EP2556415A2

EP2556415A2 - Method, computer program product, and changing station for tracking a process

Info

Publication number: EP2556415A2
Application number: EP11718261A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stephan Hammelbacher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-06
Filing date: 2011-04-06
Publication date: 2013-02-13
Also published as: US20140055248A1; WO2011124209A2; US9349031B2; WO2011124209A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for tracking processes and/or services, which concern at least one object, wherein a reading device detects data or attributes of a data carrier associated with the object or the container of the object, wherein the data describe the object, comprising the following steps: a) identifying the object by detecting the data of the data carrier by means of the reading device and b) detecting a process or a service and/or the data of the object obtained thereby, is further developed in that between the steps a) and b) a selection of processes and/or services from a plurality is made according to the detected data, and the selection is offered to an operating person to be carried out. The invention further relates to a computer program product for setting up a computer system with regard to programming and a changing station for carrying out the method.

Description

Procedure, computer program product and changing station for

process tracking

The invention relates to a method for process tracking of processes and / or services that relate to at least one object in which a reading device records data or attributes of a data carrier assigned to the object or its container, the data describing the object or its properties. The method comprises the following steps:

a) identifying the object by detecting the data of the data carrier by the reader and

b) detecting a process or a performance and / or the data obtained thereby, changed or possibly even unchanged data of the object or its properties.

The invention further relates to a device and a computer system for carrying out the method as well as to a computer program product for the program-technical device of such a computer system. Moreover, the invention relates to a changing station for carrying out and process tracking of operations and / or services.

A process tracking of transactions and / or services is z. For example, in hospitals with patients as objects or in genetic research, where working with experimental animals as objects. Objects can therefore be patients, experimental animals, but also bacteria or viruses in a Petri dish or seedlings in plant breeding. Since, especially in medical research, objects are very small and are constantly changing themselves, interacting with each other, e.g. mating, receiving offspring or e.g. Cell strains grow, is often an immediate electronic marker, for example, by a barcode or transponder not possible or very expensive. Therefore, the identification of the objects can take place via their storage location, for example via the patient bed, a cage of the test animal or the Petri dish in microbiological laboratories, which can be marked more easily - in particular electronically.

The operations may be transaction and / or transformation operations. Transaction operations relate to relocation and may include, for example, removing or adding objects, for example, from experimental animals

CONFIRMATION COPY a cage, transferring a cage with or without contents from an original storage location or location to a new location or moving an object from a first container to a second container.

Transformation operations involve changing properties of at least one object. In the case of a test animal, it may be a disease or the death of the test animal or the documentation of a phenotype. Furthermore, they can relate to the formation of sub-objects from an object, in the case of a test animal, for example birth processes, the detection of a litter, whereupon new objects can be formed, or samples of the object, which themselves represent an object.

The services to be performed may be z. For example, it may be an investigation that is applied to an object. It can be medical procedures with findings, but also messages about this object. Services follow the principle of supply and demand.

The state of the art and the invention are described below mainly using the example of animal breeding or genetic research. However, the invention can be easily transferred to all objects that are located at a defined and registered location, including the other application areas mentioned above.

In animal research, especially in genetic research, a large number of experimental animals are used. Test animals are in open position in appropriate shelves or racks in their subjects cages can be arranged specified pathogen free in z. B. individually ventilated cages (IVCs) or held in isolators. In separate changing stations, for example, a transfer or installation of the experimental animals in other cages. For this purpose, the change station comprises at least one conversion table with a work surface on which the transfer can be carried out. Insulators are used when special demands are placed on the sterility of laboratory animals. In an isolator, both the shelf and the transfer table of a change station are located under a tent in which defined environmental conditions prevail. The introduction of material from the outside via a lock. Test animal and cage transactions are performed on the work surface via glove procedures. The supply of the experimental animals and their breeding is done by qualified animal keepers. Every operation and performance in the animal rooms must be minutely documented by the zoo keeper. So far, this is done mostly manually.

Clinical database systems are becoming more prevalent in the era of increasing genetic research for both experimental animal management and in vivo testing, as well as for the management and analysis of in vitro samples. The databases are characterized by high complexity and a large transaction volume. There is a desire to document, as promptly as possible, the processes and services provided in the animal care facilities and to enter them in clinical databases in order to access this data. Due to the complexity of the user interface of databases extensive training measures of zookeepers are required until the data is reliably collected from a technical point of view. Although it is a recurrent routine, zoo keepers are often overwhelmed by the heavy input required to reliably capture data as they work in the animal rooms. Often, you must manually record the data and transfer it to the database later.

Known methods are:

- animal databases with manual recording and later re-recording,

Use of bar codes on cage cards and handheld readers that are able to retrieve and display information from a database on the barcode being read,

Use of handheld readers capable of retrieving and displaying information from a database about a read-out transponder.

Computerized veterinary carts equipped with a computer to record the complex transactions in a laboratory animal management system, and.

Computer cart with UHF reader, large antenna and computer for the physical inventory of cages and cage card holders.

However, the documentation procedures are in contrast to the natural physical functioning of the human being, who grasps objects and simultaneously controls the process to be performed with the brain. In particular, complex physical processes, which routinely repetitively performed uniformly, but depending on the situation always somewhat different, are poorly supported by the present state of the art. These are unsatisfactory procedures as the zoo keepers the records can not perform ergonomically from their workflow, but are forced to an error-prone division of labor between the actual operations or services on the one hand and the detection and documentation work on the other hand. Computer, especially keyboard, mouse and a manual bar code reader, represent additional contamination bridges in animal areas. In insulators, the above-described technique is therefore generally not used, since computer technology in isolators can be introduced only very cumbersome and sterilization within the insulator not is possible.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method, a computer system and a computer program product and an apparatus for carrying out the method, which simplifies a process tracking of operations performed on an object and services provided.

The object of the invention is achieved in the method mentioned at the outset, which between the identification of the object in step a) and the detection of a process or a performance or the associated data in step b) in a first intermediate step ai) in dependence in step a), a selection or a subset of operations and / or services from a plurality, namely from a total of operations and / or services is taken, and in a second intermediate step aii) only the selection of operations and / or Services of an operator to carry out in step b) is offered.

The selection can z. B. displayed on an operator terminal of a computer system for display. By entering on the operator terminal, the operator can only select the operations or services offered. The reduced choice of offered operations compared to the theoretically possible operations makes the operation easier for the operator, because the operation becomes clearer due to the elimination of inaccurate possibilities and demands fewer decisions from them. It is thus able to perform even complex transaction and / or transformation processes or extensive services with few inputs. This also reduces accidental operating errors. The ease of use and the lower error rate in turn increase the speed and acceptance of the computer system by the operator. The invention therefore turns away from the process object orientation known from the prior art, which assigns objects to be treated to a preselected process and thus restricts an operator to the one preselected process, although other processes might be required depending on the situation. Rather, it pursues the principle of a so-called object-driven method, in which the objects themselves or their properties specify the offered selection of processes and services and thus the further work flow: They limit a possible number of processing operations to a meaningful, namely the possible or the operations that can be applied to the objects and offer them to an operator. The invention also allows automated information retrieval embedded in the workflow on a desktop with the automatic data processing of data on operations and services. It leads to current data at any time and to a target stock of objects or containers. The invention can be applied in the animal breeding area on open conversion tables on laminar flow exchange stations, in isolators or other transfer stations, but also in plant breeding.

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The method according to the invention takes the natural mode of operation of humans as a model and first identifies one or more objects directly or via their storage locations and then recognizes from the properties of the object or several objects in simultaneous access a constellation which is inevitable for one or more processes and / or services and therefore offers the user a choice of operations and / or services possible through the constellation. A large part of the selection process of processes and / or of a service is consequently shifted into the process itself in the object-driven process according to the invention. This saves the operator many inputs, which in turn leads to a simpler, faster and more reliable implementation of the method.

