Method and system for determining the topology of a modular analysis system

The invention relates to a method and a system by means of which the topology of a modular analysis system can be determined.

By means of the method according to the invention, the user of a modular analysis system can, for example, graphically display the topology of the system on a screen. A modular analysis system in the sense of the invention is understood here as a system which is composed of a plurality of devices which are connected directly or indirectly to one another. Furthermore, the term "topology" of an analysis system in the sense of the invention is to be understood as a relative spatial arrangement of the modules relative to each other, which however does not contain any absolute geometric information.

With the method according to the invention, the user is provided with a spatial assignment of modules without having to carry out complicated operations. The relative arrangement of the modules to the central unit, and thus to its own position, is communicated to the user who is in front of the central unit during the operation of the system itself. The user can thus easily identify which modules are present in the analysis system and are contacted with the central unit. The user therefore quickly gets an overview of the analysis system and can adapt it to his needs by adding or removing modules. Starting from its own position, the user is informed that, for example, module 1, a blood glucose meter, is located to the right of him next to the central unit. By means of this topological information about the respective modules, the operation of a modular analysis system is considerably facilitated, so that the method according to the invention offers considerable advantages during the operation, in particular of complex analysis systems, and also a simple handling is ensured to frequently changing users. The method and system according to the invention proves to be particularly useful in the case of device systems which contain a plurality of modules, since the user here in particular is dependent on clear handling.

Instrumentation systems, which contain a large number of modules, are frequently used in tailor-made analytical systems, which are adapted to a respective application area. Some fields of application which require a tailor-made requirement profile are, for example, in the field of medicine and diagnostics. In these areas, highly specialized analytical equipment is often used, which must meet high requirements. Because of the specific performance characteristics that the analyzers have, the required multitude of requirements for an analysis system can often not be solved by an analyzer alone. In addition to the analyzers, additional devices are often required which are used for processing and outputting data.

If a modular analysis system is used, for example, for the analysis of different disease patterns, different parameters have to be determined depending on the disease pattern so that different requirements for the analysis system result due to the application area. Furthermore, the production of specific devices used in such analysis systems is complex and expensive, so that a maximum utilization of the devices is striven for. The result of this is that the use of an analysis device for several systems must be provided and the number and type of analyzers in a modular analysis system vary. It is therefore desirable to be able to optimally optimize an analytical system with regard to one application area and to be able to assemble it by means of a plurality of analyzers. For example, analytical instruments which are not required in standard analyzes can be added or removed as required to the analysis system. The flexible use of analyzers in a system thus not only enables a customized solution with regard to the respective application area but also an improved utilization of devices. The provision of highly specialized analysis systems can thus be guaranteed in a cost-optimized manner. Furthermore, a central control system of the analysis system can additionally avoid costs since, for example, elements of the user interface (screens, loudspeakers, printers, etc.) no longer have to be available for each individual analysis device. A central control system provides a contact between the elements and the respective module.

In order to enable easy handling of modular analysis systems for the user, several methods and systems are shown in the prior art. In this case, methods are often provided by means of a central control unit, which make it possible to determine a relative arrangement of the individual modules to the central control unit-as described. The user is thus freed from the otherwise necessary action to visually arrange the modules as well as their connection to the central unit and to name this relative arrangement to the system. Particularly in the case of analysis systems in which a replacement of modules is often carried out and which are operated by different users, a visual arrangement of the relative arrangement of the modules as well as the respective input into the control unit would mean an elaborate and time-intensive process. The prerequisite for modern modular analysis systems to be easily and flexibly manageable would be significantly hindered by means of a visual procedure.

In the prior art, <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US5404460A"><text>US 5,404,460</text></patcit> A method for determining the relative arrangement of modules is described. In this case, the document discloses a system in which several modules are connected in series so that the output of a module is connected to the input of the next module. The output of the last module is connected to a serial input of a central controller. The system has a common clock and a common reset line for all modules. A system-specific reset and a subsequent central clocking enable a precise reading and writing of the serial buses. In this case, the first module generates a data packet during the system-side reset and assigns itself an address (0). In the clock, this data packet is forwarded from the first to the last module and then to the central controller, each module increasing the packet content by one data packet (+1) and assigning the corresponding address. As a result, the central controller receives information about the number and order of the modules in the overall system. The data packet, which corresponds to a respective address, can also be used to transmit further data to the central controller, which, for example, includes a type designation of the module. By means of a display of the sequence of the modules, a simpler identification of the modules can be carried out, for example, by means of the type designation so that the user is facilitated with an assignment. A decisive disadvantage of this method is that the address assignment can only be effected by way of a reset of the overall system. Furthermore, there are requirements for the system to have a line for a system reset as well as a clock line. A serious disadvantage is that the system is dependent on a specific timing of its serial bus. In the sense of an OSI layer model, which is explained in more detail below, it thus applies to a bit transmission layer of its protocol. Thus, the freedom of the user to use industry standard protocols is severely restricted since, in particular, industry standardized buses are incompatible with such a method. A wide-spread serial bus in the industry is, for example, the CAN bus. These special serial buses contain small data packets and are therefore particularly robust compared to conventional serial buses. Information is transmitted on these buses on protocol levels of the OSI layer model. At this level, however, no address is freely selectable. The method can thus not be applied to modules which are equipped with CAN buses as standard.

