Patent · US Expired

User programmable control

US5369566A · kind A · utility

49Cited by
5References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 3, 1992
Grant dateNov 29, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 3, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2035/106
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of programming a programmable controller in a manner by which a variety of menus, options, or questions seeking limited parameter answers are presented to the user; for example, setup parameters such as the type of labware, source and destination of reagent transfer etc. for conducting a particular biological and chemical assay experiments by an automated laboratory workstation. Software "templates" are used to focus the request for parameters from the user to tailor user needs to the laboratory workstation's capabilities. The software templates are designed to accommodate a wide variety of experimental setups in accordance with the setup parameters input by the user. By providing the parameters with the assistance of the templates, the user may program a complete set of instructions for conducting a biological or chemical assay. The instructions may include the time and method for undertaking the experiment. Further instructions may be given the laboratory workstation to conduct the later phases of experiments based upon earlier results of measurements.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.