Specimen Management includes features such as auto verification, reflex ordering and delta checking which can be added to new and legacy laboratory information systems alike. The configuration and control of these features occurs within the laboratory, where they are most useful. Non-technical users construct if/then rules using an intuitive graphical user interface containing data elements and actions in drop down lists. These rules may be as simple or complex as needed, using patient, specimen and test level data from one or multiple connected instruments and the stored database. Previous results can be reviewed in multiple formats and reports can be printed in user-defined formats. Orders can be manually entered and routed to the appropriate instruments and barcoded labels can be manually or automatically generated in a user-defined format. Specimen tracking and audit trails are also included.
Specimen Routing dynamically determines a specimen's processing path through all required devices in the laboratory. Utilizing user-defined rules, STAT processing options, and continuously updated load-balancing calculations, each specimen's route is defined and adapted as the specimen is processed.
Specimen Storage and Retrieval enables you to track stored specimens. After defining an unlimited number of carrier types and sizes, you can add specimens to carriers via interfaces with automated carrier filling devices or add specimens manually. This information can be stored locally and/or transmitted to a host via NCCLS standards. Carriers are identified through a user-defined carrier ID algorithm and optional carrier bar code labels can be printed. The user can find a specimen location using SID, PID, or patient name with optional logout of found specimen(s). Reports include carrier information and contents and a list of carriers that are due to be discarded.
Quality Control is a system for verifying and maintaining a desired level of quality in a product or process through careful planning, use of proper equipment, continued inspection, and corrective action as required. With the Instrument Manager software, it is possible to integrate Quality Control information from an instrument that is sent to a Quality Control package. This integration allows laboratory personnel to access QC Results, Expiration Dates, Lot Numbers and QC Setup Information from a quality control package such as the Bio-Rad QC OnCall software or the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics VQAT software, offering an easy-to-use, single point of integration for quality control.
Maintenance Manager provides electronic scheduling and management of tasks for all laboratory equipment. Maintenance Manager allows laboratories to simplify, control and better document their maintenance activities to ensure high quality standards and increased workflow.
Data Collection can be used to collect data from one or more connections and output that information as a text file or send that information in an email message. User-defined rules enable you to specify which data is to be collected, how it is to be tabulated, and how the file is formatted. There are both manual and automatic options for generation and delivery of the output file. This option enables true cost per reportable billing and just in time inventory.
In many laboratories Instrument Manager is an integral part of day-to-day operations. Because of this, many users want the security of a real-time backup system. The Hot Backup system journals all Instrument Manager activity on the primary PC to files that are read by a second PC and applied to its own database in real time.
Thin Client allows multi-user, concurrent access to Instrument Manager. With the installation of a minimal amount of software, any Windows 98/NT/2000/XP PC with network access to the IM PC has full use of its features.
ODBC Access
Instrument Manager now offers users the ability to examine the patient, test and specimen data stored by Instrument Manager, and to create customized reports from this data using third-party tools such as MySQL and Crystal Reports. Instrument Manager supports read-only access to Instrument Manager data via an ODBC interface. Customers can now use any third-party tools that support ODBC access to examine and report on Instrument Manager data.