Listener Application for Distributed Clinical Laboratory Data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional laboratory information systems (LIS) are limited by their reliance on local connections and wired infrastructure, leading to inefficiencies in data handling and processing, particularly in managing laboratory test results, which often require manual faxing and are not highly automated.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows data from remote sample processing units to be transmitted to a laboratory information system via wide area networks, using a listener application and certificate authentication to verify data integrity and format compatibility, enabling wireless communication and integration with electronic medical records systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional wired local connections are used for LIS, then data security and system reliability are maintained, but system adaptability and ease of operation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a listener application as an intermediary component that receives data from remote sample processing units via wide area networks and forwards it to the LIS. This mediator enables remote connectivity while maintaining system reliability by validating and formatting data before it reaches the core LIS, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
2Productivity
If manual faxing is used for test results, then system complexity is reduced, but productivity and ease of operation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated data transmission where the listener application automatically receives, validates, and forwards test results from remote devices to the LIS without requiring manual intervention. This self-service automation eliminates manual faxing processes, significantly improving productivity while the standardized validation protocols keep complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The listener application performs preliminary data validation and formatting operations before data enters the LIS, ensuring data integrity and compatibility in advance. This preliminary action prevents downstream processing issues and reduces the need for manual intervention, thereby improving productivity without proportionally increasing system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If remote sample processing units are connected via wide area networks, then ease of operation and adaptability are improved, but data integrity and system reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The listener application implements feedback mechanisms by validating incoming data from remote devices against expected formats and protocols before accepting it into the LIS. This feedback loop ensures data integrity by rejecting or correcting malformed data, thus maintaining reliability while enabling easy remote access through wide area networks.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A method is provided for collecting data in a distributed laboratory system. The method comprises transmitting electronic sample processing data from at least one of a plurality of distributed, sample processing units to a laboratory information system having an interface for communicating over a computer network; wherein a data pathway for sample processing data from the one of the sample processing units to the laboratory information system comprises traversing at least one wide area network, wherein the data along the data pathway is handled by at least: a central database collecting said sample processing data from a plurality of sample processing units, and a listener application configured to processing data from the central database for paired sample processing unit data.