Automated analysis system and alarm management method

Abstract

The present invention facilitates identification of the cause of an alarm and specification of a method for addressing the alarm. This automated analysis system comprises an inspection processing unit that executes at least one process for the purpose of inspection, and a management device that manages the inspection processing unit. The management device is provided with: an alarm detection unit that detects that an alarm indicating the occurrence of an abnormality in the inspection processing unit is being emitted; an alarm notification unit that, in accordance with the result of detection by the alarm detection unit, issues a notification to indicate that the alarm is being emitted; and a related alarm determination unit that determines, from among related alarms that are other alarms having a prescribed degree of relatedness to the alarm being emitted, a related alarm that is in an unaddressed state.

Description

Automatic analysis system and alarm management method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an automated analysis system for analyzing biological samples such as blood and urine, and an alarm management method.

[0002] Automated analyzers that analyze biological samples such as blood and urine are indispensable for modern diagnostics due to their advantages of high analytical accuracy and reproducibility, rapid analytical processing, etc. There are several types of automated analyzers of this type depending on the type of analysis (e.g., colorimetric analyzers that perform biochemical analysis, immunoanalyzers that analyze antigens or antibodies in samples using antigen-antibody reactions, coagulation analyzers that measure blood clotting ability, blood cell counters that measure the number of blood cell components in blood, etc.).

[0003] In addition, when analyzing samples with an automated analyzer, a pretreatment device that performs pretreatment such as centrifuging blood and dispensing samples to prepare multiple subsamples is also installed alongside the automated analyzer, and together they form an automated analysis system. It is common for a single hospital, testing center, or other facility to use multiple automated analyzers and sample pretreatment devices. Furthermore, automated analysis systems may also be equipped with robots that operate in the testing room to assist laboratory technicians, and storage devices for storing samples and reagents. In this way, automated analysis systems include various peripheral devices in addition to the automated analyzer, all of which operate as a single unit.

[0004] When analyzing samples with such an automated analysis system, an abnormality may occur in the automated analyzer, pretreatment device, robot, storage device, etc., and an alarm may be issued to notify the user of the abnormality. In this case, if the alarm is not dealt with promptly, the analysis may be delayed, potentially delaying the doctor's diagnosis. As a technology to address this problem, Patent Document 1 proposes an automated analysis system in which a management device independent of the devices collects operation information about each device, compares the collected operation information with known abnormality patterns to estimate the cause of the alarm, and notifies the user of the alarm information and multiple possible causes.

[0005] However, the alarm notification method of Patent Document 1 only notifies a laboratory technician's terminal of alarm information for a single device in the system when an abnormality occurs in that device. This alarm information notification alone does not allow the laboratory technician to know the specific cause of the alarm or how to deal with it. Upon receiving the alarm, the laboratory technician determines the specific cause of the alarm and the appropriate way to deal with it based on their own knowledge and the operation history of the system. However, if the laboratory technician's knowledge or operation history information is insufficient, it can be difficult to make such a judgment, and it can take a long time.

[0006] JP 2010-266271 A

[0007] The present disclosure provides an automatic analysis system and an alarm management method that make it easy to identify the cause of an alarm and how to deal with it.

[0008] The automated analysis system according to the present disclosure includes a test processing unit that performs at least a part of the processing for testing samples, and a management device that manages the test processing unit. The management device includes an alarm detection unit that detects the issuance of an alarm indicating the occurrence of an abnormality in the test processing unit, an alarm notification unit that notifies the user of the issuance of the alarm in accordance with the detection result of the alarm detection unit, and a related alarm determination unit that determines which related alarms, which are other alarms that have a predetermined degree of relevance to the alarm, are in an unaddressed state.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an automatic analysis system and an alarm management method that make it easy to identify the cause of an alarm and how to deal with it.

[0010] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an automatic analysis system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an alarm management table 110. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the data structure of a related alarm management table 111. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an alarm list screen 201 notified by an alarm notification unit 107 and displayed on a display terminal 116. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an alarm detail information screen 301. FIG. 5 is an alarm detail information screen 501, which is an example of an alarm detail information screen displaying intra-laboratory related alarm information. FIG. 6 is an alarm detail information screen 401, which is an example of an alarm detail information screen displaying intra-apparatus related alarm information (analysis related).

[0011] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, functionally identical elements may be designated by the same numerals. Note that the accompanying drawings show embodiments and implementation examples according to the principles of the present disclosure, but these are for understanding the present disclosure and are not to be used to interpret the present disclosure in a limiting manner. The descriptions in this specification are merely typical examples and are not intended to limit the scope or application of the present disclosure in any way.

[0012] Although the present embodiment has been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure, it should be understood that other implementations and forms are possible, and that changes in configuration and structure and substitutions of various elements are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical ideas of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following description should not be interpreted as being limited thereto.

