ESP: Specimen Checkout Module:
The Specimen Checkout module enables employees to check out specimens needed for additional testing requested by clients, for repeat testing, or for other needs. In a Checkout session, employees enter the accession numbers of tubes they wish to check out and then select the specific container tracking numbers they need. When they complete the session, they print a list of the storage locations and then walk to the storage systems. The printed report will show the tray number and whether it is located in the walk-in refrigerator, the AS/RS freezer, or a standalone freezer. If the specimen has to be manually removed from the tray, the exact location within each tray (row #, column #) is shown. Specimens in the AS/RS freezer are retrieved either in small plastic racks after being automatically picked from the storage trays by the Motoman AS/RS Sorter or by selecting the correct tube when the tray exits the AS/RS. See the section on the AS/RS for more about these two methods.
If the employee needs to check out several tubes from the same accession number and subsequently determines that only one tube is needed for a repeat test, the remaining tubes can be automatically returned to storage. This can be done by leaving the unneeded tubes in the plastic rack and placing the rack on an inbound conveyor to the Motoman AS/RS Sorter or by placing the tubes on the Automated Track System. This is because each checked-out tube automatically has a new route in APX created by ESP to send the tube back to storage. This process allows employees to handle repeat tubes with their regular work without having to segregate these tubes for return transport. When such a tube is returned to storage, its designated storage time begins anew.
The storage/checkout history of specimens is provided in the History feature of ESP Checkout. For any specimen processed in ESP, users can view the dates and times when the specimen was stored or checked out, as well as the contact information for the employee who currently has the specimen checked out. Easy and accurate access to this information greatly facilitates the in-house tracking of a specimen when multiple lab sections may need access to the specimen.
- Automation Initiative Summary
- 2010 Automation Timeline
- Re-Engineered Processes
- Standardized Transfer Tube
- Automated Core Laboratory
- Expert Specimen Processing
- —Accessioning (Order-Entry)
- —Specimen Tracking Inquiry
- —Specimen Storage
- —Specimen Checkout
- —Retrieve and Confirm Software
- —Specimen Processing Workstations
- Image Management System (IMS)
- Automated Transport and Sorting System
- Automated Storage and Retrieval System
- What Does ARUP's Automation Initiative Mean for ARUP's Clients?
- Glossary of Terms
- Online Presentations
