System and method for device monitoring
Contents
1. Ohtsuka et al 702 34 9 1998 Czarnik et al 370 245 4 2000 Stahl 702 183 t Cassel et al Management of Distributed Measurement over Interconnected Networks Mar 1988 IEEE Networks pp 50 56 Grimaldi et al Java Based Distributed Measurement Sys tems May 19 21 1997 IEEE Instrumentation and Measure ment Technology Conference pp 686 688 Giarrantano et al Expert Systems Principles and Program ming 1994 pp 578 594 cited by examiner Primary Examiner Marc S Hoff Assistant Examiner Manuel L Barbee 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Mark M Friedman 57 ABSTRACT A system for monitoring the state and performance of an analysis device such as a capillary electrophoresis instru ment The system includes software for operating the analy sis device and system management software for monitoring the device generating a report on the state of the device and selecting an appropriate response based on this report The response can include altering the function of one or more parts of the device or signaling the need for a repair to be performed for example 1 Claim 8 Drawing Sheets 38 5 Lamp Degrading 8 Increase Gain low light 40 3 Test Lamp Expert System 6 FAIL 7 Lamp Degrading U S Patent Jun 24 2003 Sheet 1 of 8 US 6 584 430 B1 Fig 1 Instrument US 6 584 430 B1 Sheet 2 of2. monitor the analysis device Optionally the system also includes a connection to one or more computers via the Internet The principles and operation of a method and a system according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description Referring now to the drawings FIG 1 shows a prior art analysis device as an example of such a device Although the present invention will be described in terms of this specific analysis device a capillary electrophoresis instrument it is understood that this is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to be limiting in any way A capillary electrophoresis instrument system includes a cap illary electrophoresis instrument 10 Capillary electrophore sis instrument 10 includes a sample input 11 which prefer ably holds multiple samples The user places one or more samples in sample input 11 Next a portion of the sample is automatically placed within an analysis module 12 of cap ilary electrophoresis instrument 10 Analysis module 12 includes a capillary into which the portion of the sample is placed not shown A voltage is applied across this capillary US 6 584 430 B1 5 causing various components of the sample such as proteins to become separated not shown The results of the sepa ration are given as one or more peaks defining a relative concentration of each component within the sample not shown Preferably the results a
3. ordered from a product source such as a service provider via the Internet Also optionally a service provider could directly monitor the performance of the analysis device through the system management software to aid in the detection of operating faults or for routine maintenance of the system Such monitoring could be particularly invalu able when planning service calls to the laboratory by repair technicians either for routine maintenance or to repair an inoperative or faulty analysis device 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 Furthermore new or improved data about the analysis device could also be given to the instrument computer in the form of updated operating parameters Such updated oper ating parameters would then be used by the system man agement software to adjust the operation of the instrument computer in order to obtain a greater level of performance Currently each individual user must manually adjust the analysis device to compensate for factors such as differences between production lots of reagents Enabling the system management software to perform such adjustments auto matically significantly increases the efficiency of the analy sis device and frees the user from performing such adjust ments manually In addition both software initial installations and upgrades can optionally be performed through the system management software Hereinafter the term initial instal la
4. sample taken from a patient Typically such devices include a sample input such as a chamber into which the blood sample is inserted These devices also include an analysis module which would actually perform the analysis for example by determining the concentration of glucose in the blood sample If necessary one or more reagents are added to the sample when in contact with the analysis device Finally the results of the analysis are displayed or given to the user in some form As these analysis devices have become more complicated their routine operation has been increasingly performed by software on a computer either attached to or included with the analysis device hereinafter referred to as the instrument computer Such software has the advantage of simplifying routine operation of the device as well as of being able to store format and display the results in many different ways However many functions must still be performed either by the user or by a skilled repair technician In an effort to reduce the number of functions which must be performed either by the user or by a skilled repair technician an overall system of monitoring and if necessary intervening in the function of the analysis device through the operating software would be useful The system of the present invention includes software for system management hereinafter referred to as the system manage ment software which can interact with the software w
