory instrument is powered on.

[0062] The method may in particular be fully or partly computer-implemented. Thus, by way of example, the above-mentioned control unit of the laboratory equipment may automatically execute or start the method at predetermined times, e.g., at regular time intervals, and / or be triggered by a particular event, e.g., powering on the laboratory equipment.

[0063] Thus, in a further aspect of the present invention, there is proposed a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a laboratory instrument as described herein, in particular by a control unit of the laboratory instrument, such as according to any one of the above embodiments and / or according to any one of the embodiments described in more detail below, cause the laboratory instrument to perform a method as described herein, such as according to any one of the above embodiments and / or according to any one of the embodiments described in more detail below. Similarly, in a further aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a laboratory instrument as described herein, in particular by a control unit of the laboratory instrument, such as according to any one of the above embodiments and / or according to any one of the embodiments described in more detail below, cause the laboratory instrument to perform a method as described herein, such as according to any one of the above embodiments and / or according to any one of the embodiments described in more detail below.

[0064] As used herein, the term "computer-readable storage medium" may specifically refer to a non-transitory data storage means such as a hardware storage medium on which computer-executable instructions are stored. A computer-readable data carrier or storage medium may specifically be or include a storage medium such as a random access memory (RAM) and / or a read-only memory (ROM).

[0065] As outlined above, one, two or more, or even all of the method steps i. to iii. can be performed using a computer or a computer network, preferably using a computer program. In particular, the method steps may be computer-implemented on a control unit of a laboratory instrument.

[0066] Further disclosed and proposed herein is a computer program product having program code means for implementing the method according to the present invention in one or more of the embodiments contained herein when the program is executed on a computer or computer network. Specifically, the program code means can be stored on a computer-readable data carrier and / or a computer-readable storage medium. Also disclosed and proposed herein is a data carrier having stored thereon a data structure capable of executing the method according to one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein after being loaded into a computer or computer network, such as the working memory or main memory of the computer or computer network. Also disclosed and proposed herein is a computer program product having program code means stored on a machine-readable carrier for implementing the method according to one or more of the embodiments contained herein when the program is executed on a computer or computer network. As used herein, a computer program product refers to a program as a tradeable product. The product generally exists in any format, such as a paper format, or on a computer-readable data carrier and / or a computer-readable storage medium. Specifically, the computer program product may be distributed over a data network. Finally, what is disclosed and suggested herein is a modulated data signal containing instructions readable by a computer system or computer network for implementing a method according to one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0067] The laboratory apparatus, method, computer program and computer-readable storage medium proposed herein offer numerous advantages over known devices and methods of similar type, in particular, they can effectively address the above-mentioned technical challenges.

[0068] Specifically, a reagent storage compartment can include or contain one or more cassettes and / or other containers for storing and / or providing one or more reagents to the laboratory instrument and / or at least one sample processing device of the laboratory instrument. Thus, by way of example, commercially available laboratory instruments, such as the Roche Cobas® series of laboratory instruments, often include a reagent storage compartment, also referred to as a “reagent supply unit” (RSU). Due to the typically high economic value and often large number of reagent cassettes, e.g., more than five, more than ten, or even fifteen or more, RSUs are typically capable of containing, and laboratory instruments must typically allow for easy retrieval of the contents of a reagent storage compartment, such as a reagent cassette, especially in the event of a power outage or malfunction.

[0069] To this end, as outlined above, the reagent storage compartments may be reversibly removable from the housing, particularly even when the laboratory instrument is not powered. Thus, particularly, complete retrieval of reagents, such as reagent cassettes, stored in the reagent storage compartments may be possible even when the instrument is not powered. For example, the reagent storage compartments may be removed from the housing by a sliding mechanism that can enable complete extraction of the reagent storage compartment, such as an RSU, without the need for tools. Thus, particularly, at least one reagent storage compartment may be reversibly removable from the housing manually and / or without the need for specific tools.

[0070] When a reagent storage compartment, such as an RSU, is outside the housing, a user can typically easily access the reagents stored therein, such as all reagent cassettes located in storage and pipetting positions within the reagent storage compartment, for example, by removing an insulating cover panel and window cover.

[0071] However, the present invention in one or more of the above-described embodiments also specifically addresses the problem that an auto-teach procedure typically needs to be performed whenever a reagent storage compartment is removed from a laboratory instrument and re-inserted into the laboratory instrument, such as by sliding it back into the housing. Otherwise, as described above, physical damage may occur or process execution may fail. For example, without an auto-teach procedure, a pipetting system having one or more needles may collide with one or more of the contents of the reagent storage compartment, thereby, for example, damaging the needle of the pipetting system.