According to the invention, the method records and documents processes such as transaction or transformation processes and services to be performed and the data of the objects obtained therefrom. To simplify and support the method, it can be done using a computer system, especially for large amounts of data. The computer system may have a memory in which data records of the processes and services are stored. A manually operated operator terminal can be used for communication with a computer-implemented computer system. The data or attributes of the objects, such as age, gender, ancestry, but also their position on a shelf, etc. are stored in a database. If processes or services are performed on the objects, the data of the objects is also regularly changed. As a result, when capturing the operations and services, the records must be opened to be changed. Advantageously, identification data are therefore stored and recorded on the data carriers of the objects. The identification data correlate with data records which are stored in the memory of the computer system or in a database stored therein and contain information about the respective objects and / or properties. Thus, the disk need only carry a small amount of identification data, which reduces their technical complexity. They contain as identification data only a kind of key to allow an assignment of the object to its correct record. The technical effort for or the process of identifying objects is relatively low, because only the relatively few identification data must be recorded. As data carriers that transport the identification data, both conventional labels that carry a preferably machine-readable code as a key, such as a bar or barcode, as well as electronic carriers such as magnetically operating core memory or memory chips, such as RFI D transponder.

Due to the often slow response times of databases on remote servers, the data sets are currently manually created on a container card as a data carrier even for large volumes of data and later added to a database. This means double entry work. The theoretically possible much higher documentation speed of the method according to the invention parallel to the workflow of the operator is often inhibited in practice by just those slow response times of the databases. According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, therefore, a subset of the data of the database in a working memory on a work computer cached before step a) (so-called. Memory database), in step b) for detecting the detected operations and / or performed services if necessary be changed and then synchronized in a step c) with the database on the server or with the data stored there records. The subset of database data can be referred to as a sub-database or temporary database. The workstation can be operated directly by the operator and be in or near the change station. The determination of the subset of data stored on the workstation may vary Establish criteria: A criterion can, for example, be a served locality, eg define those data records whose associated objects can be found on shelves of a specialist department, discipline or similar. an animal breeding station. Another criterion may be pre-defined access rights for operators, such as animal keepers, who are only authorized to perform pre-determined operations and to perform pre-determined services. Due to the smaller size of the sub-database, their files can be built much faster from the memory of the work computer and processed instead of being read from the database of the server. It also makes it possible to display visual elements of a program more quickly, such as the state of a shelf, outline view, or search results. The sub-database can be synchronized with the server-side stored database in a parallel process, downstream or event-oriented.

Preferably, the data records stored for recording the performed processes and / or services rendered can be updated in parallel with the process. For example, immediately after acquiring a new content of a container, the stored data may be updated to alert an operator or other interested parties, e.g. For example, the responsible researchers of a technical discipline must be provided with updated data in real time ("real time"), which at the same time allows for an immediate control of all operations carried out and / or of all the services to be performed.

The identification of an object by means of a reading device is done regularly in that the reading device is directed to a data carrier in order to record its data. Common is the scanning of a barcode. According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the associated data carrier can be moved to a work area for identification of the object in step a), whereby without additional activity of the operator, the reading of the data of the data carrier takes place. The identification thus happens without interrupting the natural workflow. The working area of an animal breeding station is regularly the conversion table of a changing station. For this purpose, the reading device can be mounted in such a way that its reading area is directed towards the conversion table or acts. Preferably, a read area of the reader is marked in the work area to allow reliable identification of the objects. This eliminates at least one additional handle of the operator, namely the alignment of the reader on the disk and the removal of the reader. Preferably, therefore, a constellation for selecting the operations to be performed and / or services to be performed is queried, ie a search query by retrieving stored data records in The database is processed as soon as one or more containers or their data carriers are in the workspace and thus are to be regarded as opened.

A constellation is determined by determining the position of one or more containers. The positions are divided into different levels. The lowest level concerns the object itself or the positions of its container, e.g. on a shelf, while in upper levels the structure of the subject disciplines, e.g. Departments, work groups or laboratories that occupy or use these positions. In addition, the properties of the contents of the container, for. B. the gender of the objects, attributes of a queried or even sought constellation. In this case, a constant refinement of the constellation by adding containers and / or objects and / or other attributes can be done. As soon as one or more possible constellations have been found, the user is offered a constellation-related selection of processes and / or services in a depth corresponding to the constellation. The range of functions can z. B. be displayed by push buttons on a toolbar.

When operating a change station, several objects may be in the workspace at the same time. The activation of the objects can be indicated to the computer system by the movement of the data carrier into the read area of the reader. For example, if the objects are kept in initially closed containers, their actual activation will be to open the containers. Subsequently, the physical processing of the objects and the detection of the processing as a result of a performed operation or a service performed done. The termination of processing, such as the closing of the container is communicated to the computer system by re-capturing the respective media by the reader. Subsequently, the data carrier is assigned to the object, for example by attaching to the container. With the correct assignment of the data carrier to the respective object, for example, a cage card holder to the correct cage, a source of error remains, which may be uncovered late. According to an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, in addition to the detection of the data of the object in step a) its position on the work surface can be detected and after detecting a performed operation or a service and / or the data obtained thereby in step b) in a further step d) a plausibility check are performed. It checks whether each data carrier is assigned to the correct object or container. A hard-to-find and correct misallocation of disk and Object can be recognized and corrected in time. The step c) of the data synchronization can be carried out downstream, in order not to incorporate erroneous assignments or their correction into the database.

The collected data is not regularly entered into a database first but is documented on paper for quick and immediate access. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, after detecting a process or a performance and / or the data obtained thereby in step b) in a further step e) a machine documentation of the process or the performance or the data can be done. Documentation can be done by creating or printing a log or label, or by storing it on a separate data store or medium. The label is assigned to the respective container and can, for. B. by means of a known cage card holder as a fastening device attached thereto. The inserted therein label or the cage card is conventionally readable and thus represents a conventionally recordable data carrier of the data of the object in the container. Accordingly, a printed log reproduces the captured data of one or more objects. The separate data memory may be a magnetic memory or chip which may be mounted similar to the label on the object or its container. For example, it may also be attached to the cage card holder or combined with it or the label. In any case, it allows direct access to the documented data without having to start a database query. An essential advantage of the method according to the invention is thus also the high speed with which a documentation of the processes and services in the changing station can be made.

As a data medium for the data of the objects, all suitable storage media can be used, which can be read by machine anyway. The data carriers can be permanently or detachably connected to the containers. If the media is firmly attached to the containers, the container must be captured by the reader along with the media. On the other hand, removable data carriers can read the reader alone, ie independently of the container.

The insertion of a label in a wrong cage card holder can not be avoided. A solution to this is described below. The object mentioned at the outset is also achieved by a computer program product which programmatically sets up a computer system with a computer, with an operator terminal, with a printer and with interfaces to a reading device for carrying out the method described above. The program product thus enables the computer-aided execution of the method for process tracking of processes and / or services relating to at least one object, in which a reader acquires a data carrier associated with the object with data describing the object and / or its properties, with the following steps:

a) identifying the at least one object by detecting the data of the data carrier by the reading device,

b) detecting a process or a performance and / or the data obtained thereby of the at least one object or its properties,

wherein between the identification of the at least one object in step a) and the detection of a process or a performance or the associated data in step b) in a first intermediate step ai) depending on the data acquired in step a) a selection or a Subset of operations and / or services from a plurality, namely from a total amount of operations and / or services is taken, and in a second intermediate step aii) only the selection of operations and / or services an operator to carry out in step b) is offered ,

As a further step, a detection of the position of the object in a work area, a plausibility check of the assignment of the data carrier to the respective object and an intermediate storage of a subset of the data of the database on a work computer and a synchronization with the database can take place.