[0013] A schematic configuration of an automated analysis system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 1 . As an example, this automated analysis system includes a management device 101, multiple analyzers 112, multiple pre-processing devices 113, multiple consumable storage devices 114, multiple laboratory robot devices 115, and a display terminal 116 (display device), all connected via a network 122 to enable data communication between them. The multiple analyzers 112 are used to analyze samples, while the multiple pre-processing devices 113, multiple consumable storage devices 114, and multiple laboratory robot devices 115 function as peripheral devices that assist the operation of the analyzers 112. The analyzers 112 and the peripheral devices constitute an analysis processing unit, and the management device 101 manages this analysis processing unit. The devices 112-115 may be located in a single testing room or multiple testing rooms. Furthermore, the management device 101 does not necessarily manage all of the devices 112-115, but may instead manage devices that perform at least some of the testing processes (referred to herein as "test processing units").

[0014] The display terminal 116 is a display device that displays the analysis results from the analyzer 112 (analysis processing unit), and also receives and displays information regarding the operating status of the analyzer 112, pre-processing device 113, consumables storage device 114, and laboratory robot device 115. The network 122 is a network that connects various devices and terminals, and can be a wired / wireless local area network, a wired / wireless global area network, a mobile phone network, or a combination of these.

[0015] The analyzer 112 is a device that automatically analyzes various components in a sample by receiving a sample and adding reagents, etc. The pre-processing device 113 is a device that automatically performs pre-processing for clinical testing, is connected to the analyzer 112, and has the function of transporting the sample to the analyzer 112 after pre-processing. The pre-processing device 113 is also connected to a consumables storage device 114, and may also have the function of supplying the analyzer 112 with reagents and consumables necessary for analysis.

[0016] The consumable storage device 114 is a device for storing reagents, consumables, and / or specimens used in the analyzer 112, and may have a refrigeration or freezing function for storing reagents and specimens at an appropriate temperature. The laboratory robot device 115 is a robot that assists laboratory technicians in their work in the laboratory by, for example, performing tasks such as transporting, mixing, and disposing of specimens and reagents in the laboratory. Specifically, it performs a wide range of tasks, such as sorting specimens to be analyzed, replacing reagents in the analyzer, and replacing consumables in the analyzer 112 and pretreatment device 113. In the illustrated example, multiple units of each device 112-115 are provided, but the number is not limited to a specific number and may be single. The analyzer 112 may operate independently or in combination with multiple analyzers.

[0017] The display terminal 116 is a display device for displaying the operating status of the automated analysis system, the occurrence of alarms, and other information, and includes an input device 117, an output device 118, a communication device 119, and a terminal information processing device 120. The display terminal 116 may be, for example, a mobile terminal, a wearable terminal, or a glasses-type terminal carried by a laboratory technician, a laptop or desktop PC, or a digital signage device installed in the laboratory. Using a portable terminal as the display terminal 116 allows laboratory technicians to view alarm information even when they are in a remote location. Using digital signage as the display terminal 116 allows multiple laboratory technicians to simultaneously view alarm information. The display terminal 116 may also be substituted by an operation or information display PC installed in the management device 101, the analyzer 112, the preprocessing device 113, or the consumable storage device 114, or an operation or information display PC for the laboratory robot device 115.

[0018] The input device 117 is a device that processes input of various data and signals, including data related to the results of analysis in the analysis device 112 and alarms from the management device 101. The output device 118 is, for example, a display or printer, and is a device for outputting various data. The communication device 119 is a communication unit that controls data communication with external devices including the management device. The terminal information processing device 120 is an information processing unit that processes various information input via the input device 117, etc., and includes an alarm acquisition unit 121 that acquires alarm information.

[0019] The management device 101 manages multiple analyzers 112, multiple preprocessing devices 113, multiple consumable storage devices 114, and multiple laboratory robot devices 115, and has the function of determining the management data, particularly abnormalities in the devices 112 to 115, notifying alarms, and managing the alarm information. Specifically, the management device 101 is configured, for example, with an input device 102, an output device 103, a communication device 104, an information processing device 105, and a storage device 109. The management device 101 can manage alarm information across multiple types of devices by collecting alarm information from the various devices 112 to 115 via a network 122. The management device 101 may be installed as a local server within a laboratory to prevent information from being taken outside for purposes such as protecting personal information, or may be installed as a cloud server outside a laboratory so that an automated analysis system provider or the like can manage information across multiple laboratories.

[0020] The input device 102 includes, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, and an input device using a touch panel screen of the output device 103, and may also serve as the output device 103. As the input device 102, it is also possible to adopt devices that are capable of inputting operations using voice, gaze, or hand and finger movements, such as a voice recognition engine, a gaze movement measuring device, or a hand and finger movement measuring device.