A further method for topological determination is described in the document <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="WO0204675A"><text>WO 02/04675</text></patcit> Described. This method is similar to the method already described, since a data packet with address information is transmitted from module to module via a serial bus. The required synchronization takes place via a separate control line. As already described, disadvantages of the prior art result from this, since the method is incompatible with industrial standards in order to achieve a specification of the protocol. Furthermore, an additional line is also necessary here.

The invention is based on the object of providing a method and a system which automatically enables a topology determination of modules in an analysis system, wherein the described disadvantages of the prior art are to be avoided.

The invention includes a method for determining the topology of modules in a modular analysis system, comprising the following steps. Firstly, a plurality of modules which store data in a memory are connected to a central unit, at least two of the modules being connected in series. In this case, for example, a linear arrangement of the modules to the central unit is conceivable. However, for example, a star topology with a central unit as a center is also possible. After contacting the modules with the central unit, the data of the modules which are directly or indirectly contacted with the central unit are transmitted to the central unit and advantageously registered there. First, a contact between a module and the central unit is interrupted. Once again, the modul data are transferred to the central unit. The central unit now registers all moduli. The interrupted contact is then restored. By

A further method for dynamic topological determination is described in <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="US5737319A"><text>US 5,737,319</text></patcit> Described.

Comparison of the registered data of the modules before and after the interruption of the contact, the topology of the modules can be determined. In this case, it is possible to interrupt the contact to a further module and to repeat the corresponding method steps until, by comparing the registered data before and after the interruption of a respective contact, there is sufficient information to perform a calculation of the topology.

The invention also includes a modular analysis system with a central unit which is in contact with a plurality of modules. At least two of the modules are connected in series. The modules each have a memory for storing data. The analyzing system further includes a switch which is contacted with and controlled by a computer unit such that the contact between a module and the central unit can be interrupted and restored. The computer unit contains a control unit for the control of the switch as well as a memory for registering moduli. The topology of the analysis system is calculated by means of a calculation unit. In this case, the registered data are compared before and after an interrupted contact between the central unit and a module.

The invention solves the above-stated object by means of the illustrated system with a suitable electronic circuit as well as a corresponding method in which the central unit can conclude a relative arrangement of the individual modules. The system and the process are compatible with industrial standards, such as CAN buses, and can therefore be used without problems with standard systems. Due to the method used, no address assignment is necessary by means of serial buses, which require a reset of the system. The user can thus easily integrate the method with commercially available systems without the need for expensive additional measures.

The system and method according to the invention offers the advantages of providing a modular analysis system with high flexibility such that, for example, individual modules can be removed or added from the analysis system at any time. Since the implementation of the method does not require a system reset, the method can thus also be used during operation and not only during a special initialization sequence. The system and method according to the invention thus allows the relative arrangement of individual modules to be calculated automatically and these can advantageously be visualized in a suitable form by a user. It supports the requirement, for example, of modular medical devices that aim at "plug and play" handling. The term "plug and play" means, among other things, that after the module has been added or removed, no reset of the entire system is required.

The data stored in a module may contain any information, such that the method is not limited to any kind of data or information. Advantageously, the data contain information which allows an identification of a module, eg as a glucose measuring device.

For the purposes of the invention, various possibilities are conceivable which influence a data transmission between the module and the central unit. For example, this is done by interrupting the voltage supply or a communication path to a module so that the module or the communication unit of a module is no longer in operation. A transmission of data to the central unit is then only possible to the modules in which the communication unit is still activated. For a series connection of modules, then, for example, no communication with the central unit would be given for all modules which are connected in series from the central unit beyond the module to which the contact was interrupted. However, it is also conceivable that, in the example described, all modules beyond the interrupted contact are still activated and communication to the central unit is possible. For the identification and differentiation of the modules which are contacted beyond the interrupted contact, additional data are generated by the remaining modules, for example in the event of an interruption of the contact, by means of which the modules are characterized in the further course of the method. On the basis of the generated data which are advantageously stored in the respective module, the central unit, when communicating with the module, can then recognize that the module is connected in series from the central unit in series beyond the interrupted contact.