As mentioned above, it may not be possible to mark the object, but only its container, and capture it at the location of the object. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, moreover, at least or exclusively the data or attributes of a locality can be considered or recorded. This can happen on behalf of the object or even detached from the object for the locality itself. A locality means a container of an object, but also any "container of the container", ie a shelf, a laminar flow station or an insulator with a multitude of shelves and containers, including objects according to which a container is concerned with the aspect of whether or not it is occupied by an object, whether it is or needs to be cleaned, if it is damaged, its assignment to a discipline, its location on a shelf, etc. Corresponding data may be provided for shelves or also isolators are detected. Depending on the data of the localities, processes or services such as occupying or emptying a container or shelf, moving or assigning to another discipline, etc. can then be selected. This can be at least one isolator, shelf or container management set up, for example, manages the operation of one or more insulators or the occupancy of one or more shelves. This method is particularly suitable for applications in which, as a rule, only one object per container is present anyway. It can be expanded step by step by capturing further data in an associated database which, in addition to the locality, eg a shelf or sub-locality, eg a container, concerns the object or the objects themselves.

An input of a selection of processes and / or services to be documented on the operating terminal of the computer system can basically be carried out manually by an operator. According to an advantageous embodiment of the program product, voice commands of an operator can be processed for selecting processes to be documented and / or services to be performed. A voice control means a further simplification in the operation, because the hands of an operator remain free. In this case, the operation by voice control can be further simplified by z. B. simple acoustic numerical indication as a command as in voice-controlled selection menus of computerized Telefonhotlines a selection from a menu displayed on a graphical user interface is possible.

Alternatively or additionally, the input of an operator for selecting to be documented operations and / or services to be performed by readable by the reader command cards. A command card is the equivalent of a push-button on a toolbar displayed in a graphical user interface, or the entry of a command via a keyboard. Command cards have the advantage that they can be held on a position of the reader. They allow an operator to enter a selection without taking his eyes off the workspace. For the most important processes and / or services to be performed, there is one command card each.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the program product according to the invention, widgets can be provided for describing the objects and / or the contents and / or properties of the contents of containers and / or selecting processes and / or services. A widget is a component of a graphical user interface. che. It consists on the one hand of a visible area or a window, which receives mouse and / or keyboard input, and on the other hand of a non-visible object, which stores the state displayed in the hard and can change the visible area over certain drawing operations. Widgets are regularly embedded in a specific window system and use it to interact with the user or other widgets of the windowing system. Widgets eliminate the need for an operator to manually position a cursor on certain fields of a graphical user interface, allowing for faster data entry. Widgets also enable the efficient use of speech recognition because widgets, because of their structure, support a person's natural language flow better than a form with many fields.

Another simplification of the operation allows the combination of widgets, which are not necessarily controlled by a keyboard and mouse or a pointer (cursor) controlled by them, but additionally or exclusively via a separate keypad. A keypad is a keyboard with a possibly reduced amount of keys. It may, for example, comprise only a numeric keypad. The widget may have different occupied areas depending on the operation or service being performed. Preferably, they make reference to the keys of the keypad, for example by the surfaces having an arrangement corresponding to the keys of the keypad. By pressing a key on the keypad, the function of the widget assigned to the corresponding area of the widget can then be selected. Different processes, which in particular require digit input, can thus be conveniently operated with differently designed widgets, but always with the same keypad.

An alternative or additional operation of a widget may be done using voice input and / or output. To do this, the operator may be prompted to read a prompt, such as a selection of operations or services or the need for text or number input, so that the operator does not need to look at the operator terminal with the display of the widget The input can then be made either at the widget by pressing keys or by voice commands, and again, the operator can keep his or her gaze focused largely on the work surface without leaning his / her head towards the operator terminal The operation of the widget thus largely or exclusively acoustic. A confirmation for a selection accepted by the program can also be returned with a voice confirmation or a "voice prompt" or "voice prompt".

The object mentioned at the outset is also solved by the change station described below for carrying out and tracking processes and / or services that relate to at least one object or a container for this object. The change station can be open or closed. It at least includes:

a workspace for performing the operations to be performed and / or services to be performed,

a computer system having a computer for processing captured data and outputting a selection of operations to be performed and services to be performed, and

an input interface for selecting operations to be performed and / or services to be performed,

at least one reading device for acquiring data stored on data carriers with a connection to the computer system,

Media that interact with the reader and can be associated with the objects or their containers.

According to the invention, the reading device can be mounted on the changing station in such a way that it acts on the working area. The reader can be mounted largely stationary, so that while it is at the change station, for example. can be variably positioned by sliding on a rail, but is firmly attached in the selected position during operation of the change station. His position at the change station is always chosen so that his reading area is at least partially in the work area. The reading area is the space in which the reader can successfully read data from the data carrier.

In order to be able to process a plurality of objects, the changing station preferably has a plurality of stationary readers. They simplify the processing of the objects, because they can not only be identified, but also recorded according to their position in the work area. As a result, the operations performed and / or services provided can be tracked more reliably. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one reading device has a limited to a portion of the workspace range. Its reading range, which is defined by the range of the reader, preferably does not cover the entire work area. In the case of several readers, each reading device preferably records an individual partial area, with the partial areas of the reading devices not overlapping. As a result, unwanted double detections of a data carrier can be avoided by multiple readers. Thus, by placing a data carrier within the read area, an operator can specify that they now want to carry out operations and / or services relating to this data carrier. The reading areas are therefore preferably marked in the work area.

The work area is regularly formed with a table or a flat table-like surface on which the operations can be performed and services provided. The reader may preferably be attached to the underside of the table surface because it does not hinder activities on the top there. It captures the data to be read through the table surface.

As a data carrier for the data of the objects, all suitable storage media can be used, which can be read by machine anyway. This includes machine-readable labels that can carry at least identification data. The disk may be inseparable, that is to say removably connected to its container only by destroying the container and / or the data carrier. Preferably, removable holders attached to the containers, in particular cage card holder for removable mounting of data carriers can be arranged. As a disk z. B. smart cards are used. This makes it possible not to bring the container with the disk in the reading area of the reader, but only the disk. This simplifies handling. In addition, such an exchange of a data carrier, for. B. in the case of a malfunction, easily possible.

The volume may contain a record describing the associated object. Alternatively, the data carrier can only store identification data which correlates with a data record in the database. In a preferred embodiment, therefore, a unidirectional data transmission of the identification data to the reading device can take place. This makes it possible to design data carriers for the identification data particularly simply because it does not have to have any overwritable memory to which data has to be transferred in a reverse direction from the reading device to the data carrier. Furthermore, so remain the identification data, eg. As a transponder ID, unchanged, so that only the stored records in the computer system must be updated. For transmission of data between the data carrier and the reading device, all suitable wireless transmission techniques can be used, for example optical data transmission by means of bar code labels or similar optical codings. Preferably, the data can be transmitted by RFID transponders. Wireless data transmission eliminates the need for localized electrical contact. Passive transponders, in contrast to active transponders, also have the advantage that they do not require a voltage source because they draw their energy from the field of the reader.

With the RFI D reader, the data stored on the data carrier are read, the z. B. is attached to a container. The reading range of the RFID reader defines a reading range for the data carrier in the work area. The RFI D reader is connected to the computer system so that the collected data is transferred to the computer system. Identification data assigns the computer system to a stored record. The record contains information about the properties of the object and / or the position of its container. Using the acquired identification data and / or the stored data of an object, the computer system makes a selection from a plurality of possible basically feasible processes and / or deliverable services. The selection is z. B. displayed on a graphical user interface on a monitor of the computer system. With an input interface, an operator may select one of the displayed possible inputs.

The input interface between the computer system of the change station and an operator may have a keyboard, a mouse or a graphical user interface with a user interface, e.g. be a touchscreen. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the input interface may alternatively or additionally be designed for operation by means of command cards, which are read by means of the readers. This makes it easier to operate the changer's computer because there is less or no keyboard or screen input required.