5. 3 Hardware monitoring agent 38 then inter acts with the user through instrument software by requesting the user to test the lamp condition as shown in step 4 Alternatively hardware monitoring agent 38 could directly pass the command to instrument software 20 Instrument software 20 gives the result that the lamp is degrading to hardware monitoring agent 38 as shown in step 5 Hardware monitoring agent 38 then passes the result FAIL to expert system software 40 as shown in step 6 Expert system software 40 then identifies the lamp as the faulty unit to hardware monitoring agent 38 as shown in step 7 Hardware monitoring agent 38 then instructs instru ment software 20 to display an explanation for the user of how to increase the gain to compensate and correct the problem as shown in step 8 Alternatively hardware moni toring agent 38 could directly instruct instrument software 20 to increase the gain Optionally the user could also be warned that a new lamp should be ordered soon Preferably the order is placed automatically In a preferred embodiment the system of the present invention includes one or more user databases which are accessible through the system management software by the user as shown in FIG 7 These databases can include but are not limited to the following types of databases A user feedback database 50 will include any complaints by the user information on the performance of new products after review by t
6. 8 Jun 24 2003 U S Patent JEMYOS jueujeBeueui ui 1 s S Jojnduuoo YIOMION vc eolAe s s jeuy U S Patent Jun 24 2003 Sheet 3 of 8 US 6 584 430 B1 Internet server system _ management software Fig 3 US 6 584 430 B1 Sheet 4 of 8 Jun 24 2003 U S Patent y 3TA juasy Zunoyuoy L 9 owm prH E a s seqere q ISA oc Ze PA aleMyos UleisKS u dxq OV t U S Patent Jun 24 2003 Sheet 5 of 8 US 6 584 430 B1 40 MAG Log lf Model BF Z Service 42 Manuals db q User Inte ace b Engine Dx HW Monitoring L 46 i Agent N Instrument Conferencing Help Desk me Tool ree ree e 48 zd Analysis Device 18 Fig 5 U S Patent 40 Jun 24 2003 Sheet 6 of 8 US 6 584 430 B1 Device 38 1 low light level 4 Test Lamp Agent 5 Lamp Degrading 8 Increase Gain 2 low light 3 Test Lamp 6 FAIL 7 Lamp Degrading Fig 6 U S Patent Jun 24 2003 Sheet 7 of 8 US 6 584 430 B1 50 52 54 E Service Database User Activity l User Feedback App Specific User Interface Instrument Software 20 Analysis Device Fig 7 U S Patent Jun 24 2003 Sheet 8 of 8 US 6 584 430 B1 58 60 Ei Software Updates Rele
7. a United States Patent Rosenbaum et al US006584430B1 10 Patent No US 6 584 430 B1 54 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEVICE MONITORING 75 Inventors Rafi Rosenbaum Givataim IL Shaul Shohat Petach Tikva IL Rakefet Fish Ramat Gan IL Judith Kessler Rehovot IL Lazars Kupeli Danville CA US 73 Assignee Bio Rad Laboratories Inc Hercules CA US Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U S C 154 b by 0 days 21 Appl No 09 119 148 22 Filed Jul 20 1998 30 Foreign Application Priority Data Jul 21 1997 ID 121348 51 Die CE S inc G06F 11 30 G06F 15 00 52 UIS Cl a asua etes 702 183 340 641 58 Field of Search 702 23 32 81 84 702 182 183 186 188 706 60 45 48 50 62 709 201 340 635 641 204 451 56 References Cited U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 4 254 472 A 3 1981 Juengel et al 702 188 4 654 512 A 3 1987 Gardosi 235 376 4 667 500 A 5 1987 Tobolski et al 73 83 Device l low fight level 4 Test Lamp 45 Date of Patent Jun 24 2003 4 816 994 A 3 1989 Freiling et al 706 11 5 025 391 A 6 1991 Filby et al se 706 45 5 428 470 A 5 608 845 A 5 812 529 A 6 049 764 A OTHER PUBLICATIONS 6 1995 Labriola II 359 119 3 1997
8. ardware monitoring agent 38 to perform various monitoring functions and repairs Expert system model module 44 contains a schematic description of analysis device 18 including any necessary technical information a definition of tests that can be performed on analysis device 18 and a list of faulty symp toms and the underlying problem or problems which gen erate them Expert system log module 42 records a descrip tion of all interactions between expert system software 40 and instrument software 20 Expert system engine module 46 interacts with instrument software 20 through hardware monitoring agent 38 to request to perform a test as described in expert system model module 44 Hardware monitoring agent 38 then performs the test either directly through instrument software 20 or via interaction with the remote user The results are then transferred back to expert system software 40 This process continues until expert system software 40 reaches a conclusion on the faulty element As its name suggests the various components of expert system software 40 together form an expert system which are well known in the art Such a system is capable of using information supplied by the user such as the basic configu ration of the components of analysis device 18 types of diagnostic tests interpretation of error codes and interpre tation of test results This information constitutes a model of analysis device 18 This model is then placed with
9. ase Pr Ole oe aa e rr e ern RR nstrument Software f Analysis Device 20 18 Fig 8 US 6 584 430 B1 1 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEVICE MONITORING FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system and a method for monitoring analysis devices and in particular it concerns a system and a method for diagnosing operating faults adjust ing operating parameters and providing routine maintenance for such devices Many different types of analysis devices are used for scientific and medical analysis in a laboratory setting As these devices have become increasingly sophisticated many now require complex software for their operation Although such software can provide a simple and user friendly inter face for the routine operation of the device difficulties arise when operating parameters must be changed or when the operating software must be upgraded Many of these adjust ments are relatively routine yet can be difficult and com plicated for all but the most sophisticated user Thus routine maintenance has become extremely complex for such devices Furthermore should the device itself actually experience operating faults such that the performance of the device is reduced the average user may not be aware that a problem has arisen Even if the device is clearly inoperative the average user would not be able to diagnose the problem s