[0072] By using the laboratory instrument described herein, a setup can be provided that can detect and / or indicate whether a reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing, especially when the laboratory instrument is powered off. The mechanism, especially the electronically readable safety indicator, may be configured such that the safety indicator indicates whether a reagent storage compartment has been removed from and reinserted into the housing, regardless of whether the laboratory instrument is powered on during the removal and / or reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment. Thus, especially the safety indicator may be a mechanical safety indicator, which can change its state, especially its position, for example from an armed position to a disarmed position, during removal of the reagent storage compartment by purely mechanical means without requiring the laboratory instrument to be powered, despite the fact that a readout can be performed using electricity in a powered state. The disarmed position thus established may be stored in the safety indicator, e.g., encoded into its state or position, and stored for readout at a later stage, e.g., when the laboratory instrument is powered on. The safety indicator itself may not comprise or require a battery or any other energy storage device for storing the disarmed state of the safety indicator. Thus, a laboratory instrument may generally comprise at least one safety device, the safety device comprising, for example, a safety indicator and a readout unit according to any one of the embodiments described above and / or according to any one of the embodiments described in more detail below, where at least the safety indicator may be a purely mechanical safety indicator that does not require an electrical energy supply.

[0073] A safety device comprising a safety indicator and an optional read-out unit can be easily implemented by using, for example, a rotatable movable indicator element, in particular a toothed wheel, and a suitable detector for detecting the angular position of the toothed wheel, such as an optical switch. Furthermore, at least one compartment actuator, sometimes also referred to as a "tooth actuator", and at least one optional actuator, such as an indicator actuator or reset actuator, can be provided, as also outlined above. By way of example, the setup can be achieved by a rotor with two, three or four teeth, a suitable tooth actuator, for example a lever attached to the reagent storage compartment, a reset actuator, for example a stepper motor, and an optical switch, such as a light barrier, configured to function as a suitable detector and thus as part of the read-out unit.

[0074] Furthermore, the laboratory instrument may be configured to perform a reset procedure, particularly after the auto-teach procedure is completed. The reset procedure may refer to returning a movable indicator element, such as a rotatable movable indicator element, from the disarmed position to the armed position, as described above, thereby indicating to the control unit, for example, that the reagent storage compartment may be accessible for processing. For example, once the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the laboratory instrument and the auto-teach procedure is completed, the stepper motor may rotate the rotor, for example, a rotor with three teeth, until a readout unit, for example, a detector of the readout unit, more specifically, a light barrier, detects one of the teeth. This position may specifically be the armed position. Therefore, for example, the detector of the readout unit may be configured to detect one or more of the teeth in the armed position. However, it should be noted that other detection means are also possible, such as one or more detectors detecting at least one tooth in at least one other position other than the armed position, for example, at least one disarmed position.

[0075] The state of the safety indicator may be read, for example, by a readout unit, at one or more predetermined times and / or whenever one or more predetermined conditions are met. Thus, for example, whenever the laboratory instrument is restarted, the state of the safety indicator may be read, for example, by checking the state of a light switch, such as a light barrier, as described above. Depending on the result of this check, the laboratory instrument may determine, for example, whether the reagent storage compartment was removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing during a power outage or switch-off period of the laboratory instrument. For example, if one of the rotor teeth is detected, the laboratory instrument may conclude that the reagent storage compartment has not been removed from the housing, and the laboratory instrument generally does not need to perform an auto-teach procedure. Generally, the laboratory instrument may be configured to determine that there is no need for an auto-teach procedure as long as the electronically readable safety indicator is detected to be in the armed position. On the other hand, the laboratory instrument may be configured to determine that an auto-teach procedure is required if the electronically readable safety indicator is detected to be in the disarmed position.

[0076] In a particular example using a movable indicator element, specifically a rotatable movable indicator element such as a rotor having a toothed wheel, when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing, e.g., when the RSU is ejected from the housing, the tooth actuator can move with the reagent storage compartment and move the movable indicator element, such as the rotor, out of position, e.g., from an armed position to a disarmed position. In this case, the detector can detect the movement of the movable indicator element, such as by detecting that a particular tooth is no longer positioned in the optical path of the optical switch. This position may also be referred to as at least one disarmed position, as described above.

