What is claimed is:
1. In a system for scheduling a set of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery, a method for providing a user interface for processing an event representing a change in circumstances potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient, comprising the steps of:
in response to user command, initiating generation of at least one display image supporting,
identifying an event and an associated parameter;
designating a predetermined process is associated with said identified event, said predetermined process comprising a set of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery; and
indicating said parameter is to be provided to said process in response to occurrence of said event.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one display image supports
designating an executable procedure is associated with said identified event and wherein
execution of said procedure is initiated in response to occurrence of said identified event.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one display image supports
designating a second process, comprising a scheduled sequence of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery, is associated with said identified event and
determining said second process is to be at least one of, (a) replaced and (b) supplemented, by said predetermined process in response to occurrence of said identified event.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said second process is supplemented by said predetermined process by at least one of the steps of,
(a) adding said tasks of said predetermined process to tasks of said second process, and
(b) substituting at least one of said tasks of said predetermined process for a task of said second process.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one display image supports
designating a second process is to be at least one of, (a) replaced and (b) supplemented, by said predetermined process in response to occurrence of said identified event, said second process comprising a scheduled sequence of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery and is different to said predetermined process sequence of tasks.
6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one display image supports
designating predetermined parameter verification criteria is associated with said associated parameter.
7. A method according to claim 6, wherein
said designated predetermined parameter verification criteria comprises at least one of, (a) a value range (b) a value type and (c) a parameter symbol check.
8. A method according to claim 1, wherein
said associated parameter is for use by multiple different process task sequences and is stored at a location available for access by said multiple different process task sequences.
9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of
designating said predetermined process is associated with said identified event comprises designating an instance of said predetermined process is associated with said identified event.
10. A method according to claim 9, including the step of
searching a database containing records indicating active processes to identify active process instances of said predetermined process.
11. A method according to claim 1, including the step of
in response to user command via said at least one display image, storing at least one of, (a) an event identifier identifying said event, (b) a process identifier identifying said predetermined process and (c) an identifier identifying a particular instance of said predetermined process.
12. A method according to claim 1, wherein
said event comprises at least one of, (a) an event resulting from action by healthcare personnel, (b) an event generated by an operating process, (c) an event generated by patient monitoring equipment and (d) an event generated by a medical device.
13. A method according to claim 1, wherein
said display image indicates to a user a mapping of a first label representing said event associated parameter used by said predetermined process to a corresponding second label representing said associated parameter used by a second process replaceable by said predetermined process upon occurrence of said event.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein
said first label is different from said second label.
15. A method according to claim 1, wherein
said at least one display image indicates individual tasks comprising said predetermined process.
16. A method according to claim 15, wherein
said at least one display image supports user designation of a particular individual task of said individual tasks and said predetermined process is initiated from said user designated particular individual task upon occurrence of said event.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein
upon occurrence of said event, said predetermined process omits at least one task prior to said designated particular individual task.
18. In a system for scheduling performance of a workflow, comprising a set of tasks, by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery, a method for providing a user interface for processing an event representing a change in circumstances potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient, comprising the steps of:
in response to user command, initiating generation of at least one display image supporting,
identifying an event and an associated parameter, said associated parameter being for use by multiple different process task sequences and stored at a location available for access by said multiple different process task sequences;
designating a predetermined process is associated with said identified event, said predetermined process comprising a set of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery; and
designating said parameter is to be provided to said process in response to occurrence of said event.
19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said step of
designating said predetermined process is associated with said identified event includes the step of designating an instance of said predetermined process is associated with said identified event.
20. A method according to claim 19, wherein
said particular instance of said predetermined process comprises a particular use of said predetermined process for a specific patient.
21. In a system supporting scheduling performance of a plurality of processes, comprising different sets of tasks, by at least one individual, a method for providing a user interface for processing an event representing a change in circumstances potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient, comprising the steps of:
in response to user command, initiating generation of at least one display image supporting,
identifying an event potentially arising during a first process;
identifying a parameter associated with said identified event;
designating a second process is associated with said identified event; and
designating said parameter is to be provided to said process in response to occurrence of said event.
22. A method according to claim 21, wherein
said at least one display image supports user designation of a particular individual task of said second process and including the step of adapting said second process by initiating processing of said second process from said user designated particular individual task upon occurrence of said event.
23. A method according to claim 21, wherein said step of
designating said second process is associated with said identified event includes the step of designating an instance of said second process is associated with said identified event.