10. aults and problems including but not limited to lack of a required reagent lack of a sufficient sample volume incorrect adjustment of one or more parts within analysis device 18 such as the sample input or the presence of a faulty part such as a burnt out light source for example The fourth function of system management software 22 performing software installation and upgrades is preferably 10 15 20 25 30 35 45 50 55 60 65 6 performed in conjunction with network computer 24 Net work computer 24 is an optional but preferable feature of system 16 Network computer 24 is connected to computer 14 via a network connection such as the Internet Network computer 24 can include a database with information as described previously or new or upgraded software which can be downloaded to computer 14 Such downloading and the subsequent installation of any programs is preferably performed by system management software 22 FIG 3 illustrates an expanded version of the network computer and network connection of FIG 2 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention Here mul tiple analysis devices 18 are connected to an Internet server 28 via the Internet 30 Internet server 28 in turn is a gateway to a service provider 32 which can be at a remote location including a completely different country Service provider 32 provides services related to the routine maintenance and repair of analysis devic
11. be per formed Instructions from a multimedia user service manual 47 for user assisted tests are displayed and the user can report the results Expert system software 40 then reports suspect components the defective device if the fault has been completely isolated The user will also be able to confirm the diagnosis or enter the actual faulty component if the expert system software diagnosis was incorrect An optional feature of hardware monitoring agent 38 is the ability to recommend or initiate routine maintenance Hardware monitoring agent 38 optionally features a data base which includes a list of parts which have known expected lifetimes and the installation date of those parts in analysis device 18 When the age of a part is close to its expected life hardware monitoring agent 38 signals the service provider to schedule a preventive maintenance ser vice call which will include replacing this part In addition other conditions can be defined which signal that preventive maintenance is needed Should hardware monitoring agent 38 prove unable to solve the problem the user can contact a service technician for additional help in isolating and solving the problem through a conferencing tool 48 Conferencing tool 48 allows the service technician to see all the information on the monitor screen of the user s computer Preferably confer encing tool 48 includes an audio device for two way com munication between the user and the service te
12. chnician or even a video device for visual communication not shown Preferably conferencing tool 48 also allows the service technician to manipulate the user s computer from a remote location In addition optionally and preferably the user will be able to obtain information about the various components of system management software 22 instrument software 20 or even analysis device 18 through an on line manual 47 On line manual 47 includes multi media content such as video audio images and drawings The content of on line manual 47 will include information on symptoms tests maintenance procedures and service procedures defined in expert system model 44 as well as information generally included in user s manual such as protocols for operating analysis device 18 FIG 6 describes an example of a fault locating session with the expert system software and the instrument software The analysis device being examined could be the capillary electrophoresis instrument of FIG 1 for example In the first step shown as 1 on the diagram a symptom is entered either by the user or automatically by instrument software 20 the lamp light level is low Hardware monitor ing agent 38 then interacts with expert system software 40 sending the symptom as shown in step 2 Expert system software 40 then sends the recommendation to test the lamp by checking to see if the lamp performance is degrading as US 6 584 430 B1 9 shown in step
13. d the hardware monitoring agent performs said test through said instrument software Also preferably the expert system software further analyzes said recorded interactions between said expert system software and said instrument software in order to add information to said expert system model module According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of diagnosing an operating fault in an analysis device comprising the steps of a providing the analysis device with an instrument software for operating the analysis device b obtaining a report of the operating fault from the instrument software c selecting a command to correct the operating fault based upon said report and d causing said instrument software to execute said command to correct the operating fault According to yet another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a system for the maintenance of an analysis device including a an instrument software for operating the analysis device and b a system management software for determining when a maintenance action is to be performed on the analysis device Preferably the mainte nance action includes determining when a component of the analysis device should be replaced Also preferably the maintenance action includes an automatic adjustment of an operating parameter of the analysis device BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is herein described by way of exam