[0077] Furthermore, when the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the housing, the movable indicator element, specifically a rotatable movable indicator element such as a rotor having a toothed wheel, may remain unaffected by this reinsertion. For example, when the RSU is pushed back into the housing, the tooth actuator may not act on the movable indicator element, such as by not colliding with the rotor and / or any of the rotor's teeth. Thus, the position of the movable indicator element remains unchanged by the reinsertion, for example, by leaving the movable indicator element in the disarmed position. For example, the rotor may not rotate during reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment.

[0078] At least one indicator or reset actuator, e.g., a stepper motor, may be provided to enable the electronically readable safety indicator to be reset, e.g., by returning the movable indicator element from the disarmed position to the armed position. Thus, by way of example, the only way to rotate the rotor back to the armed position may be by actuation by a stepper motor, triggered, for example, by the control unit.

[0079] The safety indicator may be configured to remain in an armed state, such as an armed position, as soon as a reset step is performed, unless the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing. However, when in a disarmed state, particularly in the disarmed position, the electronically readable safety indicator may be configured to remain in this disarmed state or position unless a reset process is performed, for example using a reset actuator.

[0080] It should be noted that the electronically readable safety indicator can be implemented by various means in light of the descriptions of possible embodiments given above and / or in more detail below: Any combination of basic mechanical / electronic components having similar functionality as described above can be used to create similar mechanisms, such as by using other types of actuators and / or detectors, e.g., other types of motors and / or magnetic actuators, and / or different types of detectors such as mechanical switches, styluses, etc.

[0081] In summary, without excluding further embodiments, the following embodiments can be envisaged:

[0082] Embodiment 1 1. A laboratory instrument for processing at least one sample, the laboratory instrument comprising: a. at least one housing having at least one sample processing device disposed therein; b. at least one reagent storage compartment reversibly removable from the housing; c. A laboratory instrument comprising at least one safety indicator, the safety indicator configured to indicate whether a reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing, and the laboratory instrument configured to automatically change the detectable state of the safety indicator during the process of removing and reinserting the reagent storage compartment.

[0083] Embodiment 2 A laboratory instrument as described in the preceding embodiment, wherein the laboratory instrument is electrically operable in a powered state, the reagent storage compartment is reversibly removable from the housing in an unpowered state, and the safety indicator is configured to indicate whether the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing during a period when the laboratory instrument was unpowered.

[0084] Embodiment 3 10. The laboratory instrument of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the laboratory instrument comprises at least one control unit configured to receive and evaluate at least one readout signal indicative of a status of the safety indicator.

[0085] Embodiment 4 10. The laboratory instrument of any preceding embodiment, wherein the control unit is configured to perform at least one auto-teach procedure when the readout signal indicates that the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing and reinserted into the housing.

[0086] Embodiment 5 10. The laboratory instrument of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the safety indicator comprises at least one movable indicator element, the movable indicator element being configured to be brought into at least one armed position and at least one disarmed position, and wherein the laboratory instrument further comprises at least one readout unit for detecting whether the movable indicator element is in the armed position or the disarmed position, in particular for providing at least one readout signal.

[0087] Embodiment 6 A laboratory instrument as described in the preceding embodiment, wherein the laboratory instrument further comprises at least one compartment actuator, the compartment actuator configured to move the movable indicator element from the armed position to the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing.

[0088] Embodiment 7 10. The laboratory instrument of any preceding embodiment, wherein the compartment actuator is further configured to leave the movable indicator element in the released position when the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the housing.

[0089] Embodiment 8 10. The laboratory instrument of any one of the two preceding embodiments, wherein the compartment actuator is a mechanical compartment actuator that mechanically acts on a movable indicator element.

[0090] Embodiment 9 10. The laboratory instrument of any one of the preceding four embodiments, wherein the laboratory instrument further comprises at least one indicator actuator, the indicator actuator configured to bring the movable indicator element into the arm position.

[0091] Embodiment 10 10. The laboratory instrument of any preceding embodiment, wherein the indicator actuator comprises at least one electric motor, in particular at least one stepper motor.

[0092] Embodiment 11 A laboratory instrument described in any one of the preceding six embodiments, wherein the laboratory instrument is configured to mechanically bring the movable indicator element from the armed position to the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing, the laboratory instrument is further configured to leave the movable indicator element in the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment is reinserted into the housing, and the laboratory instrument is further configured to perform at least one auto-teach procedure when the movable indicator element is detected to be in the disarmed position, and in particular, is further configured to return the movable indicator element to the armed position when the auto-teach procedure is completed.

[0093] Embodiment 12 10. The laboratory instrument of any one of the preceding seven embodiments, wherein the movable indicator element comprises at least one rotatable movable indicator element, and wherein the armed position and the disarmed position are different rotational positions of the rotatable movable indicator element.