24. A method according to claim 21, wherein
said associated parameter is for use by multiple different process task sequences and is stored at a location available for access by said multiple different process task sequences.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A device to measure cell vitalities, comprising:
a semiconductor chip;
a sensor array formed on one surface of the semiconductor chip, the sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor producing a measurement signal and comprising a working electrode, the sensor array being arranged such that midpoints of adjacent sensors are separated by a distance of from 1 to 999 micrometer; and
integrated circuits formed in the semiconductor chip such that an integrated circuit is assigned to each sensor of the sensor array to process the measurement signal produced by the assigned sensor, the integrated circuits in the semiconductor chip are each spatially formed under the sensor assigned thereto, and each integrated circuit comprises
a first switching transistor which supplies the working electrode of the assigned sensor with a first voltage when the first switching transistor is closed,
a second switching transistor which supplies the working electrode of the assigned sensor with a second voltage, different from the first voltage, when the second switching transistor is closed,
a voltage follower transistor that provides a third voltage that follows a voltage supplied to the voltage follower transistor by the working electrode of the assigned sensor, and
a selection transistor which, together with the voltage follower transistor, electrically selects the assigned sensor by a column and a row of the sensor array.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the midpoints of adjacent sensors are separated by a distance in a range of from 1 to 100 micrometers.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the midpoints of adjacent sensors are separated by a distance in a range of from 1 to 10 micrometers.
4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the sensors are amperometric or coulometric electrochemical sensors, andor
the sensors each comprise at least one interdigital electrode as a working electrode.
5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each integrated circuit comprises a correlated double sampling stage (CDS) to suppress electrical noise signals and suppress electrical drift of the assigned sensor, and the correlated double sampling stage (CDS) is arranged under the assigned sensor or in a region of the semiconductor chip outside of the sensor array.
6. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a temperature controller to set a defined temperature over the sensor array.
7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein further comprising means for immobilizing living cells over the sensors of the sensor array.
8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the means for immobilizing living cells comprises a filter membrane arranged in fluid contact with the sensors.
9. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein
the means for immobilizing living cells comprises a magnetic field-creating device, which is configured to create a magnetic field over the sensors of the sensor array, and
the living cells are bound to magnetic particles.
10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the magnetic field-creating device immobilizes the living cells over the sensor array in the form of an essentially uniformly thick matrix of magnetic particles with the living cells embedded in the matrix of magnetic particles.
11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein
the magnetic field is switchable between an on state and an off state, and
dead or damaged cells are removed in the off state of the magnetic field.
12. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the semiconductor chip is surrounded by a flow cell, and
the sensors of the sensor array are arranged in fluid contact with a flow channel of the flow cell.
13. A method for measuring cell vitalities, comprising:
providing a device comprising:
a semiconductor chip;
a sensor array formed on one surface of the semiconductor chip, the sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor producing a measurement signal and comprising a working electrode, the sensor array being arranged such that midpoints of adjacent sensors are separated by a distance of from 1 to 999 micrometer; and
integrated circuits formed in the semiconductor chip such that an integrated circuit is assigned to each sensor of the sensor array to process the measurement signal produced by the assigned sensor, the integrated circuits in the semiconductor chip are each spatially formed under the sensor assigned thereto, and each integrated circuit comprises
a first switching transistor which supplies the working electrode of the assigned sensor with a first voltage when the first switching transistor is closed,
a second switching transistor which supplies the working electrode of the assigned sensor with a second voltage, different from the first voltage, when the second switching transistor is closed,
a voltage follower transistor that provides a third voltage that follows a voltage supplied to the voltage follower transistor by the working electrode of the assigned sensor, and
a selection transistor which, together with the voltage follower transistor, electrically selects the assigned sensor by a column and a row of the sensor array;
bringing living cells into contact with the sensors; and
measuring pH andor the pO2 in a vicinity of the living cells using the sensors of the sensor array.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:
setting a temperature over the sensor array to 37\xb0 C. or a different temperature optimal for cell vitality; andor
supplying nutrients andor oxygen to the cells which favor cell vitality; andor
supplying antibiotics or other substances to the cells to impair cell vitality.
15. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voltage follower transistor has a gate terminal electrically connected to the working electrode.
16. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the selection transistor is closed, the third voltage is supplied through the selection transistor.
17. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second switching transistor supplies the working electrode of the assigned sensor with the second voltage when the second transistor is closed while the first switching transistor is open.