In the sense of the invention, therefore, an interruption of the contact between the module and the central unit is designed in such a way that a differentiation between the modules connected in series by the central unit beyond the interrupted contact and the remaining modules is possible.

This can be realized, as described, for example by deactivating the voltage supply or a communication path, or, for example, by generating additional data which are used to identify the modules. In this case, it is irrelevant for the invention whether, for example, an identification or, for example, deactivation of the modules is made, which are connected in series on the other side of the interrupted contact or on the side facing the central unit.

In order to illustrate the invention, some processes are described in more detail below.

The system defines a communication protocol implemented in electronics and software. By means of this communication protocol, the central unit is able to exchange commands and data with each module. Modules and central unit are connected via logical addresses, A_i, Addressed. Since only a finite number of these addresses are present in the system, the central unit is able to iterate over all addresses. Each module, M_i, Has an identification, I_i. The identification can contain various information. For example, it can prove to be sufficient that the type designation of a module reflects the identification. Such an identification could then be called, for example, a blood glucose or coagulation measuring device, etc. If several devices of the same type are present in an analysis system, additional identification features are necessary for the exact identification of a device. In principle, various possibilities for data transmission are conceivable, which can be used for identifying a module. The data can allow a direct or indirect identification of a module. It is, for example, conceivable for the transmitted data to permit identification of a module by means of a program of the central unit. For the purposes of the invention, the term identification of a module thus contains such data, from which a determination of a module can be derived directly or indirectly. The identification data of a module are stored in a non-volatile memory of the module so that the information about the identification of a module is still present in the memory of the module even after an interruption of the voltage supply.

Communication and voltage supply of the modular system can be guaranteed by the central unit to the modules, line-bound. However, it is also conceivable that either only the communication or only the voltage supply is line-connected. If the communication is exclusively line-connected, the voltage supply can be made possible, for example, via respective network connections of the individual modules. If, on the other hand, the voltage supply is line-connected via the central unit, wireless communication with the modules is also conceivable. This can be ensured, for example, by means of infrared transmitters and receiving systems. The individual modules can then advantageously exchange information with one another as well as with the central unit.

In a preferred embodiment, the method allows the topology of a system to be determined particularly easily because of the fact that the communication or the voltage supply is line-connected. At least one part of the modules is connected in series. As a result, when a contact between a module and the central unit is interrupted, all the modules which lie beyond the interruption point from the central unit are decoupled from the central unit. The interruption can thus be accomplished by interrupting the voltage supply and / or the communication line. Naturally, the use of line-connected means for contacting the modules is, of course, also conceivable, if this proves useful. Under these circumstances, the power supply as well as the communication is then disconnected. However, care should be taken that a series connection of at least a part of the modules is effected by suitable means in such a way that a relative arrangement of the modules relative to one another is thereby predetermined.

After switching on the analyzer system, all modules are active and ready for communication. By means of the central unit, all addresses, which are known and predetermined to the system, are checked whether these are actually in the analysis system. The central unit thus registers the absolute number of modules that are present in an analysis system, since the user may have removed or added modules when the analysis system is switched off. The central unit thus has the registration of all the modules present in the analysis system at the current time as well as their identification and, if appropriate, further information which is transmitted with the identification. The central unit then transmits to the module M_i The command, the contact from module M_i In the chain so that, for example, the voltage supply from the module M_i Is interrupted. Subsequently, a query of the central unit is performed again on all modules which are still connected to the central unit. The modules, which are still connected to the central unit after the contact has been interrupted, are registered again. The module, M_i, To which the voltage supply has been interrupted, is no longer operated at this time, so that no further communication with the central unit can take place. All modules connected via the module, M_i, Were connected to the central unit, are also deactivated. If, however, all modules remain in the system, except for the module to which the contact was interrupted, then this module must be an end module. In the context of the invention, the term terminal module is to be understood as a module which is directly contacted only with a further device (module or central unit). The central unit can thus directly control the relative arrangement of the module, M_i, In the analysis system. Then the contact to all modules is restored.