[0094] Embodiment 13 A laboratory instrument according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the rotatable movable indicator element comprises at least one toothed wheel having at least one tooth, and wherein the reagent storage compartment is configured to mechanically act on the teeth of the toothed wheel, in particular by at least one compartment actuator, when the reagent storage compartment is removed from the housing.

[0095] Embodiment 14 10. The laboratory instrument of any preceding embodiment, wherein the reagent-storage compartment is further configured not to interact with the teeth of the toothed wheel when the reagent-storage compartment is reinserted into the housing.

[0096] Embodiment 15 10. The laboratory instrument of claim 1, wherein the toothed wheel comprises at least two teeth, the reagent storage compartment is configured to mechanically act on at least a first tooth of the teeth, specifically at least one actuator tooth, and the readout unit is further configured to detect at least a second tooth of the teeth, specifically at least one detector or indicator tooth.

[0097] Embodiment 16 10. The laboratory instrument of any preceding embodiment, wherein the readout unit comprises at least one optical switch, and wherein the readout unit is configured to detect whether a readout tooth is disposed between an emitter and a detector of the optical switch.

[0098] Embodiment 17 12. The laboratory instrument of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the reagent storage compartment comprises a drawer.

[0099] Embodiment 18 10. A method of operating a laboratory instrument according to any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising: i. receiving at least one readout signal from a safety indicator; ii. checking whether the readout signal indicates that the reagent storage compartment has been removed from the housing; and and executing at least one auto-teach procedure of the laboratory instrument in response to the results of step ii.

[0100] Embodiment 19 10. The method of claim 1, wherein steps i. to iii. are performed every time the laboratory instrument is powered on.

[0101] Embodiment 20 10. The method of any one of the preceding method embodiments, wherein the method is computer-implemented.

[0102] Embodiment 21 A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a laboratory instrument according to any one of the preceding embodiments referring to a laboratory instrument, cause the laboratory instrument to perform the method according to any one of the preceding embodiments referring to a method.

[0103] Embodiment 22 A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a laboratory instrument as described in any one of the preceding embodiments referencing a laboratory instrument, cause the laboratory instrument to perform the method as described in any one of the preceding embodiments referencing a method. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0104] Further optional features and embodiments are disclosed in more detail in the subsequent description of the embodiments, preferably in conjunction with the dependent claims. Here, each optional feature may be realized independently as well as in any possible combination, as understood by a person skilled in the art. The scope of the present invention is not limited by the preferred embodiments. The embodiments are illustrated schematically in the figures, where the same reference numerals in these figures refer to identical or functionally comparable elements.

[0105] The diagram is as follows:

[0106] [Figure 1]1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a laboratory instrument. [Figure 2A] 2A-2C show different steps of an embodiment of removing a reagent storage compartment from the housing of the laboratory instrument according to FIG. 1; [Figure 2B] 2A-2C show different steps of an embodiment of removing a reagent storage compartment from the housing of the laboratory instrument according to FIG. 1; [Figure 3A] 10 shows a different view of an embodiment of the safety device of the laboratory instrument according to the previous figure, with the safety device having the safety indicator in the armed state. [Figure 3B] 10 shows a different view of an embodiment of the safety device of the laboratory instrument according to the previous figure, with the safety device having the safety indicator in the armed state. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B show perspective views of the safety device according to FIGS. 3A and 3B during removal of the reagent storage compartment from the housing and during automatic change of the state of the safety indicator from an armed state to a disarmed state. [Figure 5] 5 shows a plan view of the safety device according to FIGS. 3A to 4 during reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment into the housing; FIG. [Figure 6] 6 shows a flow chart of a method of operating the laboratory equipment according to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. [Figure 7A] 7A shows a perspective view of a reagent storage compartment embodied as a drawer (FIG. 7A) and a detailed perspective view of a guide mechanism used therein (FIG. 7B). [Figure 7B] 7A shows a perspective view of a reagent storage compartment embodied as a drawer (FIG. 7A) and a detailed perspective view of a guide mechanism used therein (FIG. 7B). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0107] Detailed Description of the Embodiments 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a laboratory instrument 110. By way of example, the laboratory instrument 110 may be embodied as a Roche Cobas® 5800 system. However, it should be noted that other embodiments of the laboratory instrument 110 are possible.