A special situation arises for insulators. They are used in experimental animal husbandry with special requirements for the sterility of laboratory animals. Since in an insulator both the shelf and the work surface are under a tent in which defined environmental conditions prevail, the introduction of food, water, medicines, etc. takes place in the tent from the outside via a lock. Animal and cage transac- Work surface operations are performed externally via gloves. They make it difficult to operate input interfaces because, for example, for keyboard input, at least one hand must be removed from a glove procedure. According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the change station therefore a separate, possibly mobile keyboard, a so-called keypad belong, which can also be operated with used gloves interventions. For this purpose, the keypad on suitably large keys, so that it can be reliably operated with gloves applied gloves gloves, without accidentally activating adjacent keys. A cumbersome and time-consuming removal of an operator's hand from the glove engagement can be omitted. The keypad can be inside the tent, from where it forwards the data entered by cable or wirelessly to the computer system. However, it must be laboriously sterilized before introduction into the isolator. According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the keypad can therefore indeed operated using the gloves interventions, but even be mounted outside of the insulator. For this purpose, the insulator, at least in a partial area of his tent have a flexible transparent tent surface which forms a dense interface between the sterile interior of the insulator and its surroundings, behind which the keypad is mounted and over which it can be operated out of the insulator out. This allows the keypad to remain outside the isolator, but still be operated with the glove on.

Preferably, the keypad comprises a reduced number of keys compared to a conventional computer keyboard, for example only numeric keys and a few additional function keys, so that it can be smaller in size and easier to handle. Nevertheless, to allow a variety of input options, the keypad can be used to operate a widget. The widget may have different occupied areas in an arrangement corresponding to the keypad, depending on the operation to be performed or the service to be performed. By pressing a key on the keyboard, the function of the widget assigned to the corresponding area of the widget can then be selected. For example, the keypad may have a known numeric key area comparable to that of a 12-key touch-tone telephone, where the numeral "1" is located at the top left and bottom right is a "#" roulette key. In a first case, the widget may display the familiar numeric keypad for inputting a number, which can be confirmed by pressing the "#" roulette key on the widget or the keypad, for another operation in a second case, the widget may be in place the digits "1" to "3" three actions, at the place of the asterisk key " ^* " confirmation and to cancel the operation at the location of the "#" roulette key After selecting a proposed activity by pressing one of the keys "1", "2" or "3" on the keypad, the selection can be made by pressing the pound key "#"confirmed and the appropriate activity is undertaken and documented.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one glove engagement may be at least partially transparent and the keypad may be formed via positioning means on the forearm of an operator. Also, the glove engagement is a flexible tent surface that can serve as a transparent control surface of the keypad, which is located outside of the insulator. The gloves are part of the insulator, which are flexible anyway and need to be replaced occasionally. Since they are therefore usually mounted interchangeable, at least partially or partially transparent glove interventions according to the invention can also be easily retrofitted to existing insulators. The keypad, which can be strapped to the forearm of an operator, is in operation within a glove engagement, so the glove is pulled over the keypad. However, the keypad is still outside the sterile area of the isolator. However, it can be seen through the transparent glove engagement and operate with one hand in the other glove engagement. Strapped to the forearm of an operator, the same keypad can be used in succession for the operation of several insulators without the need for retooling. It also eliminates the arrangement of one keypad per insulator.

If transactions have been carried out on the objects of a constellation or services have been provided to them, the data relating to the objects must be regularly updated and, in any case, the data and, if applicable, also the processes and services provided must be documented. The change station can therefore have an output interface for outputting documentation data records for documentation of the recorded processes and / or services provided. This allows in particular an operator to control the actions taken. Documentation records contain z. B. information of an object or its properties. The output interface is preferably connected to a monitor for displaying the documentation data set and / or to a printer for printing the documentation data record in the form of a protocol and / or label. A monitor allows immediate control of the actions taken while a label is attached to a container. can be brought so that information about its content is immediately and permanently available.

Alternatively, the updated data and / or operations performed and / or services provided may be transferred to the data carrier or a separate data store. In a further preferred embodiment, therefore, a bidirectional data transmission of the data from and to the reading device can take place. The reader can thus serve as an input interface as an output interface in addition to its function. After completion of a selection from an offered process and / or services to be performed, the reader can transmit updated data by means of a transmitting device to the respective data carrier.

Advantageously, the data can be output there electronically from an output device of the object or its container. This can save a printer, its printing processes and raw materials. The printer also eliminates an acoustic burden. The output interface can preferably be designed for wireless transmission of the documentation data record, in particular for displaying the documentation data record on the display device of the container. Thus, no cable connection must be made for data transmission. Such a display device has z. As an antenna or an infrared light cell for receiving the documentation data set, which are sent by means of a radio wave transmitter or an infrared light transmitter of the computer system of the changeover station.

In a preferred development, the output interface for wireless transmission can be connected at least temporarily to a display device of the container for transmitting the documentation data record to the display device of the container. This can be z. B. be the case when the container is in the work area and thus sufficiently close to the reader as a transmitter. When the container is removed from the work area, the distance between the reader and the display is too large to maintain the wireless connection.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the display device displays the content of the transmitted documentation data record after the separation from the output interface. Thus, the content is displayed even when the container has been returned to its position on a shelf. In this case, a display device is used as a battery-powered label in a preferred embodiment is formed with an LCD display. Such battery-powered labels with an LCD display are known as components of electronic labeling systems (ESL) or so-called smart labels Such a display device may comprise an antenna or an infrared light cell as a receiver communicating with a radio wave transmitter or an infrared light transmitter By transferring documentation records to such a display device, their display can be changed, thus eliminating the need for an operator to manually change a label, thus simplifying the operation of the change station and reducing potential sources of error.

In an alternative embodiment, it is provided that the display device of the container comprises electronic paper. Electronic paper allows a permanent display of information without a permanent power supply, eg. B. is necessary with a battery as an energy source. Again, no manual change of a label is necessary or confusing the label with that of another object or container possible. Because of the elimination of electronic components, electronic paper can also be used in an isolator because its sterilization does not cause any problems. Only to change its display need electronic paper a power supply. It can be produced by direct electrical contact with the reader or contactlessly via LF, UHF or HF transponders or via infrared transmitters.

A further advantageous embodiment of the change station according to the invention, the shelves for receiving the containers in rows next to each other and in columns comprises one another, has an inventory car with superimposed antennas, each with one antenna per row, a computer for temporarily storing acquired data of the disk of the container and an output interface to synchronize the collected data with a database. The inventory cart can be moved past the shelves of the changing station at a certain distance in order to read out the data of the data carriers of the shelf via the antennas. Thus, in a simple step, an inventory of the shelf can be made by actual data is recorded and stored. They can be compared with the data records to be considered as target data of the database of the computer system. In the event of deviations, the data records or the container contents can be checked and corrected.

In the following, the principle of the invention will be explained by way of example with reference to drawings. Show it: FIG. 1 shows a transfer work surface, a shelf and a computer system according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a query of a constellation,

FIGS. 3 to 5 representations of screen views of a computer system according to the invention,

FIGS. 6 to 8 examples of cage cards,

FIG. 9 is a screen view of a completed process;

FIG. 10 shows a schematic representation of a mating of two experimental animals,

FIG. 11 is a representation of a mating of three experimental animals;

FIGS. 12 to 19 representations for further transaction and transformation processes,

Figure 20 is an Inventureinrichtung, and

FIG. 21 shows a monitor holder.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an area of an animal house for experimental animal husbandry. It shows a shelf 16, a changing station 24 and a computer system 2. The shelf 16 is one of many largely similar and bears the number 65. In the animal house trial animals F, M are held in containers in the form of cages 3. The cages 3 are stored in compartments of the rack 16, which in the figure 1 simplifies only nine compartments A1 to C3.