14. d to the home page for the user to view Such context sensitive messages are well known in the art and are typically used for advertising and the like although of course the message could have substantially any content These messages are preferably selected for their content depending upon the actions of the user For example if the user were asking for product information an advertisement by the company which manufactured that product could appear as the context sensitive message Many other examples of such context sensitive messages and the context in which they are selected would occur to one of ordinary skill in the art Furthermore even if user interface 36 uses some other GUI graphical user interface technology such context sensitive messages could easily be displayed using that technology Optionally the particular context could be obtained from instrument software 20 and sent to system management software 22 Preferably the context sensitive message would then be displayed by instrument software 20 User interface 36 enables the user to connect indirectly to a hardware monitoring agent 38 However hardware moni toring agent 38 is also preferably connected separately to the analysis device of remote user 34 for example via a separate Internet connection Hardware monitoring agent 38 moni US 6 584 430 B1 7 tors instrument software 20 at least intermittently for example at the request of remote user 34 but prefe
15. e 18 and optionally provides a number of other services such as answering any questions of the user about analysis device 18 automatically remind ing the user about the need to order further quantities of any necessary reagents and even monitoring the performance of analysis device 26 For these latter optional services service provider 32 should preferably operate system management software 22 Such an expanded network connection can enable the user to benefit from such services without requir ing an on site visit by a technician from service provider 32 Furthermore even if an on site visit is required the number and duration of such visits can potentially be reduced by the Internet connection Preferably service provider 32 is connected to Internet server 28 through a firewall for added security not shown FIG 4 illustrates one possible embodiment of the service provider system of FIG 3 In this embodiment a remote user 34 connects to system management software 22 via an user interface 36 Preferably user interface 36 is a home page accessible by a web browser Hereinafter the term web browser includes any software program which can interact with a web server to display documents written in HTML HyperText Mark up Language The term home page or web page includes any such HTML document One advantage of using a home page for user interface 36 is that context sensitive messages can easily be adde
16. e operating parameter of the analysis device Also preferably the command is sent to the instrument software by the hardware monitoring agent and is executed by the instrument software Optionally the response is an alarm to warn a user of the analysis device Alternatively and preferably the response includes ordering a component of the analysis device from a service provider According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention the instrument software is run on a first computer connected locally to the analysis device and the system 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 management software is run on a second computer con nected remotely to the analysis device Preferably the system management software allows the analysis device to be adjusted by the second computer through the instrument software According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the expert system software includes a an expert system model module for containing a list of instrument error states and a list of corresponding tests to perform b an expert system engine module for determining the response based on the list of error states and on the list of corresponding tests and c an expert system log module for recording interactions between the expert system software and the instrument software Preferably the expert system engine module further selects a test to be performed on the analysis device an
17. evice 18 with instrument software 20 Analysis device 18 performs one or more analysis functions preferably for scientific or medical analysis as shown in the prior art device of FIG 1 System management software 22 is able to interact with instrument software 20 System management software 22 can be installed on computer 14 analysis device 18 or on a network computer 24 as shown System management soft ware 22 is able to interact with instrument software 20 to perform a number of functions generally included under the phrase monitoring of analysis device First system management software 22 can simply moni tor the function of analysis device 18 such as passively examining analysis results measuring reagent levels and determining the relative level of background noise being generated by analysis device 18 or by the samples them selves Second system management software 22 can actively intervene in the routine function of analysis device 18 and perform a maintenance action for example by adjusting one or more operating parameters Such operating parameters include but are not limited to the amount of any necessary reagents and factors which influence background noise Other examples of maintenance actions include determining when a component of the analysis device should be replaced such as a lamp which has reached the end of its expected operating life Third system management software 22 preferably can diagnose operating f