If, in the example given, more than two modules are contacted with the central unit, the relative arrangement of the second module can not yet be determined unambiguously. In order to further determine the topology, a contact to one of the further modules is interrupted again and the modules still present in the system are registered again. If, after the interruption of this contact, for example, no further contacting of the remaining modules is possible, this module is an initial module, the remaining modules being connected in series with this module.

It is shown that the method is linear complexity, that is, the number of steps required is proportional to the number of modules present, in order to compute a relative arrangement of the modules in the system completely.

The procedure is implemented by the communication protocol being carried out exclusively at the level of the session and application protocol. This means that, in the sense of an OSI layer model, an application is performed only in the upper layers. The OSI layer model describes a protocol on the following seven levels, the lowest level being the level 1.

The first level is a bit transfer layer that determines how "raw" bits are transmitted. At this level, electrical and physical conditions such as cable lengths, resistances, pin assignments and frequencies are determined.

On the second level, the conversion of raw bits into data, for example via the structure of data packets, takes place. This second level is called a backup layer.

Furthermore, a switching layer is used for the control as well as a transport layer for decomposing larger amounts of data into individual data packets, as well as for identifying data packets and error handling in the case of incorrect reception of data packets.

The fifth level is referred to as the session layer and defines the structure, execution and termination of a communication.

The representation and interpretation of the data is then performed in the presentation layer before the functionality and control of the applications which are used in the protocol are defined in the application layer.

In the sense of the above-described OSI layer model, the method is carried out exclusively at levels 5 (session layer) to 7 (application layer). There are no prerequisites for levels 1-4.

In contrast, transmission to the lowest level of the seven-layered OSI layer model (bit transmission layer) must be carried out in order to carry out the methods described in the prior art. The method according to the invention is therefore different from the methods described in the prior art, using common industry-standardized protocol types, in particular CAN-bus or TCP-IP, as are well-known in the prior art and are described, for example, in "Grundlagen der Netzwerke" und "Medical Technology, Processes, Systems and Information Processing", Berlin and others: Springer 1997 (p. 601 ff). Can be combined as desired. If a series circuit is implemented in at least one part of the modules in such a way that a relative arrangement of the modules is predetermined with respect to one another, and advantageously the communication or the voltage supply is line-connected, the method according to the invention is easily applicable without further requirements to the system Be made.

The method and system according to the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. The performances are selected by way of example without having a limiting significance.<dl id="dl0001"><dt>FIG. 1:</dt><dd>Schematic representation of a modular analysis system</dd><dt>FIG. 2:</dt><dd>Schematic representation of the contacting of modules with the central unit in the closer arrangement</dd><dt>FIG. 3:</dt><dd>Schematic representation of a communication protocol (struc- ture diagram)</dd><dt>FIG. 4:</dt><dd>Screen display after calculation of the topology of an analysis system for the user</dd></dl>

FIG. 1 shows an analysis system according to the invention, which has a central unit (10), to which three modules (1, 2, 3) are connected in series. All three modules have a communication unit (4, 5, 6) and a voltage supply (7, 8, 9). The communication units as well as the voltage supply are connected to the communication unit (11) and the voltage supply (12) of the central unit via a line (13, 14). The voltage supply (12) is connected to an external voltage supply via a line (16). By means of the line-bound connection (13) between the communication units, the respective modules can exchange information or forward information directly to the communication unit, in which processing of data takes place. For example, it is possible to coordinate analysis processes. If the analyzers are advantageously located in this case via a plug connection, as is known in the prior art from the document (<patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="DE10134885"><text>DE 10134885.1</text></patcit>) Is known, advantageously analysis processes can be successively coordinated with one another. This includes the plug connections, which permit a sample exchange between the individual modules. By means of the communication unit, module (1) can, for example, communicate the termination of an analysis to module (2). The sample used in module (1) is then forwarded into the module (2), the module (2) being instructed to start an analysis via the communication unit. In such a connection of the modules, the user is spared a plurality of operation steps. After a single sample input, several analysis methods are successively performed using the available modules. After completion of the respective analysis methods, the analysis results can be directly displayed to the user on a screen (15) of the central unit. However, it is also conceivable for the automatic processing of the results to take place by means of the central unit. In data processing, a wide range of possibilities are conceivable, which make the user easier to process data via convenient menus. In such an analysis system, for example, a module is suitable for determining the concentration of blood gas, the coagulation capacity of the blood, the blood glucose or for the determination of proteins as a myocardial infarction marker.