The changing station 24 comprises a table 20 with a working surface 10. Three cages 3a, 3b, 3c which originate from the compartments A1, A2, B2 of the shelf 16 are already placed on the working surface 10. Now operations, namely transactional or transformation operations, performed or services can be provided. A transaction operation may be removal from or addition of cages 3 to the rack 16, moving a cage 3 from a previous one into a new compartment within the rack 16, or moving the test animal F from the first cage 3a to the third cage 3c. Transformation processes, on the other hand, concern the modification of properties of the experimental animals F, M, such as Benefits may include examinations that are applied to the experimental animals F, M, eg the verification of their state of health. It may be medical procedures, but also messages about this experimental animal O act.

On the cages 3a, 3b, 3c data carrier 11, 12, 13 are mounted on which identification data of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c are stored. They allow an unambiguous assignment of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c or their contents to stored data records of a database, which characterize the respective contents of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c. In addition, an assignment of the data carrier 11, 12, 13 takes place to the subjects A1, A2, B2, in which the cages 3a, 3b, 3c are (disk compartment assignment). The computer system 2 has access to the database or stores it itself. As a data carrier 11, 12, 13 RFID chip cards or RFI D transponders are used, the z. B. by means of card holders (not shown) to the cages 3a, 3b, 3c are removably attached.

In the table 20, three readers 7, 8, 9 are permanently installed under the working surface 10, which positions 5a, 5b, 5c are assigned to the work surface 10. The positions 5a, 5b, 5c mark reading areas of the three readers 7, 8, 9 on the work surface 10. The readers 7, 8, 9 can detect the identification data of the data carriers 11, 12, 13. They have only a short range, so that they only detect the data carrier 11, 12, 13 when the cages 3a, 3b, 3c in the positions 5a, 5b, 5c and thus within the reading range of the readers 7, 8, 9 turned off are. Alternatively, the data carriers 11, 12, 13 can be removed from their cages 3a, 3b, 3c and held in the respective position 5a, 5b, 5c. The reader 7, for example, detects only the data carrier 11 of the cage 3a. The likelihood of confusion between the cages 3a, 3b, 3c is achieved through the use of LF transponders or RF transponders as data carriers 11, 12, 13 and / or through the use of low-current readers, which have a reading range of up to 4 cm. When using UHF transponders, however, a damping antenna of the readers is required. At the table 20 and in the immediate reach of the user, a holder 28 is mounted, which contains four command cards 30. They also carry a transponder chip, on which electronically recorded commands for operations or services are stored. If, for example, the test animal F is transferred from the cage 3a into the hitherto empty cage 3c, the user documents the process with one of the command cards 30 with the command "Import animal" that command card 30 which stands for the command "Import Animal" and conveniently labeled with it and holds it in the reading area of the reader 9. For this purpose it may be necessary to release the positions 5c, eg the cage 3c on the table 20 Move the position 5c back so that the reader 9 can capture the command card 30 at the position 5c. The command cards 30 allow the user to give a command without having to take his eyes off the work surface 10.

The readers 7, 8, 9 are connected to the computer system 2. It comprises a computer 6, a printer 4 and an operating terminal 26. The computer 6 stores a computer program for carrying out the method according to the invention for process tracking. On top of this, the data records relating to the respective contents of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c are also stored. The operator terminal 26 is designed as a touch-sensitive or touch screen screen and allows both a visualization of operations to be performed and services by means of a graphical user interface and an input commands to detect performed operations or services provided. It thus provides an alternative possibility of input to the command cards 30. In order to document the operations, services or their result, the computer 6 of the computer system 2 is connected to the printer 4. It is used to print labels 14 or 15 protocols. The labels 14 are inserted at the cages 3a, 3b, 3c in the card holder. They also allow the identification of one of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c or their contents, however, do not require additional detection devices, because the data of the labels 14 can be read conventionally. Also the logs 15 record the operations performed or services rendered or their result. If labels 14 e.g. in insulators for reasons of hygiene are not used, the documentation in the changing station 24 exclusively on the protocols 15.

The work surface 10 may have in a simple form a cable channel 17 with two or more readers 7, 8, 9 side by side. If you use a commercial cable channel with suitable RFI D readers (HF, LF), it can be adapted cost-effectively to the width of the change stations available on the market. These components form a reader channel. One or more reader channels form an input unit. One or more reader channels are located below or in front of the workstation of the changing station for carrying out operations or services.

The readers 7, 8, 9 are connected within the reader or cable channel 17 via a USB hub or via a multiplexer. Each reader 7, 8, 9 or multiplexer is assigned a COM interface, which is permanently polled. The transponder ID of a detected transponder and the positions 5a, 5b, 5c can be transmitted via the interface to the computer 6. The positions 5a, 5b, 5c in the work surface 10 are each limited by the range of the RFI D transponder and the readers 7, 8, 9. Depending on the transponders used, the computer 6 can also write information from the database on the data carriers 11, 12, 13 on the data carriers 11, 12, 13.

The readers 7, 8, 9 thus form an input unit which recognizes the transponders (RFID) of the data carriers 11, 12, 13 on the cages 3a, 3b, 3c or on the command cards 30, as soon as they are in their positions 5a, 5b, 5c indicated reading area. Thus, the readers 7, 8, 9 can detect both the location and contents of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c on the work surface 10 as well as the operations performed on their contents and services rendered thereto.

In a compact embodiment, the table 20 may be formed as a carriage, in addition to the computer 6 and the printer 4 are housed. The table 20 then represents a mobile open changing station.

The work surface 10 together with the holder 28 is located at high hygienic requirements within a laminar flow exchange station 40. The computer 6 and its control terminal 26 is outside and for ergonomic reasons then mounted at eye level of the user and possibly height adjustable.

In the highest hygienic requirements, the shelf 16, the work surface 10 and possibly the holder 28 of the changing station 24 are installed in an insulator 50, which is operated by gloves interventions. The computer system 2 is placed outside of the insulator 50, since computer technology in isolators can only be introduced very cumbersome and it is difficult to sterilize the computer system 2 within the insulator is. In order to still use them, the commands of the present invention equipped changing station 24 via command cards 30 within the insulator 50 or via the control terminal 26 outside of the insulator 50 are entered. Since at least one hand of the operator must be taken out of the glove interventions for the input on the operating terminal 26, speech recognition is alternatively or additionally provided for controlling the computer system 2 with voice commands. It allows the documentation of activities in changing station 24 without interruption.

While in the isolator 50 the volume bin allocation in the database is set once and the volumes 11, 12, 13 always remain in the insulator 50, the volume bin allocation at the open exchange stations 24 and at the laminar flow exchange station 40 may change, e.g. when a new provided with a data carrier cage card holder is attached to a previously unused cage 3.

The identification data on the data carriers 11, 12, 13 of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c on the positions 5a, 5b, 5c are transmitted via interfaces to the computer 6 of the computer system 2. The computer program product running on the computer 6 assigns the read-out identification data to the respective data records from the database. The computer system 2 thus identifies the cage 3a or its contents, namely experimental animals) F, on the position 5a of the working surface 10, test animal (s) M in the cage 3b in the position 5b and the presently empty cage 3c in the position 5c of the working surface 10 (Figure 1). It thus captures a concrete constellation K (see Figure 2). The detection of a constellation K takes place as soon as a cage 3 or its data carrier 11, 12, 13 reaches the reading area (position 5) of a reading device 7, 8, 9 and thus counts as "open", ie as being processed.

FIG. 2 illustrates the management of the data records for the experimental animals F, M of the cages 3a, 3b in the database. They are assigned to a discipline D which has several shelves 16 (FIG. 1) as localities, inter alia via the shelf 16 with the number 32. In its compartments A1, A2... (See FIG. 1), which represent sub-localities , are each cages 3 as further sub-localities bearing individual numbers. The cage 3a in the compartment A2 carries the number 7 and contains several experimental animals F. The cage 3b is assigned to the compartment B2, bears the number 8 and contains several experimental animals M. The cage 3c in the compartment A1 carries the number 1 and is empty. This situation illustrated in FIG. 1 captures the computer system in the constellation K shown in FIG. 2. A facility explorer FE lists it in a hierarchically structured form and outputs it they in different vertically juxtaposed structuring levels G1, G2, G3, G4 on the control terminal 26 (see Figure 1) again. In the outline level G1 there is the discipline D, the outline level G2 shows the shelves 16 with the locations 33, 34, 35, in the outline level G3 are the cages 3a, 3b, 3c in their subjects A1, A2, B2 of the shelf 16 as Unterlokalität shown, and the outline level G4 finally gives with the animals F, M, the content of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c again. The Facility Explorer FE is part of the computer program product.

