Method and system for testing a sample

Abstract

An analysis system and a method for testing a biological sample are proposed, wherein certain pieces of at least two different pieces of control information are selected and/or used to carry out the test using a cartridge and/or certain pieces of at least two different pieces of evaluation information are selected and/or used to evaluate the measurement results determined by the test.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of using an analysis system for testing a sample received in a cartridge, the method comprising the steps of:
 carrying out testing of the sample using the cartridge received in the analysis device, and   determining measurement results from said testing of the sample,   providing at least two different pieces of evaluation information for carrying out different evaluations of said measurement results, and   selecting or using at least one piece of said pieces of evaluation information for evaluating the measurement results determined by the testing of the sample.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the different pieces of evaluation information are provided in a database, wherein the method further comprises unblocking only certain of said pieces of evaluation information and using said certain of said unblocked pieces of evaluation information for at least one of selection, retrieval or evaluation of the measurement results. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the different pieces of evaluation information are provided in a database, wherein the method further comprising blocking of only certain of said pieces of evaluation information, thus preventing said certain blocked pieces of evaluation information from being at least one of selected, retrieved or used for evaluation. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein measurement results from the same test on the sample carried out using the cartridge are evaluated using the selected one of the unblocked pieces of evaluation information or that measurement results from different tests on the sample carried out using the same cartridge are evaluated using the selected one of the unblocked different pieces of evaluation information. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a cartridge identifier of the cartridge is determined and, depending on the cartridge identifier, pieces of evaluation information for use in the evaluation of measurement results from the test are blocked or unblocked. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the selected piece of evaluation information is retrieved using an operating instrument of the analysis system. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the evaluation information comprises instructions forming or replacing a module of the operating instrument, as a result of which the behavior of the operating instrument is changed. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the instructions are commands, machine code, pre-compiled source code or source code. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the instructions are provided in a replaceable plugin unit. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the measurement results are analyzed in different manners using different pieces of said evaluation information, respectively, in order to determine different characteristic values or to detect different diseases. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the measurement results are evaluated such that the presence of certain amino-acid sequences, proteins and/or diseases is/are determined and/or output. 
     
     
         12 . An analysis system for testing a sample, comprising:
 at least one cartridge for receiving a sample and configured for performing of a test on the sample, the at least one cartridge having an identifier for identifying the particular cartridge,   means for reading out said identifier for use in retrieving evaluation information for performing a particular evaluation of measurement results determined by said test,   a data base containing at least two different pieces of evaluation information that correspond to different evaluations performable with the measurement results, the pieces of evaluation information being selectable based on the identifier read out by said means for reading,   an analysis device for receiving the at least one cartridge and subsequently determining the measurement results by carrying out testing using a received cartridge,   an operating instrument for controlling performing of the particular evaluation, and means for at least one of:   unblocking only certain of said pieces of evaluation information in said data base for enabling selection or retrieval thereof for control as to which of the different evaluations is performable with the measurement results using only the unblocked pieces of evaluation information; or   blocking at least one of said different pieces of evaluation information in said data base for preventing the blocked evaluation information from being selected or retrieved for control as to which of the different evaluations is performable with the measurement results.   
     
     
         13 . Analysis system according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the different pieces of evaluation information comprises respective instructions which can form or replace a module of the operating instrument, which module can be implemented by the operating instrument, as a result of which the behavior of the operating instrument is changeable. 
     
     
         14 . Analysis system according to  claim 13 , wherein the instructions are commands, machine code, pre-compiled source code or source code. 
     
     
         15 . Analysis system according to  claim 13 , wherein the instructions are provided in a replaceable plugin unit. 
     
     
         16 . An analysis system for testing a sample, comprising:
 at least one cartridge for receiving a sample and configured for performing of a test on the sample, the at least one cartridge having an identifier for identifying the particular cartridge,   means for reading out said identifier for use in retrieving evaluation information for performing a particular evaluation of measurement results determined by said test,   a data base containing at least two different pieces of evaluation information that correspond to different evaluations performable with the measurement results, the pieces of evaluation information being selectable based on the identifier read out by said means for reading,   an analysis device for receiving the at least one cartridge and subsequently determining the measurement results by carrying out testing using a received cartridge, and   an operating instrument for controlling performing of the particular evaluation,   wherein each of the different pieces of evaluation information comprises respective instructions which can form or replace a module of the operating instrument, which module can be implemented by the operating instrument, as a result of which the behavior of the operating instrument is changeable.   
     
     
         17 . Analysis system according to  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are commands, machine code, pre-compiled source code or source code. 
     
     
         18 . Analysis system according to  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are provided in a replaceable plugin unit. 
     
     
         19 . A method for testing a sample by means of an analysis system, comprising a cartridge for receiving the sample, an analysis device for receiving the cartridge and subsequently carrying out a test using the received cartridge, the cartridge being configured to separately carry out different tests on the sample, for which the sample is conveyed and/or treated in different manners specific to the respective tests, the method comprising:
 providing at least two different pieces of control information that correspond to the different tests, wherein each of the different pieces of control information comprises respective instructions,   selecting at least one piece or certain pieces of said control information for respectively carrying out at least one of the different tests on the sample using the cartridge, and   using the instructions of said piece or pieces of control information for changing the behavior of the analysis device, the instructions forming or replacing a module of the analysis device.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the instructions are provided as commands, machine code, pre-compiled source code or source code. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the instructions are provided in a replaceable plugin unit. 
     
     
         22 . An analysis system for testing a sample, comprising:
 at least one cartridge for receiving a sample and configured to separately carry out different tests on the sample, for which the sample is conveyed and/or treated in different manners specific to the respective tests,   a data base containing at least two pieces of control information that correspond to different tests performable with the at least one cartridge, at least one piece or certain pieces of said control information being selectable for carrying out at least one of the different tests,   an analysis device for receiving the at least one cartridge and subsequently carrying out at least one of the different tests using the received cartridge,   wherein the analysis device is configured to be controlled using at least one of the pieces of control information such that the sample is conveyed and/or treated within the cartridge in a manner specific to the test corresponding to the at least one piece of control information, and   wherein each of the different pieces of control information comprises respective instructions which can form or replace a module of the analysis device, which module can be implemented by the analysis device, and as a result of which the behavior of the analysis device is changeable.   
     
     
         23 . The analysis system according to  claim 22 , wherein the instructions are commands, machine code, pre-compiled source code or source code. 
     
     
         24 . The analysis system according to  claim 22 , wherein the instructions are provided in a replaceable plugin unit.