[0021] The output device 103 is a monitor or the like that displays input information and other result information, and may be replaced by a display terminal 116. The communication device 104 is a device that enables the management device 101 to communicate with at least a plurality of analyzers 112, preprocessing devices 113, consumable storage devices 114, laboratory robotic devices 115, and display terminals 116 via a network 122, and may be a wired / wireless local area network, a wired / wireless global area network, a mobile phone network, or a combination of these.

[0022] The communication device 104 may also have a function for encrypting and decrypting communication content, and may perform encrypted communication between the analysis device 112, the pre-processing device 113, the consumables storage device 114, the laboratory robot device 115, and the display terminal 116. In particular, by performing encrypted communication using a common key cryptosystem in communication between the management device 101, the analysis device 112, the pre-processing device 113, the consumables storage device 114, the laboratory robot device 115, and the display terminal 116, problems such as communication spoofing and communication interception can be prevented.

[0023] The information processing device 105 is a computer that executes the functions required for the management device 101 to issue an alarm notification, and further includes an alarm detection unit 106, an alarm notification unit 107, and a related alarm determination unit .

[0024] The alarm detection unit 106 has the function of receiving alarms indicating abnormalities in various devices generated in the analytical device 112, pre-processing device 113, consumable storage device 114, and laboratory robot device 115 via the communication device 104, and detecting that an alarm has been issued in these devices.

[0025] The alarm notification unit 107 has a function of transmitting the received alarm information and information on related alarms calculated by the related alarm determination unit 108 to the display terminal 115 via the communication device 104. The alarm detection unit 106 and the alarm notification unit 107 may have a function of encrypting and decrypting communication content separately from the communication device 104's function of encrypting and decrypting communication content. In particular, by performing encrypted communication when handling information that should be kept confidential, such as personal information, in communications between the management device 101, the analyzer 112, the pretreatment device 113, the consumable storage device 114, the laboratory robot device 115, and the display terminal 116, it is expected that problems such as personal information leakage can be prevented. The related alarm determination unit 108 has a function of determining unaddressed related alarms from among related alarms, which are other alarms that have a predetermined degree of association with the alarm detected by the alarm detection unit 106. By determining unaddressed related alarms that are related to a newly generated alarm, it becomes easier to identify the specific cause of the alarm and how to deal with it. Methods of notifying an alarm by the alarm notification unit 107 include sending the alarm to the display terminal 116 as described above, as well as email delivery, audio notification, and video notification using AR / VR, etc., and are not limited to any specific method.

[0026] The storage device 109 is a storage device that stores programs and data executed by the information processing device 105, and may be, for example, an EEPROM, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, an HDD, or an SSD. The storage device 109 also includes an alarm management table 110 and a related alarm management table 111. The alarm management table 110 is a table for managing and storing the contents of alarms that have already occurred. The related alarm management table 111 is a table for managing related alarms that have already occurred and other related alarms that have already occurred but have not yet been addressed.

[0027] An example of the alarm management table 110 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0028] 2 shows an example of the alarm management table 110. The management device 101 registers and manages alarm information acquired by the alarm detection unit 106 in the alarm management table 110. Note that the alarm detection unit 106 may acquire alarm information in response to an event notification from the various devices 112 to 115, or may send an alarm information acquisition request from the management device 101 to the various devices 112 to 115 and acquire a response to that request, or may be a combination of these.

[0029] The alarm management table 110 has a management table 601 including columns 602 to 609, and the information in columns 602 to 609 in one row indicates information about one alarm. The alarm ID column 602 lists an alarm ID that identifies the alarm. The alarm level column 603 lists an alarm level that indicates the severity of the alarm. For example, an alarm level of "Stop" means that an alarm that will cause the target device to stop has occurred, indicating a high level of severity. An alarm level of "Caution" indicates that the alarm will not cause the device to stop, and in that sense is not more severe than Stop, but requires a certain level of caution. In the example shown, the alarm levels are only Stop and Caution, but it goes without saying that other alarm levels may also be set.

[0030] The alarm classification field 604 lists alarm classification information for classifying alarms by type (location of abnormality, type of abnormality, etc.). For example, alarm classification "1" indicates the occurrence of an alarm related to the analysis operation (analysis-related alarm), such as an abnormality in a reagent or consumable used in clinical testing, a calibration abnormality, or a QC measurement abnormality. Alarm classification "2" indicates the occurrence of an alarm related to the hardware configuration of the analyzers 112-115 (hardware-related). Alarm classification "3" indicates the occurrence of an alarm related to a software abnormality (e.g., bug occurrence, crash) in the analyzers 112-115. Alarm classifications are not limited to the above examples and can include various other classifications, such as ISE-related, which measures ion concentration, immunoassay-related, and biochemical assay-related, which measures biochemical assays.

[0031] The occurrence date and time column 605 lists information regarding the date and time when the alarm occurred. For example, the information "2020-02-10 13:20" means that the alarm occurred at 13:20 on February 10, 2020. The occurrence examination room column 606 lists information specifying the examination room in which the alarm occurred. Note that if there is only one examination room and all the devices are located in that one examination room, column 606 may be omitted from the alarm management table 110.