[0108] The laboratory instrument 110 is embodied for processing at least one sample, such as at least one sample of a bodily fluid. To this end, the laboratory instrument 110 may comprise at least one sample port 112 for supplying a sample and / or a sample container to a housing 114 of the laboratory instrument 110. Furthermore, one or more sample processing devices 116 may be arranged inside the housing 114, which are only shown schematically in FIG. 1. By way of example, one or more pipetting devices and / or one or more sample handling devices may be provided.

[0109] The laboratory instrument 110 further includes at least one reagent storage compartment 118. The reagent storage compartment 118 may be configured to contain one or more reagents used during the processing of at least one sample by the laboratory instrument 110. The reagent storage compartment 118 has at least two positions. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the reagent storage compartment 118 may be in a position where the reagent storage compartment 118 is inserted into the housing 114. Generally, the inserted position may be a position where the reagent storage compartment 118 can provide one or more of the reagents contained therein to at least one laboratory instrument 110, such as one or more sample processing devices 116. Second, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the reagent storage compartment 118 may be in at least one removed position where the reagent storage compartment 118 is completely or partially removed from the housing 114. In the removed position, the reagent storage compartment 118 may not provide reagents to the laboratory instrument 110 and / or the sample processing device 116. Alternatively, one or more reagents or reagent containers 120, such as a reagent cassette, can be removed from the reagent storage compartment 118, for example as shown in FIG. 2B.

[0110] 2A and 2B, the reagent storage compartment 118 is embodied as a drawer 122 that can be pulled out from the housing 114. However, it should be noted that other means of inserting and removing the reagent storage compartment 118 and / or other means of coupling the reagent storage compartment 118 to the housing 114 are feasible. Thus, in general, the insertion position may be a position where the reagent storage compartment 118 can provide reagent to the laboratory instrument 110 and / or the sample processing device 116, while the removal position may be a position where the reagent in the reagent storage compartment 118 is accessible to a user, for example, to replace one or more of the reagent containers 120 and / or to protect the reagent containers 120 in the event of a power outage.

[0111] The laboratory instrument 110 may be electrically powered. To remove reagent containers 120, such as reagent contents, from the laboratory instrument 110 in the event of a power outage or even a malfunction, the reagent storage compartment 118 can be manually removed from the housing 114, i.e., without requiring electrical power. Thus, for example, the drawer 122 may be pulled out of the housing 114 even when the laboratory instrument 110 is powered off. Removal of the reagent storage compartment 118 may be possible without the need for tools. When the drawer 122 is pulled out of the housing 114, a user can easily access the reagent containers 120 located inside the reagent storage compartment 118, even though one end of the drawer 122 may still be located inside the housing 114. For example, to access the reagent containers 120, a user may have to remove at least one insulating cover panel and / or at least one window cover. The reagent containers 120, e.g., reagent cassettes, can be positioned in one or more storage and / or pipetting positions within the reagent storage compartment 118.

[0112] In many laboratory instruments 110, an automatic teaching procedure may be required each time a reagent storage compartment 118 is removed from the laboratory instrument 110 or the housing 114, such as by pulling out the drawer 122 from the housing 114, and after the reagent storage compartment 118 is reinserted into the housing 114. During this automatic teaching procedure, the laboratory instrument 110, and specifically the at least one control unit 124 shown in FIG. 1, can be trained on the contents of the reagent storage compartment 118 and / or the arrangement of the reagent containers 120 within the reagent storage compartment 118. During the training process, for example, the contents and / or configuration of the reagent storage compartment 118 can be detected by one or more detectors and / or sensors, such as, for example, a camera. For example, the processing routines and / or movement routines of the at least one sample processing device 116 may be adapted to the contents and / or configuration of the reagent storage compartment 118. Without this automatic training procedure, there is a risk of physical damage, which may occur, for example, due to damage to a pipette needle after a needle collision, and / or there is a risk of travel problems.

[0113] However, since the reagent storage compartment 118 can be removed, especially during a power outage of the laboratory instrument 110, there may be a risk that the removal and subsequent reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment 118 will go unnoticed. To overcome this problem, a safety device 126 may be provided, embodiments of which are shown schematically in Figures 3A to 5 and will be described in more detail below. The safety device 126 may, by way of example, be housed inside the housing 114, for example in close proximity to the reagent storage compartment 118, and in particular to the drawer 122. Additionally or alternatively, the safety device 126 may also be fully or partially implemented and / or integrated within the reagent storage compartment 118.