If no sample exchange takes place between the modules, the module (1) includes, for example, a measuring device for the determination of blood glucose, as well as module (2) for measuring cartridges in the determination of the coagulation capacity of the blood. Module (3) has a blood gas analyzer. In the analytical system described above, the blood must then either be delivered separately to strips or cartridges, respectively. The testeliente are either introduced into the respective measuring device or are picked up by a special forceps syringe. In this case, it is also conceivable for the measuring instruments to independently evaluate the raw values ​​and to work them up to the laboratory result. The processed results are communicated to the central unit and displayed on the screen (15) to the user.

To determine the topology of an analysis system, as shown in FIG. 2, the contact between the central unit and a module is actively interrupted. The overall system, as shown in FIG. 2, consists of four modules (1 to 4). These modules are likewise, as already shown in FIG. 1, connected to the voltage supply of the central unit in a line-connected manner. The communication between the modules and the central unit is effected via the communication path shown in dashed lines in FIG. This can be both line-bound and, for example, via an infrared transmitter or other non-conducting communication units. As shown in FIG. 2, the voltage supply to module (1) is interrupted by means of module (2) via active electronics. For this purpose, a switch of the voltage supply line in module (2) is opened. The central unit can thus only communicate with the modules (2) to (4), since module (1) is deactivated. Due to the fact that only module (1) can no longer be registered by the central unit, the relative position of module (1) to the central unit is closed, which in the shown example is an end module. Analogously, when the voltage supply to module (4) is interrupted, the module (4) is also an end module. Communication with module (1) to (3) is also possible after deactivation of module (4). An interruption of the voltage supply to module (2) by means of a switch in module (3), however, would deactivate both module (2) and module (1), so that the central unit receives the information that module (2) and module (1 ) Must be connected in series beyond module (3). As a result of the described method, sufficient information is thus given to the central unit in order to be able to determine the topology of the analysis system shown in FIG. It is shown that by breaking and restoring three contacts, the topology of the four modules can be determined.

FIG. 3 again illustrates the individual steps of the communication protocol which are suitable for determining the topology of the analysis system. If the analysis system is activated by the user, the central unit (1) first has information about which possible modules can be present in an analysis system at most. Since the number of existing modules changes as required and user, the query (41) is first made by the central unit in the loop (40) in order to initially determine the modules actually present in the system, without taking into account the topology. In this case, the respective address A_i A module checks whether it exists in the system. The actual modules present respond in step (42) so that the address A_i Of the respective module M_i Is registered. The interrogation of the loop (40) is repeated until all the maximum possible addresses A_i Were examined. In the following loop (43), all actual modules are identified according to their identification I_i (Step 44), so that, for example, a characterization of an analysis system as a blood glucose meter is possible. The central unit now knows all the modules M actually present_i, Their addresses A_i And their identification Ii. To determine the topology of the individual modules, a second large loop (45) iterates over all addresses of the modules. The central unit requests the modules via step (46) to interrupt the connection on their module, which is remote from the central unit. The central unit then determines by means of a query (47) which modules are still accessible, and compares the registered identifications before and after interruption of a contact. On the basis of these data, the central unit can successively determine the relative spatial position of all existing modules by the step (48).

If, for example, the central unit is arranged in the center of a modular system connected in series, the central unit finally assigns, via step (49), which branch is positioned to the left or right of it.

FIG. 4 shows, by way of example, a possible screen display, which shows the user the computed topology of the analysis system. FIG. 4 a shows the position of the individual analysis devices relative to the central unit (30), before which the user is located. The user thus knows that a blood gas analyzer (31) is arranged on the right side, as well as a coagulation measuring device (32) on the other side. To the left of the central unit is a blood glucose meter (33). The user is thus considerably simplified in the handling of the analysis system and enables a quick operation. FIGS. 4b and 4c show further additional application possibilities which can be easily integrated on the basis of the method or system according to the invention. For example, it is possible, by means of the central unit, to provide instructions to the user for the operation of the analysis system, whereby the device to be operated is directly pointed out. In FIG. 4b, the user is informed by the color highlighting or by looking up a module (32) that a measurement is performed in the analyzer. The user is therefore not only informed about the module topology, but also about the status of the modules at the time. FIG. 4c also illustrates a request to the user. The user is prompted by an arrow (34) for further action. Such handling instructions can of course also take the form of a written or acoustic message. In the example shown, the user is instructed to take the sample or to insert it after completion of a measurement.

The system also allows simple handling for untrained users. The system and method according to the invention is particularly suitable for analysis systems in which different analyzers are frequently used by different users, since the determination of the topology is particularly simple without a reset of the system being necessary.