[0032] The occurrence device column 607 is a column containing the identification code of the device in which the alarm occurred. For example, the identification code "A01" means that the alarm occurred in the analyzer 112 having the identification code A01. The alarm content column 608 is a column containing the content of the alarm that occurred. For example, if the alarm content is "QC measurement failed," it means that the alarm occurred due to a failure in QC measurement performed for quality control of the reagent. The response column 609 contains information on whether the response to the alarm that occurred has been completed or whether it still requires response (unaddressed). For example, "unaddressed" means that the response to the alarm has not been completed (incomplete) and requires response. "Completed" means that the response to the alarm has been completed and no new response is required.

[0033] 3 shows an example of the data structure of the related alarm management table 111. The related alarm management table 111 has a related alarm summary table 702, and may have a summary period 703, a related minimum threshold 704, and a related maximum threshold 705 as setting items.

[0034] The related alarm determination unit 108 of the management device 101 determines that other alarms that are related to the newly generated alarm and that have not yet been addressed are related alarms, based on the information in the related alarm management table 111. The related alarm management table 111 shows the results of calculating the relevance of multiple alarms in the related alarm summary table 702. Specifically, the related alarm summary table 702 tallies the number of overlapping occurrences between multiple alarms within the period set in the summary period 703.

[0035] The related alarm summary table 702 is a two-dimensional table that shows all possible combinations of alarm ID, occurrence location, and alarm classification, and manages the number of overlapping occurrences using the numerical values ​​at the intersections of the matrix in the two-dimensional table. In the example shown in Figure 3, for simplicity of explanation, only alarms whose handling status is "unhandled" in Figure 2 are displayed, but in an actual related alarm summary table 702, not only unhandled alarms but also handled alarms can be included in the related alarm summary table 702.

[0036] Items 701 in the row and column directions of the related alarm summary table 702 each indicate a possible alarm, and the numerical values ​​(1, 2, 3, ...) at their intersections indicate the number of overlapping occurrences, which is the number of times different alarms overlap and occur at the same or related times. For example, a row and column marked with [1] indicates an alarm with an alarm ID of A0101, an occurrence location of A-A01 (apparatus A01 in laboratory A), and an alarm classification of 1 (analysis-related). The numerical values ​​at the intersections of the rows and columns (for example, the numbers 6, 1, 5, 4, 1, 6, 5, 2 in the first row) indicate the number of overlapping occurrences with other alarms. As will be described later, for a given alarm, the data on the number of overlapping occurrences is updated (cumulatively added) when the related alarm determination unit 108 identifies related alarms.

[0037] The aggregation period 703 is a setting item that allows the start and end periods of aggregation to be set. If the aggregation period 703 is not set, aggregation will be performed for the entire period. For example, if the aggregation period 703 is "2020-01-01 - present," this means that the start period of aggregation is set to 2020-01-01 and the end period of aggregation is set to the current date (2021-02-28).

[0038] The minimum related threshold 704 is the minimum threshold for determining alarms as related alarms. If the value of the number of overlapping occurrences tallied in the related alarm summary table 702 is less than the value set in the minimum related threshold 704, the two corresponding alarms are determined to be unrelated alarms.

[0039] The highest related threshold 705 is the highest threshold for determining whether an alarm is related. If the value of the number of overlapping occurrences tallied in the related alarm summary table 702 is greater than the value set in the highest related threshold 705, the two corresponding alarms are determined to be unrelated to each other. By setting this highest related threshold 705, if the number of overlapping occurrences is excessively high, it is possible to exclude the alarm from the list of related alarms, as the reliability of the numerical value is low. In this way, in this embodiment, whether an alarm is related is determined according to the magnitude relationship between the minimum threshold and / or the maximum threshold and the number of overlapping occurrences.

[0040] If the minimum related threshold 704 or the maximum related threshold 705 has not been set, the exclusion operation as described above is not performed, and the degree of relatedness is determined in descending order of the numerical value, and whether or not it is a related alarm is determined. The aggregation period 703, the minimum related threshold 704, and the maximum related threshold 705 can be set by an authorized facility manager, maintenance company employee, inspection engineer, or other operator who operates the management device 101.

[0041] The aggregation period 703, the minimum associated threshold 704, and the maximum associated threshold 705 can be input from the management device 101 to the associated alarm management table 111, as shown in FIG. 3 . Alternatively (or in addition), these values ​​may be input from the alarm acquisition unit 121 of the display terminal 116. In this case, the management device 101 creates the associated alarm management table 111 based on values ​​set on the display terminal 116 and returns alarm information to the display terminal 116 where the values ​​were set. The associated alarm aggregation table 702 is an example of a table that aggregates the number of times that alarms overlap within a set period. However, it is also possible to aggregate the degree of association by calculating similarity based on cluster analysis. Alternatively, the degree of association can be determined by learning similarity using a method such as deep learning.