18. he user any new features or products which have been requested by the user and any other comments the user might have A service database 52 would contain informa tion on all service activities performed under the system of the present invention including those performed by service personnel and those performed directly by the hardware monitoring agent An application specific database 54 will contain scientific information for each application or type of analysis performed on the analysis device All user data bases could be implemented using such software as Lotus Notes In another preferred embodiment the system of the present invention includes an upgrade manager as shown in FIG 8 An upgrade manager 56 is accessible to the user 10 15 20 25 30 10 through user interface 36 as shown Upgrade manager 56 can be manually controlled by the user or can automatically or semi automatically perform its functions One function of upgrade manager 56 is to receive any updated information about analysis device 18 such as the amount of a particular reagent which should be added to the sample for analysis This updated information is received from a kit update device 58 A software release device 60 can also give the latest upgraded software or any new software to upgrade manager 56 Upgrade manager 56 can then download the updated information or software to instrument software 20 It will be appreciated that the above descrip
19. hich operates the analysis device Through this interaction the system management software can either monitor the perfor mance of the analysis device adjust one or more operating parameters of the analysis device or both as well as optionally provide assistance to the user through on line help manuals for example Optionally the system of the present invention can also include a connection via the Internet to a monitoring computer at a remote location Hereinafter the term Inter net is used to generally designate the global linked web of thousands of networks which is used to connect computers all over the world As used herein unless otherwise indicated the term Internet can also include other types of networks such as LAN local area networks or WAN wide area networks it being understood that the term network includes any connection between at least two computers Hereinafter the term local includes any site where the analysis device is located such as a laboratory a company a hospital or a university The term remote refers to any other separate site Such an Internet connection can either be substantially continuous or intermittent With this connection informa tion which is available on the network computers can be directly downloaded to the instrument computer Such infor mation can include reference information such as user manuals and product information Optionally products could be
20. in expert system model module 44 Next expert system engine mod ule 46 then uses the model of expert system model module 44 in combination with information from instrument soft ware 20 to diagnose any problems with the performance of analysis device 18 All interactions are then recorded by expert system log module 42 so that expert system software 40 can actually learn or incorporate new data into expert system model module 44 in order to improve its diagnostic ability Of course the exact performance of expert system soft ware 40 will depend upon its location relative to the user 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 50 55 60 65 8 When instrument software 20 is running on the same com puter as system management software 22 automatic hard ware monitoring and testing is possible In this case the state of analysis device 18 is monitored continuously Fault states and problematic parameter values symptoms will trigger a fault diagnosis session using expert system software 40 according to the procedure outlined above In addition if the user detects a problem the user can manually switch to system management software 22 and activate hardware monitoring agent 38 This should both reduce the need for service calls and make service calls more efficient by supplying better descriptions of problems If the fault cannot be isolated with automatic tests then further testing requiring user intervention may
21. o that a repair technician would need to travel to the laboratory to assess the device Should a new part be required further visits to the laboratory would be necessary to obtain the part and then repair the device Thus on site repair currently can require multiple visits and result in a relatively long period in which the device cannot be used both of which are very costly and frustrating for the user There is therefore an unmet need for and it would be highly advantageous to have a system and a method for remotely monitoring the performance of an analysis device diagnosing any problems and performing routine mainte nance with a minimum of human intervention SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided a system for monitoring an analysis device comprising a an instrument software for operating the analysis device and b a system management software for receiving a report of a state of the analysis device from the instrument software and for determining a response to the report the system management software including i a hardware monitoring agent for interacting with the instru ment software to obtain the report and ii an expert system software for determining if the report is of an instrument error state and for recommending an error correction response if the report is of the instrument error state Preferably the response includes a command to alter at least on
22. ple only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein FIG 1 is a schematic illustration of a prior art analysis device FIG 2 is a schematic illustration of an instrument moni toring system according to the present invention FIG 3 diagrams one embodiment of the present invention showing interactions with a service provider FIG 4 is a more detailed diagram of the system manage ment software of the present invention FIG 5 shows one example of the relationship between the hardware monitoring agent of the present invention and other components of the system management software of the present invention FIG 6 illustrates one example of a fault diagnosis sce nario FIG 7 illustrates examples of user databases according to the present invention and FIG 8 schematically diagrams an example of a software upgrade manager according to the present invention DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is of a method and a system for performing routine maintenance diagnosing problems and preferably upgrading software for one or more analysis devices US 6 584 430 B1 3 As used herein the term analysis device refers to any device for performing a scientific or medical analysis including both research laboratory instrumentation and instruments used for clinical diagnostic procedures as well as any process monitoring device For example the analysis device could measure the level of glucose in a blood