[0114] The safety device 126, in the embodiment shown herein, comprises at least one safety indicator 128 configured to indicate whether the reagent storage compartment 120 has been removed from and reinserted into the housing 114. Furthermore, the laboratory instrument 110, and in particular the safety device 126, may comprise at least one readout unit 130. Furthermore, the safety device 126 may comprise at least one compartment actuator 132, also referred to as a "tooth actuator," and at least one indicator actuator 134, also referred to as a "reset actuator." The compartment actuator 132 may be a purely mechanical actuator, such as a lever, which may be directly or indirectly coupled to the reagent storage compartment 118. On the other hand, the indicator actuator 134 may be an electric actuator. The functions of the actuators 132, 134 will be outlined in more detail below.

[0115] The safety indicator 128 may include at least one movable indicator element 136. Specifically, the movable indicator element 136 may be in at least one armed position shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B and at least one disarmed position shown in FIG. 5. More specifically, the movable indicator element 136 may be embodied as a rotatable movable indicator element 138, also referred to as a "rotor." Specifically, the rotatable movable indicator element 138 may include a toothed wheel 140 having, by way of example, three teeth 142, also referred to as a "cam," on its circumferential side. However, a different number of teeth 142 is also possible.

[0116] Once the reagent storage compartment 118 is inserted into the housing 114 and the auto-teach procedure is complete, a reset process initiated by, for example, the control unit 124 can be performed. In this reset process, an indicator actuator 134, such as a stepper motor, can rotate the rotatable movable indicator element 138, for example, clockwise, until the rotatable movable indicator element 138 is in the arm position as shown in FIG. 3A in perspective view and in FIG. 3B in plan view. In this arm position, for example, one of the teeth 142 can be in the position of a readout unit 130, which can include a detector for detecting the respective tooth 142. For example, as shown in the figure, the readout unit 132 can include at least one optical switch 144, such as an optical switch 144 including an emitter and a photodetector, thereby providing, for example, a light barrier that can be interrupted by the respective tooth 142. Thus, each tooth 142 currently in the position of the readout unit 130, specifically in the position of the optical switch 144, can now function as a detector or indicator tooth.

[0117] The control unit 124 may, for example, be configured to obtain at least one readout signal from the readout unit 130. For example, the status of the readout unit 130, in particular the status of the light barrier, can be checked every time the laboratory instrument 110 is powered on or restarted. If one of the teeth 142 of the movable indicator element 136, in particular the rotatable movable indicator element 158, is detected by the optical switch 144, the control unit 124 can conclude that the reagent storage compartment 118 has not been removed from and reinserted into the housing 114. As a result, the laboratory instrument 110 may generally not require an auto-teach procedure.

[0118] On the other hand, when the reagent storage compartment 118 is removed from the housing 114, such as by pulling the drawer 122 out of the housing 114, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the compartment actuator 132, e.g., a lever directly or indirectly connected to the reagent storage compartment 118, can move along the removal direction of the reagent storage compartment 118. Therefore, the removal direction, e.g., the direction of pulling the drawer 122 out of the housing 114, is symbolically indicated by an arrow having reference sign 146 in Figures 3B and 4, where Figure 3B shows a plan view on the safety device 126 at the start of the movement of the reagent storage compartment 118, and Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the situation just before the compartment actuator 132 comes into contact with one of the teeth 142.

[0119] By interacting with the respective teeth 142, the segment actuator 132 moves the movable indicator element 136, specifically the rotatable movable indicator element 138, from the armed position to a disarmed position, as shown, for example, in the plan view shown in FIG. 5. Each tooth 142 currently acted on by the segment actuator 132 may also be referred to as an actuator tooth. In this disarmed position, the optical switch 144 is no longer blocked by any of the teeth 142. Thus, the readout unit 130 can generally detect that the movable indicator element 136 is in the disarmed position.

[0120] It should be noted that the functions of the actuator teeth acted upon by the segment actuator 132 and the detector or indicator teeth detected by the readout unit 130 may be fixedly assigned or may vary. Thus, by way of example, the rotatable movable indicator element 138 may move in only one rotational direction such that the functions of the actuator teeth and indicator teeth are constantly changing.

[0121] Furthermore, when the reagent storage compartment 118 is reinserted into the housing 114, for example by pushing the drawer 122 back into the housing 114, the compartment actuator 132 may not collide with any of the teeth 142 and therefore may not act on the movable indicator element 136. As a result, the rotatable movable indicator element 138 does not rotate during reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment 118. In Figure 5, the direction of reinsertion is symbolically indicated by an arrow having reference sign 148.