[0042] 4 shows an example of an alarm list screen 201 that is notified by the alarm notification unit 107 and displayed on the display terminal 116. The alarm list screen 201 shown here displays alarms that have occurred but have not yet been dealt with. The alarm list screen 201 may have, for example, an alarm list 202, and may further have an input field 203 used to narrow down the displayed alarms and display them, and a "narrow" button 204.

[0043] The input field 203 is, for example, an input field for narrowing down alarms by the name or identification symbol of the device in which the alarm occurred. For example, a laboratory technician can update the display of the alarm list 202 by inputting the identification symbol "A01" as the device to be narrowed down in the input field 203 and pressing the "Narrow" button 204. The laboratory technician can check the alarm list in which A01 is displayed as the device that caused the alarm. Note that instead of or in addition to the input field 203 for inputting the device identification symbol, etc., input fields may be provided in which other conditions such as an alarm ID, alarm level, occurrence date and time, and alarm content can be input.

[0044] The alarm list 202 is an example of a tabular information display that allows a user to view information about alarms that are currently occurring or have occurred but have not yet been addressed. The alarm list 202 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes, as example display items, an alarm ID column 205, an alarm level column 206, an occurrence date and time column 207, a generating device column 208, and an alarm content column 209. A row of information indicates the content of a single alarm that has occurred. Selecting a row of alarm information by clicking on the screen, for example, can transition to a detailed information screen for that alarm. For example, if a laboratory technician selects, with a mouse or the like, the alarm information at the top of the alarm list 202, with an alarm ID of A0101, an alarm level of Stop, an occurrence date and time of February 10, 2020, 1:20 PM, a generating device of A01 (analyzer), and an alarm content of QC measurement failure, the screen transitions to an alarm detailed information screen 301 as shown in FIG. 5. It is also possible to set an operation mode in which, when an alarm occurs, the alarm detailed information screen 301 as shown in FIG. 5 is automatically displayed without any selection operation.

[0045] Furthermore, columns 205 to 209 in alarm list 202 also function as buttons, and by selecting any of columns 205 to 209 by double-clicking the mouse or the like, the information in that column can be rearranged in ascending or descending order in dictionary order, date order, etc. Note that if there is too much alarm information to be displayed on one screen in alarm list 202, list 202 may be scrolled to display it.

[0046] Fig. 5 shows an example of the alarm detail information screen 301. This alarm detail information screen 301 may be automatically displayed on the display terminal 116 when a new alarm is generated by the alarm notification unit 107 of the management device 101, or may be displayed when a specific alarm is selected on the alarm list screen 201 of Fig. 4. The alarm detail information screen is transmitted from the alarm notification unit 107 to the display terminal 116 via the communication device 104 and the network 122.

[0047] 5 is an example, and the screen may have elements other than those shown, or some elements may be omitted. As an example, the alarm detail information screen 301 includes an alarm detail information table 302, an in-apparatus related alarm information table 303, an examination room related alarm information obtain button 304, an analysis related alarm information obtain button 305, a hardware related alarm information obtain button 306, and a software related alarm information obtain button 307. Buttons 304 to 307 are pressed to obtain information different from the information currently being displayed and transition to another screen.

[0048] The alarm detailed information table 302 is information in a table format that summarizes detailed information about a selected alarm, and in addition to the information displayed in the alarm list 202, a recommended solution may be displayed, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0049] Furthermore, the in-device related alarm information table 303 is capable of displaying related alarms that are related to an alarm newly notified by the alarm notification unit 107 and that are not yet dealt with and that are in the same device as the new alarm. The display (308 to 312) of the in-device related alarm information table 303 is controlled in accordance with the information of the related alarm management table 111. Furthermore, the in-device related alarm information table 303 is capable of displaying related alarms that are in the same device as the new alarm, but as will be described later, the related alarms to be displayed can be switched as appropriate by operating buttons 304 to 307.

[0050] 5, when the Obtain Laboratory-Related Alarm Information button 304 is pressed, the screen transitions to an alarm detail information screen (see FIG. 6) that displays laboratory-related alarm information that displays related alarms related to devices that exist in the same laboratory as the device related to the newly generated alarm. By displaying related alarms related to devices that exist in the same laboratory, it becomes possible to easily identify the cause of the alarm in relation to the devices in the same laboratory.

[0051] 6 shows an example of an alarm detail information screen 501 that displays laboratory-related alarm information. The alarm detail information screen 501 that displays laboratory-related alarm information includes, for example, an alarm detail information table 502 and a laboratory-related alarm information table 503. It may also include an apparatus-related alarm information obtain button 504, an analysis-related alarm information obtain button 505, a hardware-related alarm information obtain button 506, and a software-related alarm information obtain button 507 for transitioning to other screens.

[0052] The alarm detailed information table 502, like the alarm detailed information table 302, is information in a table format that summarizes detailed information about alarms, and may additionally include, for example, alarm contents and recommended countermeasures.