23. rably constantly Hardware monitoring agent 38 performs such monitoring by looking for pre defined sets of instrument status codes An instrument status code is a code produced by instru ment software 20 which describes the state of the analysis device such as whether the device is waiting for a command in a power saving mode or performing an analy sis Certain of these codes indicate states in which the performance of the analysis device is either reduced or eliminated because of a problem within the analysis device and can be described as an error code Hardware monitoring agent 38 initiates a fault detection session when such an error code is detected or even when a particular combina tion of instrument codes indicates that a problem may be present A fault detection session can also be initiated by a user request Once such a session is initiated hardware monitoring agent 38 connects to and interacts with expert system software as shown in FIG 5 FIG 5 shows one particular embodiment of the relation ship between the instrument software and the hardware monitoring agent The user interacts with hardware moni toring agent 38 through user interface 36 Hardware moni toring agent 38 either automatically or according to a request of the user interacts with the three components of an expert system software 40 expert system log module 42 expert system model module 44 and expert system engine module 46 These interactions enable h
24. re analyzed and displayed on a video monitor screen of a computer as described below The capillary electrophoresis instrument system also includes instrument software 13 to operate capillary elec trophoresis instrument 10 and an instrument computer 14 on which instrument software 13 is run For the sake of clarity FIG 1 shows instrument software 13 on instrument computer 14 Instrument software 13 can include one or more separate programs or modules Optionally one or more functions of capillary electrophoresis instrument 10 are performed automatically by instrument software 13 Instru ment software 13 also enables the user to set one or more operating parameters of capillary electrophoresis instrument 10 such as the amount of one or more reagents to be added to the sample if necessary Generally instrument software 13 has substantially all the functions which are required to enable the user to operate capillary electrophoresis instru ment 10 Preferably the user would not need to directly manipulate one or more portions of capillary electrophoresis device 10 as these manipulations should be performed via instrument software 13 Instrument software 13 also ana lyzes the results obtained from analysis module 12 and places them in a suitable format for display on the monitor of instrument computer 14 FIG 2 shows an instrument monitoring system according to the present invention An instrument monitoring system 16 includes an analysis d
25. tion refers to the addition of software to the computer for the first time without previous versions of the software being available on the computer The term software upgrade refers to the addition of new features or patches for known problems to software already installed on the com puter It is envisioned that all of these services could be per formed through a service provider which would give tech nical support and advice perform maintenance and repairs on the analysis device act as a vendor for related products and generally provide needed support to the user of the analysis device All of the functions of the system management software may be performed either automatically semi automatically or both Hereinafter the term automatic refers to the performance of a function substantially without user inter vention or input while the term semi automatic refers to the performance of a function with at least partial user intervention or input required for one or more steps DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention is of a method and a system for monitoring analysis devices for diagnosing operating faults in these devices and for adjusting operating parameters of the devices As noted previously the system includes at least one analysis device which is operated by instrument soft ware running on a computer and system management software which interacts with the instrument software to
26. tions are intended only to serve as examples that many other embodi ments are possible within the spirit and the scope of the present invention What is claimed is 1 A system for controlling an analysis device compris ing a an instrument software for operating the analysis device and b a system management software for receiving a report of a state of the analysis device from said instrument software and for determining a response to said report said response including a command to alter at least one operating parameter of the analysis device said system management software including i a hardware monitoring agent for interacting with said instrument software to obtain said report and ii an expert system software for determining if said report is of an instrument error state and for recom mending an error correction response if said report is of said instrument error state wherein said command is sent to said instrument soft ware by said hardware monitoring agent and is executed by said instrument software and wherein the analysis device is adjusted by altering an operating parameter related to a gain of a lamp
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