[0122] As a result, after reinserting the reagent storage compartment 118 into the housing 114, the safety indicator 128 may still be in the disarmed position, indicating that the reagent storage compartment 118 was removed from the housing 114 after the most recent reset and subsequently reinserted into the housing 114. Thus, the control unit 124 can conclude, by a readout evaluating the readout signal of the readout unit 130, that an automatic training process is required.

[0123] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for operating a laboratory instrument 110, such as the laboratory instrument 110 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5. The method initially includes a step 610 of starting the method, for example, when the laboratory instrument 110 is powered on and / or at one or more predetermined time points. Furthermore, the method includes a step 612 of receiving at least one readout signal from the safety indicator 128, such as from a readout unit 130 of the safety device 126 that reads the position of the safety indicator 128. Furthermore, the method may include a step 614 of checking whether the readout signal indicates that the reagent storage compartment 118 has been removed from and, optionally, reinserted into the housing 114. If this is the case, the method may proceed to a step 616 of executing at least one auto-teach procedure of the laboratory instrument 110, as indicated by the branch "Y" in FIG. 6. The method may then proceed to at least one step 618 of sample processing by using the contents of the reagent storage compartment 118. On the other hand, as shown by branch "N" in Figure 6, if the readout signal determines that the reagent storage compartment 118 has not been removed from the housing 114 since the last reset, then check step 614 does not need to perform an auto-teaching procedure and the method can proceed directly to sample processing step 618.

[0124] As mentioned above, the reagent storage compartment 118 may specifically be embodied as a drawer 122, as also shown in the embodiment shown in Figures 2A and 2B. However, it should be noted that other options are also possible. If the reagent storage compartment 118 is embodied as and / or comprises a drawer 122, the at least one safety indicator 128 may specifically be integrated into a guidance mechanism and / or into at least one guide rail of the drawer 122.

[0125] An embodiment of this option is shown in Figures 7A and 7B, where Figure 7A shows a perspective view of the reagent storage compartment 118 embodied as a guide mechanism 710 for integration into the drawer 122 and the housing 114 of the laboratory instrument 110 according to any of the above-described embodiments, and Figure 7B shows a detailed perspective view of the guide mechanism 710 with the safety indicator 128. These figures will be discussed together below. For possible options for the reagent storage compartment 118 and the laboratory instrument 110, please refer to the above-described embodiments.

[0126] 7A, the reagent storage compartment 118 may be slidably mounted to the housing 114, which is not visible in this view. This may provide the option of sliding the reagent storage compartment 118 in and out of the housing 114, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B above. To this end, the guide mechanism 710 may be mounted to the housing 114, for example, inside an opening configured to receive the reagent storage compartment 118, and / or may comprise at least one first portion 712 that may be integral with the housing 114, for example, inside the aforementioned opening. Furthermore, the guide mechanism 710 may comprise at least one second portion 714 that may be configured to be mounted to the reagent storage compartment 118 and / or may be integral with the reagent storage compartment 118.

[0127] The first portion 712 and the second portion 714 may be slidable relative to one another in at least one sliding direction, as symbolically indicated in FIG. 7B by the double arrow 716. To provide this sliding movement, the first portion 712 and the second portion 714 may be connected by at least one guide rail 718. The guide rail 718 may be fully or partially integrated into the first portion 712 and / or the second portion 714, or may be embodied as a separate portion. There may be multiple guide rails 718.

[0128] For example, as shown in the partial view of FIG. 7B , the safety indicator 128 may be located between the first portion 712 and the second portion 714. By way of example, the safety indicator 128 may be attached to and / or integrated into the first portion 712. The segment actuator 132 may be part of the second portion 714, by way of example. This allows movement between the first portion 712 and the second portion 714 to be detected by the safety indicator 128, and more specifically, by the segment actuator 132 acting on the safety indicator 128. For further possible details, reference may be made to the description of the above-illustrated embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 110 Laboratory Equipment 112 Sample port 114 Housing 116 Sample processing equipment 118 Reagent storage compartment 120 Reagent containers 122 Drawer 124 Control Unit 126 Safety equipment 128 Safety Indicators 130 Readout Unit 132 compartment actuator 134 Indicator actuator 136 Movable indicator element 138 Rotatable movable indicator element 140 Toothed Wheel 142 teeth 144 Optical Switch 146 Removal direction 148 Reinsertion Direction 610 Method Start 612 Receive read signal 614 Check if the readout signal indicates removal and reinsertion of the reagent storage compartment 616 Execute the auto-teaching procedure 618 Sample Processing 710 Guide mechanism 712 First Part 714 Second Part 716 Slide direction 718 Guide Rail

Claims

1. A laboratory instrument (110) for processing at least one sample, said laboratory instrument (110) comprising: a. at least one housing (114) having at least one sample processing device (116) disposed therein; b. at least one reagent storage compartment (118) reversibly removable from said housing (114); c. at least one safety indicator (128), configured to indicate whether the reagent storage compartment (118) has been removed from and reinserted into the housing (114), and wherein the laboratory instrument (110) is configured to automatically change a detectable state of the safety indicator (128) during the process of removing and reinserting the reagent storage compartment (118).