[0053] The laboratory-related alarm information table 503 is tabular information that summarizes information on related alarms that are currently occurring or have occurred in the same laboratory as the newly notified alarm and that have not yet been addressed. Columns 508 to 512 display the alarm ID, alarm level, occurrence date and time, generating device, and alarm content, respectively.

[0054] On the other hand, when the analysis-related alarm information acquisition button 305 is pressed on the screen of FIG. 5 , the screen transitions to an alarm detail information screen that displays analysis-related alarm information for related alarms that are in the same analyzer 112 as the newly generated alarm and that are related to the same analytical operation (see FIG. 7 ). Displaying related alarms related to the same analytical operation can make it easier to identify the specific cause of the new alarm. The alarm detail information screen 401 of FIG. 7 is an example of an alarm detail information screen that displays analysis-related alarm information for intra-apparatus related alarms, and, like FIG. 5 , includes an alarm detail information table 402 and an intra-apparatus related alarm information table 403. Also, as an example, the screen transition buttons include an intra-laboratory related alarm information acquisition button 404, an intra-apparatus related alarm information acquisition button 405, a hardware-related alarm information acquisition button 406, and a software-related alarm information acquisition button 407.

[0055] The device related alarm information table 403 is information in tabular form that summarizes information on alarms that are currently unaddressed and have occurred in the same device as the newly occurred alarm, and that are classified as analysis-related and have a high degree of relevance. Columns 408 to 412 display the alarm ID, alarm level, occurrence date and time, occurrence device, and alarm content, respectively.

[0056] 6 and 7 also display buttons for transitioning to other alarm detail information screens, and by pressing these buttons, the display of the detail information screen can be switched between Fig. 5, Fig. 6, and Fig. 7. Also, by pressing a "return to list" button 309, 409, or 509, it is possible to return to the alarm list screen 201 in Fig. 4.

[0057] Furthermore, when the hardware-related alarm information acquisition button 506, 406 is pressed, the screen can transition to an alarm detail information screen that displays hardware-related alarm information among the related alarms. If a newly generated alarm is hardware-related, similarly displaying hardware-related alarm information can make it easier to identify the specific cause of the new alarm.

[0058] Furthermore, pressing the software-related alarm information acquisition button 507, 407 allows transition to an alarm detail information screen that displays software-related alarm information among the related alarms. If a newly generated alarm is software-related, similarly displaying software-related alarm information can make it easier to identify the specific cause of the new alarm.

[0059] A specific example of the operation of the automated analysis system according to this embodiment will be described below, taking as an example a case where one of the analysis devices 112, A01, fails in a QC measurement and the device operation is stopped.

[0060] One of the analytical devices 112 (device A01) that has failed in the QC measurement and stopped its operation issues an alarm to notify the failure of the QC measurement. Information about the issued alarm is transmitted to the management device 101 via the network 122. However, the information about the issued alarm may also be stored in the device for purposes such as display on the monitor of one of the analytical devices 112 (device A01) that issued the alarm or for log analysis.

[0061] Alarm notifications via the network 122 may also be sent to the pre-processing device 113, consumable storage device 114, and examination room robot device 115 due to the cooperation between devices, or may be sent directly to the display terminal 116 held by the laboratory technician when the examination room does not have a management device 101.

[0062] When alarm information is transmitted to the network 122 by the analysis device 112, the management device 101 acquires the communication message using the communication device 104 and decodes the alarm information through the alarm detection unit 106 in the information processing device 105. After decoding the alarm information, the management device 101 registers the acquired alarm information of the QC measurement failure in the alarm management table 110 in the storage device 109. The alarm information is registered in the alarm management table 110 in the format shown in FIG.

[0063] For example, as shown in the top row of Figure 2, alarm ID = A0101 indicates that an alarm occurred on 2020-02-10 13:20 for device A01 located in laboratory A. In the alarm classification field 604, "1" is registered, indicating that the alarm is analysis-related. Note that alarm classification information can be added by the management device 101 to the acquired alarm information, or alarm classification information can be included in the notified alarm information from the beginning. In addition, the response field 609 indicates that the response to the acquired QC measurement failure alarm has not been completed.

[0064] After the alarm management table 110 is updated, the management device 101 operates the related alarm determination unit 108 to update the related alarm management table 111. In the related alarm summary table 702 of the related alarm management table 111, the alarm for the QC measurement failure that occurred occurred in the A01 device in the A testing room, so the occurrence location is "A-A01," and the row and column [1] correspond to this alarm.

[0065] The related alarm management table 111 can be updated as follows. That is, when the management device 101 acquires information about an alarm that has occurred, for alarms that have "Unaddressed" in the action column 609 of the alarm management table 110 within the period set in the aggregation period 703, the table can be updated by adding 1 to the number of overlapping occurrences with the alarm that has occurred. In the related alarm management table 111 shown in the example of FIG. 3, only unaddressed alarms are displayed, so for example, 1 can be added to the value at the intersection of the row of the alarm marked [1] and the column of the alarm marked [1].