On the basis of the recognized constellation K, the computer system 2 is able to determine a selection of processes and services which is possible and useful in the case of the concrete constellation K according to FIGS. 1 and 2. In the present case, for example, it does not allow processes and services that relate to the detection of a litter, because in the cage 3a only female experimental animals F and in the cage 3b exclusively male experimental animals M are contained, so young animals can not exist. Instead, for example, laying or mating operations or examinations may be performed. Only these and other possible processes and services are now offered by the computer system 2 on the graphical user interface of the operating terminal 26 (FIG. 1) in the toolbars TB.

They are sorted for clarity and clarity and displayed in clustered buttons or "push buttons", so-called toolbars, on the terminal 26, namely in a Facility Explorer toolbar FE-TB, a process toolbar P-TB and a toolbar SM-TB of a service market SM The toolbar FE-TB offers functions for operating the facility explorer, for example selecting a discipline D or expanding selected structure levels G or localities such as the compartment A2 Depending on the selected view and In the present constellation K, the computer program puts together the buttons of the process toolbar P-TB, where the buttons of the processes suitable for the constellation K are found Finally, the service market SM represents a possibly nested hierarchy of services or service packages, such as Example information, findings as documentation of a condition of a test animal F, M, inquiries d anach etc. They can be offered by defined disciplines D or they can be requested or requested by them for a specific condition of a test animal F, M.

This gives the operator a reduced and therefore clear selection of processes and services. On the one hand, they make it easier for him to operate the computer system 2, because he no longer has to choose from "right" and "wrong" processes and services. On the other hand, it reduces the error susceptibility of the operation, because due to the lower selection erroneous operations are reduced. Finally, the computer system 2 allows a plausibility check, if inputs of the user do not take place via the toolbars TB but via command cards, keyboard shortcuts or voice commands.

FIG. 3 shows the components of a screen view on the operating terminal 26: the central area occupies the hierarchical structure of the facility explorer FE. The individual outline levels G1, G2, G3, G4 can be expanded or enlarged and contracted or reduced in size in the screen view in the facility explorer FE via the buttons FE-TB (not shown). If necessary, new screen views or windows can also be called up for each classification level G (see FIG. The left edge is formed by the buttons FE-TB of the Facility Explorer, the upper edge by the buttons P-TB for the processes and the right edge by the buttons SM-TB (only in Figure 5). However, the buttons FE-TB, P-TB and SM-TB can be arranged arbitrarily.

In order to provide the operator with an optical relationship between the hierarchical structure of the facility explorer FE on the one hand and the actual arrangement of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c on the shelf 16 on the other hand, the rack 16 with its compartments A1, A2, etc. and the cages 3 on the right side of the screen view in a smart rack SR shown. The smart rack SR represents the shelf 16 as a two-dimensional structure whose fan A1, A2, etc. can be addressed as fields of a chessboard. The state of the compartments A1, A2, etc. is marked by means of colors as occupied, empty, activated, pair, trio, etc. A tool tip TT, a small pop-up window that pops up, can give you more information about a selected tray.

The display of the Facility Explorer FE can also be controlled via the Smart Rack SM, for example, by activating the compartment A1 by selecting the cursor or by directly tapping it and opening it in the Facility Explorer FE. Playback of the smart rack can be switched to a representation of its contents, e.g. by tribes or user groups (not shown).

The buttons of the toolbars TB can be selected with a mouse pointer of the computer 6 or on a touch-sensitive screen as a terminal 26 by tapping with a finger. Alternatively or additionally, inputs can be made in language form, the be processed by a speech recognition of the computer system 2. Speech inputs are the ideal medium for command input in a hygiene-critical environment.

For alphanumeric inputs, eg. As the gender, the number of test animals F, M, detection of litters or abnormalities, etc., so-called widgets are used. A widget is a component of a graphical windowing system. The widget consists of a window, a visible area (see Figure 4), which receives mouse, keyboard or touchscreen events, as well as an invisible software object that stores the state of a component and the visible through certain drawing operations Range can change. FIG. 4 shows a widget 60, which is displayed when importing experimental animals F, M into an empty cage. It consists of eight surfaces 62 to 78 together. It comprises a display 62, on which an input made is reproduced for inspection. Required entries when importing experimental animals F, M is their age, which can be entered by selecting the key 64 and entering the age via a numeric keypad 74. If the age is unknown, the widget 60 with the button 66 also for a field. Gender entry is via keys 68 and 70. To allow entry of a multi-digit number, widget 60 provides an enter key 72 which is pressed upon completion of an entry. It indicates the end of the input. To correct an entry or to cancel the current operation, the button 78 is used.

The use of widgets saves the user from manually entering numbers or letters in fields. It even saves the positioning of a pointer or cursor on certain fields of the graphical user interface if the widget automatically jumps to the next input field after entering a field. It allows for faster data entry and reduction of operator actions. Widgets thus represent a simplified input method, because only pushbuttons are used as the input medium. Widgets may also be tuned or programmed for a task or performance in terms of the composition of their buttons. They can be operated via touch screen and enable efficient use of speech recognition as an additional input option, as widgets, thanks to their technology, support a person's natural speech flow better than a rigid form with many fields. According to the inventive method, the identification data on the data carriers 11, 12, 13 with the localities, the shelf 16 and the subjects A1, A2, B2 and their contents, the trial animals F, M, connected in the database. When the readers 7, 8, 9 (see Figure 1) recognize the identification data, the computer program opens the corresponding locations in the Facility Explorer FE and the software focus is placed on the selected location.

The RFI D transponder of the data carrier 13 (see FIG. 1) detected by the reading device 9 at the position 5c is automatically registered to a location previously opened by a user in the facility explorer FE or via the smart rack SM. Alternatively, depending on the configuration K, the computer system 2 itself searches for the next available location in the facility explorer FE and registers the RFID transponder of the data carrier 13 with the location, in this case the compartment A1. If the RFID transponder of the data carrier 13 has already been registered, the location "compartment A1" in the computer program product is called up and opened.

In the following, the process of a mating is described on the basis of the figures 3 and 5 to 9 representative of the other supported processes of the method.

A zookeeper as a user has placed on the shelf 10 with the number 33 (locality) from the compartment A2 (sublocality) the cage 3a with the number 7 (sublocality) with three female animals F on the working surface 10 of the changing station 24 (see also FIG. 1). Next to the cage 3a, the zookeeper places the cage 3b with the number 8 out of the compartment B2 with four male experimental animals M. In addition, finally, he places an empty cage 3c with the number 1 from the compartment A1.

The zookeeper physically opens the cages 3a, 3b and the empty cage 3c. It removes the cage card holders equipped with the data carriers 11, 12, 13 from the cages 3a, 3b, 3c and holds them in each case briefly on the respective positions or read areas 5a, 5b, 5c of the readers 7, 8, 9 It also activates the cages 3a, 3b, 3c in the Facility Explorer FE and in the Smart Rack SR. If the data carriers 11, 12, 13 are physically firmly connected to the cages 3a, 3b, 3c, it is sufficient to place the cages 3a, 3b, 3c on the positions 5a, 5b, 5c.

The computer system 2 detects the constellation K from the opened cage 3a with female test animals F, the opened cage 3b with male test animals M and the empty cage 3c. Accordingly, the facility explorer FE offers in the toolbar P-TB, inter alia, a button 34 for a mating of two individuals and a button 36 for a mating of three individuals.