2. 2. The laboratory instrument (110) of claim 1, wherein the laboratory instrument (110) is electrically operable in a powered state, the reagent storage compartment (118) is reversibly removable from the housing (114) in an unpowered state, and the safety indicator (128) is configured to indicate whether the reagent storage compartment (118) has been removed from the housing (114) and reinserted into the housing (114) during a period when the laboratory instrument (110) was unpowered.

3. 2. The laboratory instrument (110) of claim 1, wherein the laboratory instrument (110) comprises at least one control unit (124) configured to receive and evaluate at least one readout signal indicative of a status of the safety indicator (128).

4. 4. The laboratory instrument (110) of claim 3, wherein the control unit (124) is configured to execute at least one auto-teach procedure when the readout signal indicates that the reagent storage compartment (118) has been removed from and reinserted into the housing (114).

5. 2. The laboratory instrument (110) of claim 1, wherein the safety indicator (128) comprises at least one movable indicator element (136), the movable indicator element (136) being configured to be brought into at least one armed position and at least one disarmed position, and the laboratory instrument (110) further comprises at least one readout unit (130) for detecting whether the movable indicator element (136) is in the armed position or the disarmed position.

6. 6. The laboratory equipment (110) of claim 5, further comprising at least one compartment actuator (132), the compartment actuator (132) configured to move the movable indicator element (136) from the armed position to the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment (118) is removed from the housing (114), and the compartment actuator (132) further configured to leave the movable indicator element (136) in the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment (118) is reinserted into the housing (114).

7. 7. The laboratory instrument (110) of claim 6, wherein the compartment actuator (132) is a mechanical compartment actuator (132) that mechanically acts on the movable indicator element (136).

8. 6. The laboratory instrument (110) of claim 5, further comprising at least one indicator actuator (134), the indicator actuator (134) configured to bring the movable indicator element (136) to the arm position.

9. 6. The laboratory instrument (110) of claim 5, wherein the laboratory instrument (110) is configured to mechanically bring the movable indicator element (136) from the armed position to the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment (118) is removed from the housing (114), the laboratory instrument (110) is further configured to leave the movable indicator element (136) in the disarmed position when the reagent storage compartment (118) is reinserted into the housing (114), the laboratory instrument (110) is further configured to perform at least one auto-teach procedure when it is detected that the movable indicator element (136) is in the disarmed position, and is further configured to return the movable indicator element (136) to the armed position.

10. 6. The laboratory instrument (110) of claim 5, wherein the movable indicator element (136) comprises at least one rotatable movable indicator element (138), and the armed position and the disarmed position are different rotational positions of the rotatable movable indicator element (138).

11. 11. The laboratory equipment (110) of claim 10, wherein the rotatable movable indicator element (138) comprises at least one toothed wheel (140) having at least one tooth (142), and wherein the reagent storage compartment (118) is configured to mechanically act on the tooth (142) of the toothed wheel (140) when the reagent storage compartment (118) is removed from the housing (114), and wherein the reagent storage compartment (118) is further configured not to act on the tooth (142) of the toothed wheel (140) when the reagent storage compartment (118) is reinserted into the housing (114).

12. 12. The laboratory equipment (110) of claim 11, wherein the toothed wheel (140) comprises at least two teeth (142), the reagent storage compartment (118) is configured to mechanically act on at least a first tooth (142) of the teeth (142), and the readout unit (130) is further configured to detect at least a second tooth (142) of the teeth (142).

13. A method of operating a laboratory instrument (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising the steps of: i. receiving at least one read signal from said safety indicator (128); ii. checking whether the readout signal indicates that the reagent storage compartment (118) has been removed from the housing (114); iii. Executing at least one auto-teach procedure of said laboratory instrument (110) depending on the results of step ii.

14. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a laboratory instrument (110) described in any one of claims 1 to 12, cause the laboratory instrument (110) to perform the method described in claim 13.

15. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a laboratory instrument (110) described in any one of claims 1 to 12, cause the laboratory instrument (110) to perform the method described in claim 13.

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