[0066] After the related alarm management table 111 is updated, the management device 101 transmits alarm information to the display terminal 116 via the alarm notification unit 107 via the network 122 to which the communication device 104 is connected. The alarm notification unit 107 can notify the display terminal 116 of alarm information selected by the laboratory technician selecting an alarm from the alarm list screen 201 on the display terminal 116, or (2) notifying the display terminal 116 of information on an updated row when the related alarm management table 111 is updated. For example, in the former case (1), the laboratory technician selects the alarm information for which the details are desired on the alarm list screen 201 in FIG. 4 , and displays the alarm detail information screen 301. On the other hand, in the latter case (2), the management device 101 notifies the display terminal 116 of the alarm detail information screen 301 for the information on row [1] updated in the related alarm management table 111. Here, the former case of alarm notification will be described.

[0067] To check the alarm information, the medical technician checks the alarm list screen 201 on the display terminal 116. Upon receiving an instruction from the medical technician, the display terminal 116 requests the management device 101 to transmit information required to display the alarm list screen 201 via the network 122 to which the communication device 119 is connected, via the alarm acquisition unit 121.

[0068] The management device 101 receives a request from the communication device 104 via the network 122 for information necessary to render the alarm list screen 201, and returns a response containing a list of alarms in the alarm management table 110 for which the action column in the action column 609 indicates "unaddressed." The information about alarms included in the returned response may also include alarms for which the information in the action column 609 indicates "completed" in response to a request from the display terminal 116. In this case, the response may contain only alarms for which the action column 609 indicates "completed." The display terminal 116 obtains the response from the management device 101 via the network 122 to which the communication device 119 is connected, using the alarm acquisition unit 121, and renders the alarm list screen 201 on the screen.

[0069] The laboratory technician can check the alarm list screen 201 displayed on the display terminal 116 that he or she uses and find that alarms such as "2020-02-10 13:20," "A01," and "QC measurement failed" have occurred. In this case, to find out the details of the alarm, the laboratory technician can select the relevant line on the alarm list screen 201 and move to the alarm detail information screen.

[0070] Upon receiving an instruction from the laboratory technician, the display terminal 116 transmits a request to the management device 101 via the network 122 connected to the communication device 119 via the alarm acquisition unit 121, requesting that the management device 101 transmit information necessary for rendering the alarm detail information screen 301. In response to this, the management device 101 references the alarm management table 110 and transmits the necessary information to the display terminal 116. Specifically, in accordance with the request from the display terminal 116, the management device 101 analyzes the alarm management table 110, identifies alarm information with an alarm ID of A0101, an alarm level of Stop, an occurrence date and time of 2020-02-10 13:20, an occurrence device of A01, and an alarm content of QC measurement failure, and transmits this information to the display terminal 116 as information for rendering the alarm detail information screen. In addition, the management device 101 references the associated alarm management table 111 according to the identified alarm information, and identifies associated alarm information corresponding to this identified alarm information.

[0071] When identifying related alarm information, the minimum related threshold 704 and the maximum related threshold 705 are also referenced, and alarm information that satisfies these thresholds is extracted as related alarm information. For example, if the identified alarm information is alarm information [1] in Fig. 3 and the minimum related threshold is set to [3], alarm information [2], [4], [5], [7], and [8] are selected as related alarms.

[0072] If the setting is set to display in-device related alarms as related alarms, the management device 101 refers to the generating device column 607, extracts only alarms that have occurred in the same device as the selected alarm information [1], and displays them in the in-device related alarm information table 303 as in-device related alarms.

[0073] The laboratory technician may notice that an alarm has occurred regarding an abnormality in absorbance, a cell blank failure, or an approaching reagent expiration date by checking the alarm detail information screen 301 and the in-device related alarm information table 303. In this case, the laboratory technician can press the analysis-related alarm information acquisition button 305 to acquire (extract) the analysis-related alarm information as related alarm information.

[0074] When the analysis-related alarm information acquisition button 305 is pressed, the management device 101 refers to the alarm management table 110 and the related alarm management table 111, and extracts alarm information with common analysis-related items as analysis-related alarm information in the alarm content column 608. The extracted analysis-related alarm information can be displayed in the in-device related alarm information table 403 as shown in FIG.

[0075] 7, the laboratory technician may notice that an analysis-related alarm such as "cell blank failure" or "reagent expiration date approaching" has occurred as an in-device related alarm. In this case, the laboratory technician may suspect that the specific cause of the alarm is deterioration of the measurement cell or the reagent.

[0076] Deterioration of the measurement cell can cause abnormal absorbance in the measurement sensor or abnormal test results due to changes in the wall condition of the test cell, which is a consumable item inside the device. On the other hand, deterioration of the reagent can change the state of the compounds in the reagent, causing problems such as a more difficult reaction than usual or unexpected reactions during testing.