Now the zookeeper places a female test animal F out of the cage 3a with the number 7 and a male test animal M out of the cage 3b with the number 8 into the cage 3c with the number 1 (see also FIG. This leaves two female test animals F in the cage 3a and three male test animals M in the cage 3b. The cage 3c thus contains a female trial animal F and a male test animal M. Then the animal keeper issues the voice command "Paired Animals" or holds the command card 30 "Pairing" in front of the cage 3c to the position 5c or presses the button 34 for " Pairs of "the toolbar P-TB on the terminal 26 of the computer system 2.

The computer system 2 then starts the mating transaction. To do this, it updates the screen view shown in FIG. It shows the new cage contents in the facility explorer FE, in the smart rack SM the location of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c on the shelf 16 and a toolbar P-TB adapted to the new constellation. Since the cage 3c is selected at the position A1 in which a female test animal F and a male test animal M are seated, no more mating is offered, but with the button 38, for example the detection of a throw. In addition, three new cage cards 18 are printed out immediately to the respective changed cage contents (see FIGS. 6 to 8).

At the conclusion of the process, the zookeeper brings the data carriers 11, 12, 13 of the cages 3a, 3b, 3c into the respective positions or reading areas 5a, 5b, 5c of the readers 7, 8, 9. The re-detection of the data carriers 11, 12, 12 13 means closing the cages 3a, 3b, 3c in the facility explorer FE and in the smart rack SR. Thereafter, the cages 3a, 3b, 3c are also physically closed and returned to their compartments A1, A2 and B2 within the rack 16. Figure 9 shows a screen view after closing the cages 3a, 3b, 3c. The shelf 16 with the number 33 is inactive and closed. As a result, no processes can be offered in the buttons SM-TB or only a few in the buttons P-TB.

FIG. 10 shows the previously described process of mating the test animals F, M in a process notation, ie in 14 steps including symbols for each step. In the far left column P, the process "mating" is named "mate pair". In the following column S, the individual steps are numbered in ascending order. The next Column O indicates an icon for each step. In the central region of Figure 10, the work surface 10 with the three cages 3a, 3b, 3c is shown. Under the work surface 10, the readers 7, 8, 9 are symbolized. In the right column I manual inputs 11, 12 of the animal keeper are symbolized.

In step 1, the cage 3a with the female test animal F is first placed on the working surface 10 of the changing station 24. In step 2, the cage 3a is opened by its data carrier 1 1 (see Figure 1) is detected for the first time by the reader 7. In steps 3 and 4, the process for the second cage 3b is repeated with the male test animal M. In step 5, the empty third cage 3c is placed on the work surface 10. It is - notwithstanding the previous representation of the process - still no data carrier assigned, which is why the zookeeper in step 6, the input 11 on the computer 6 (see Figure 1) must make, in which he the empty cage 3 c the disk 13 and the Compartment A1 on the shelf 16 (see Figure 1) assigns. Alternatively, in step 7, the cage 3c is opened by means of command card 30. Now, in steps 8 and 9, an actual transfer of the female test animal F and the male test animal M from the first and second cage 3a, 3b into the third cage 3c is carried out become. For this purpose, the zookeeper in step 10 must make the input 12 to the computer 6, namely the indication of which individuals were taken from each of the cage 3a and 3b respectively. The laying and mating of the female test animal F and the male test animal M is documented in step 11 by detecting a command card 30 (see Figure 1) by the reader 9 under the cage 3c in which the mating is to take place. Finally, the three cages 3a, 3b, 3c are closed in steps 12, 13, 14.

In the following, further processes and services in the process notation explained in FIG. 10 are reproduced by way of example:

11 shows the process sequence when mating a trio of experimental animals F, F, M. Deviating from the previous example according to FIG. 10, the cage 3c finally contains two female experimental animals F and one male experimental animal M.

FIG. 12 shows the import of a test animal F into the individual cage 3c and thus, as it were, a sub-process from the steps 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13 according to the two previous processes in FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 13 shows the possibility for so-called mass processes, namely an import of experimental animals M into four open cages 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g. Although the changing station 24 has three readers 7, 8, 9 and three positions 5a, 5b, 5c unchanged, the four cages 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g are nevertheless populated. The positions 5a, 5b are conventionally occupied by the cages 3d, 3e. In addition to the real position 5c with the cage 3f, there is arranged an "imaginary" or virtual position 5d associated with the cage 3g The position 5c of the reader 9 is declared to be a multiposition on which, as soon as the position 5c itself physically is occupied, generate another - "imaginary" - position 5d in the Facility Explorer FE and occupy it with the cage 3g. A physical counterpart to the imaginary position 5d does not exist, however, the cage 3g, on the other hand, after being detected by the real position 5c, may no longer be located on the working surface 10 of the change station, but instead, for example. B. on an adjacent table (not shown).

FIG. 14 shows the disposal of a dead test animal F from a cage 3d. In step 1, the still occupied cage 3d is positioned over the reader 7 and detected or opened in step 2. Step 3 is the physical removal of the test animal F from the cage 3d. In step 4, the keeper's input 11 is required to identify the test animal F, as long as several experimental animals F are present in the cage 3d. Step 5 shows the symbol for the command card 30, with which the process via the reader 7 is communicated to the computer 6. Finally, in step 7, the cage 3d is closed.

Figure 15 shows the movement of a test animal F from the cage 3a into the cage 3c. After selecting, registering and opening the cages 3a, 3c in steps 1 to 5, the experimental animal F moves. The cradle 3a and the target cage 3c are communicated to the computer system 2 in steps 6 and 8 by a command card. In between, the physical removal of the test animal F takes place in step 7. Finally, both cages 3a, 3c are closed in steps 9 and 10.

Figure 16 shows the detection of a throw W. In steps 1 and 2, the cage 3a is opened with the throw W in the manner described above. In step 3, the computer 6 receives by command card 30 the information that in the cage 3a a litter W is detected. In step 4, a manual input 11 of the animal keeper is then required for the content-related detection of the litter W, for example, according to number and sex. Finally, the cage 3a is closed again in step 5. FIG. 17 shows the setting of a litter W out of the cage 3d into several cages 3e, 3f, 3g. For this purpose, the position 5c is again used as a multiposition (see Figure 13), so that a virtual position 5d for the cage 3g is formed. Incidentally, steps 1 to 9 are analogous to those in FIG. 16.

Figure 18 shows a mass mating in the cages 3f, 3g feeding from the cages 3d, 3e. Again, the position 5c is again occupied as a multiposition with the cages 3f, 3g (see FIG. By repeating step 5 (see step 4 in Fig. 13), not only the illustrated two cages 3f, 3g at position 5c can be processed, but as many as necessary. Equally often, step 11 must be repeated to close the cages 3f, 3g, etc. By contrast, an individual detection of the test animals F, M to be paired (see step 10 in FIG. 10) is not shown again in FIG.

Figures 19a, 19b show the de-registration of a cage 3c from a shelf 16 in two variants. Thus, the de-registration command may be by keyboard input as in step 2 of Figure 19a or by command card as in step 3 of Figure 19b.

The process described above is used for process tracking. "Business transactions" are tracked and processed and lead to a target stock of cages 3 and samples or experimental animals F, M. Therefore, it makes sense to carry out a physical inventory control (inventory) from time to time and to compare the counted real stocks of experimental animals F, M with the data according to the database The physical inventory of the cages 3 provides a good indication of the quality of the procedure and the quality of the work of the staff Since an inventory by hand is very expensive, a mobile data carrier or transponder reading system according to FIG. 20 can be used to simplify the inventory.