[0077] Although the reagent's expiration date is approaching, the laboratory technician can check when the analyzer's cell was last replaced because it is still within the expiration date. This reveals that a considerable amount of time has passed since the last cell replacement, and the specific cause of the alarm can be determined to be deterioration of the measurement cell, with the corrective action being to replace the measurement cell. In this case, it would be useful for the laboratory technician to also check for laboratory-related alarms to see if there are similar problems with other equipment in the laboratory.

[0078] When the Get Laboratory Related Alarm Information button 404 is pressed on the alarm detail information screen 401, a corresponding request is sent to the management device 101. The management device 101 references the alarm management table 110 and the related alarm management table 111, and references the generating device column 607, to extract alarm information related to devices in the same laboratory as related alarm information, and can display it in the Laboratory Related Alarm Information Table 503.

[0079] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present disclosure, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0080] 101...management device, 102...input device, 103...output device, 104...communication device, 105...information processing device, 106...alarm detection unit, 107...alarm notification unit, 108...associated alarm determination unit, 109...storage device, 110...alarm management table, 111...associated alarm management table, 112...analyzing device, 113...preprocessing device, 114...consumables storage device, 115...examination room robot device, 116...display terminal, 117...input device, 118...output device, 119...communication device, 120...terminal information processing device, 121...alarm acquisition unit, 122...network.

Claims

1. an inspection processing unit that performs at least a part of processing for inspecting a sample; A management device that manages the inspection processing unit; In an automatic analysis system comprising: The management device includes: an alarm detection unit that detects that an alarm indicating the occurrence of an abnormality in the inspection processing unit has been issued; a related alarm management unit that stores a degree of association between the alarm detected by the alarm detection unit and another alarm related to the alarm; a related alarm determination unit that determines an unaddressed related alarm among related alarms having a predetermined degree of relevance with the alarm according to the degree of relevance stored in the related alarm management unit; an alarm notification unit that notifies the user of the related alarm determined by the related alarm determination unit; An automatic analysis system comprising:

2. The management device further includes an alarm management table for managing generated alarms, The automated analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm management table includes information indicating whether the alarm has been dealt with or has not been dealt with.

3. The automated analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the alarm notification unit is configured to notify detailed alarm information relating to details of the alarm and the related alarms.

4. The test processing section includes an analysis device for analyzing the sample and its peripheral devices, and at least As the peripheral device, a pretreatment device for pretreatment of the sample; A consumable storage device for storing consumables, including reagents; or 10. The automated analysis system of claim 1, comprising any one or more robotic devices operating within the laboratory.

5. The automatic analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the related alarm determination unit is configured to determine the degree of association based on a number of times the alarm and the related alarm overlap.

6. The automatic analysis system according to claim 5 , wherein the related alarm determining unit is configured to determine the degree of association based on the number of times the overlapping alarms occur within a predetermined period of time.

7. The automatic analysis system according to claim 5 , wherein the related alarm determining unit determines the degree of association based on a magnitude relationship between the number of overlapping occurrences and a predetermined threshold value.

8. The automatic analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the related alarm determination unit determines that an alarm related to the same device as the device in which the alarm occurred is the related alarm.

9. The automatic analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the related alarm determination unit determines, as the related alarm, an alarm related to another device installed in the same examination room as the examination room in which the device in which the alarm has occurred is installed.

10. The automatic analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the related alarm determining unit determines that an alarm relating to a software abnormality is the related alarm.

11. The automatic analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the related alarm determining unit determines that an alarm relating to a hardware abnormality is the related alarm.

12. The apparatus further includes a display device for displaying an analysis result and an operating state of the inspection processing unit, 2. The automatic analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to be capable of displaying a related alarm information table that displays alarms determined to be the related alarms by the related alarm determination unit, and the related alarm information table is configured to be capable of selecting and displaying related alarms that have predetermined characteristics from among the related alarms.

13. 1. A method for managing alarms in an automated analysis system, comprising: detecting that an alarm indicating an abnormality has occurred in the automated analysis system; storing a degree of association between the detected alarm and other alarms related to the detected alarm; determining an unaddressed associated alarm among associated alarms having a predetermined relevance to the alarm according to the stored relevance; notifying the determined associated alarm; An alarm management method comprising:

14. The alarm management method according to claim 13 , wherein the step of determining the related alarms determines the degree of association based on a number of times the alarm and the related alarm occur simultaneously.

15. The alarm management method according to claim 14 , wherein the step of determining the related alarms determines the degree of association based on the number of times the alarms overlap within a predetermined period.

16. The alarm management method according to claim 14 , wherein the step of determining the related alarms determines the degree of association based on a magnitude relationship between the number of overlapping occurrences and a predetermined threshold value.