On a mobile carriage 100 six antennas a1, a6 are mounted one above the other. The number of antennas a1, a6 corresponds to the number of superposed compartments A1, A2, etc. of the rack 16. The antennas a1, a6 are designed to store the data of the data carriers 11, 12, 13 on the cages 3 of the rack 16 to recieve. The antennas a1, a6 are coupled via a multiplexer (not shown) to a reader (not shown) which can detect the data of the data carriers 11, 12, 13. The reader Thus, JJ is comparable to the readers 7, 8, 9 under the working surface 10 of the changing station 24. In the case of RFID transponders as data carriers 11, 12, 13, the reader is an RFID reader. It is connected to a computer 102 on the carriage 100, which receives received signals, processes and stores the data thus obtained from the data carriers 11, 12, 13.

To make an inventory of the shelf 16, the carriage 100 is moved at a distance d on the shelf 16 in the direction R along. During this, the antennas a1, a6 receive the data of the data carriers 11, 12, 13, etc. The antennas a1, a6 are dimensioned so that they reliably receive the data of the data carriers 11, 12, 13 over the distance d. The read data represent the actual data of the inventory. They are buffered in the computer 102 and compared with the target data of the computer system 2 of the above-described method.

An ergonomic arrangement of the controls of the changing station 24 (Figure 1) facilitates an efficient implementation of the above-described method considerably. Within reach of the user is possibly not only the holder 28, but above all the operating terminal 26 of the computer 6 to install. It can be designed, for example, as a tablet PC or as a touch screen monitor. The ideal operating distance of the terminal 26 to the user can be achieved via a monitor mount 120 according to FIG. 21. It is attached to a horizontal crosshead 122, which is attached to an outer wall 124 of a laminar flow station or an insulator. It carries on an articulated arm 126, at the free end 128, an adapter 130 is attached to a terminal, not shown. The other end 132 of the articulated arm 126 is attached to a clamp 134, which rotatably, slidably and clamped on a vertical standpipe 136 inserted. About a cross clamp 138, the standpipe 136 is attached to the traverse 122. The cross clamp 138 can be moved horizontally on the crossbar and set at any position. The standpipe 136 is vertically displaceable and lockable within the cross clamp 138. To accommodate a possible tilting moment, the standpipe 136 is also supported via a support leg 140 with a suction cup 142 on the outer wall 124.

The monitor mount 120 allows adjustment of the adapter 130 and a terminal mounted thereto in the vertical, horizontal and incline. As a result, the terminal can be swiveled from a dirty to a clean side of a change station and several terminals can be attached to the change station. Since the foregoing detailed apparatus, method, computer system, and computer program product are exemplary embodiments, they may be readily modified by one skilled in the art to a wide extent without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the articles can also be used in other forms than those described here, for example in the administrative area of a hospital, in plant breeding or in microbiological laboratories. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article "on" or "one" does not exclude that the characteristics in question may also be present multiple times.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

2 computer system 134 clamp

3, 3a, 3b, 3c cage 136 standpipe

4 Printer 138 Cross clamp

5 position, reading area 140 support leg

6 Calculator 142 Suction Cup

7, 8, 9 reader

10 working surface a1, a2, ... antennas

11, 12, 13 data carrier d distance

14 Label A1, A2, A3 Tray

15 Protocol B1, B2, B3 Subject

16 shelves C1, C2, C3 tray

17 reader, cable channel F female test animal

18 cage card FE Facility Explorer

20 table FE-TB FE-Sym bololleiste

24 Change station G. G1. G2, .. outline level

26 Operator terminal I Input column

28 holders 11, 12 manual input

30 command card K constellation

34, 36, 38 Buttons M Male experimental animal

40 laminar flow O symbol column

50 Isolator P process column

60 Widget P-TB Process Toolbar

62 Display R Direction of travel of the wagon

64 to 78 keys 100

100 carriages S step gaps

102 computer SM service market

120 Monitor Mount SM-TB SM Toolbar

122 Traverse SR Smart Rack

124 outer wall TT Tooltip

126 Articulated arm W litter

128 free end

130 adapters

132 end

Claims

claims

1. Method for process tracking of processes and / or services which relate to at least one object (F; M), in which a reading device (7; 8; 9) acquires a data carrier (12) assigned to the object (F; M) with data describing the object (F; M) and / or its properties, comprising the following steps: a) identifying the object (F;) by detecting the data of the data carrier (12) by the reading device (7; 8; 9), b) detecting a process or a performance and / or the data obtained thereby of the object (F; M) or its properties, wherein after the identification of the object (F; M) in step a) in a subsequent step ai) a Selection of operations and / or services from a plurality of operations and / or services depending on the data collected, which are offered in a step aii) for performing in step b).

2. The method according to the above claim, characterized in that prior to step a) a subset of the data of the database cached on a workstation, if necessary, changed in step b) to document the recorded operations and / or performed services and then in one step d) is synchronized with the database.

3. The method according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that in step a) for identification of the object (F; M) of the associated data carrier (12) in a work area (10) is spent.

4. The method according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that a position of the object (F; M) in a work area (10) is detected and a selection of operations and / or services in a step d) out a plausibility check of the assignment of the data carrier (12) to the respective object (F; M) takes place.

5. The method according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that after detecting a process or a performance and / or the data obtained thereby in step b) in a further step e) a machine documentation of the process or the performance or the data takes place.

A computer program product for program-setting a computer system (2) with a computer, with an operator terminal, with a printer (4) and with interfaces to a reading device (7; 8; 9) for carrying out a method according to one of the preceding claims with the following steps:

a) identifying the object (F; M) by detecting the data of the data carrier (12) by the reading device (7; 8; 9),

b) detecting a process or a performance and / or the data of the object (F; M) obtained thereby or its properties,

wherein after the identification of the object (F; M) in step a) in a subsequent step ai) a selection of processes and / or services from a plurality of processes and / or services depending on the acquired data is made in a step aii) are offered for implementation in step b).

7. Computer program product according to the above claim, characterized in that only the data of a locality (3; 16) of the object (F; M) are detected.

8. Computer program product according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that for the input of commands or data acoustic voice commands of an operator are processed.

9. Computer program product according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the selection of processes and / or services by read-out device (7; 8; 9) readable command cards (30).

10. Computer program product according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the input of data is performed by widgets.

1 1. changing station for carrying out the above-mentioned method for process tracking of processes and / or services which relate to at least one object (F; M), with a work surface (10) for performing the operations and / or providing services, with at least one reading device (7, 8, 9) for acquiring data stored on data carriers (12) of the object (F; M),

with a computer system (2) for storing data records relating to the object (F; M) and / or its properties, and

with an input interface for selecting operations to be performed and / or services to be performed,

characterized in that the reading device (7; 8; 9) acts on the work surface (10).

12. changing station according to claim 11, characterized by a reading device (7, 8, 9) with a limited range.

13. exchange station according to claim 11 or 12, characterized by command cards (30) which are readable by the reading device (7, 8, 9), as an input interface.

14. Insulator as a change station according to one of claims 11 to 13 with a tent (50), characterized by a flexible transparent part surface of the tent (50) and by a separate keyboard outside of the tent (50) over the partial surface of the tent (50 ) is operable as an input interface.

15. exchange station according to the above claim, characterized by a glove engagement or parts of the gloves engagement as a flexible transparent part surface of the tent (50) and means for positioning the separate keyboard on the forearm of an operator.

16. Exchange station according to one of claims 11 to 15, characterized by an output interface for the automatic output of documentation records for documentation of the recorded operations and / or services provided.

17. Exchange station according to the above claim, characterized by a reading device (7; 8; 9) additionally as an output interface for wireless transmission of the documentation data record, in particular for displaying the documentation data record on a display device of a container.

18. exchange station according to claim 17, characterized by a display device which displays the content of the transmitted documentation data record after separation from the output interface.

19. exchange station according to claim 18, characterized by a battery-powered label with an LCD display or electronic paper as a display device of the container (3).

20. changing station with shelves (16) for receiving the containers (3) in rows next to each other and in columns one above the other, characterized by an inventory cart (100) each having an antenna (A1; A2; ...) per row, a computer (102 ) for temporarily storing acquired data of the data carriers (11; 12; 13) of the containers (3) and having an output interface for synchronization of the acquired data with a database.