HEMATOLOGY AUTOMATION SYSTEM

Transcription

1 @Beckman Coulter

2 TRAINING MODULES LH 1500P P HEMATOLOGY AUTOMATION SYSTEM Rev. A (June 2009)

3 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS COULTER LH 1500 SERIES TRAINING MODULES READ ALL PRODUCT MANUALS AND CONSULT WITH BECKMAN COULTER TRAINED PERSONNEL BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE INSTRUMENT. DO NOT ATEMPT TO PERFORM ANY PROCEDURE BEFORE CAREFULLY READING ALL INSTRUCTIONS. ALWAYS FOLLOW PRODUCT LABELING AND MANUFACTURER S RECOMMENDATIONS. IF IN DOUBT AS TO HOW TO PROCEED IN ANY SITUATION, CONTACT YOUR BECKMAN COULTER RERESENTATIVE. UHAZARDS AND OPERATIONAL PRECAUTIONS AND LIMITATIONSU WARNINGS, CAUTIONS and IMPORTANTS alert you as follows: WARNING -- Can cause injury. CAUTION -- Can cause damage to the instrument. IMPORTANT Can cause misleading results. BECKMAN COULTER INC. URGES ITS CUSTOMERS TO COMPLY WITH ALL NATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS SUCH AS THE USE OF BARRIER PROTECTION. THIS MAY INCLUDE, BUT IT IS NOT LIMITED TO, PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR, GLOVES, AND SUITABLE LABORATORY ATTIRE WHEN OPERATING OR MAINTAINING THIS OR ANY OTHER AUTOMATED LABORATORY ANALYZER. WARNING Risk of operator injury if: All doors, covers and panels are not closed and secured in place prior to and during instrument operation, The integrity of safety interlocks and sensors is compromised Instrument alarms and error messages are not acknowledged and acted upon. You contact moving parts. You mishandle broken parts. Doors, covers, and panels are not opened, closed, removed, and/or replaced with care. Improper tools are used for troubleshooting. To avoid injury: Keep doors, covers, and panels closed and secured in place while the instrument is in use. Take full advantage of the safety features of the instrument. Do not defeat safety interlocks and sensors. Acknowledge and act upon instrument alarms and error messages. Keep away from moving parts. Report any broken parts to your Beckman Coulter Representative. Open/remove and close/replace doors, covers, and panes with care. Use the proper tools for troubleshooting. CAUTION System integrity might be compromised and operational failures might occur if: This equipment is used in a manner other than specified. Operate the instrument as instructed in the Product Manuals. You introduce software into your computer that is not authorized by Beckman Coulter. You install software that is not an original copyrighted version. Only use software that is an original copyrighted version to prevent virus contamination. IMPORTANT If you purchased this product from anyone other than Beckman Coulter or an authorized Beckman Coulter distributor, and, if it is not presently under a Beckman Coulter service maintenance agreement, Beckman Coulter cannot guarantee that the product is fitted with the most current mandatory engineering revisions or that you will receive the most current information bulletins concerning the product. If you purchased this product from a third party and would like further information concerning this topic, call your Beckman Coulter Representative. Rev. A (June 2009) ii of v

4 TRADEMARKS COULTER LH 1500 SERIES TRAINING MODULES 5C and COULTER are trademarks of Beckman Coulter, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks, products, or services are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Copyright 2009 Beckman Coulter, Inc. All Rights Reserved Rev. A (June 2009) iii of v

5 COULTER LH 1500 SERIES TRAINING MODULES REVISION STATUS Revision A Software release E-04 Complete rewrite. Replaces PN624643H (December 2005) Rev. A (June 2009) iv of v

6 COULTER LH 1500 SERIES TRAINING MODULES TABLE OF CONTENTS COURSE MAP TRAINING TOPICS SO System Overview CO Components SS Startup Shutdown SP1 Sample Processing 1 LC Line Controller SP2 Sample Processing 2 SP3 Sample Processing 3 CR Cassette Replacement EC Error Codes TS Troubleshooting MA Maintenance RC ES Rack Configuration Emergency Stop Button Recovery MT Mentor Trainer TCL Training Checklist LH 1500 Plus Rev. A (June 2009) v of v

7 COULTER LH 1500 SERIES TRAINING MODULES Advanced Topics MT Mentor Trainer Elective Topics Required Topics ES Emergency Stop MA (IFU) Maintenance RC Rack Configuration DAY 2 DAY 1 DAY 5 LC Line Computer SP1 Sample Processing 1 SS Startup Shutdown CO Components SO System Overview TS Troubleshooting EC Error Codes DAY 4 CR Cassette Replacement SP3 Sample Processing 3 SP2 Sample Processing 2 DAY 3 Rev. A (June 2009)

8 SO LH 1500 System Overview: Discussion/Demonstration This Performance Guide will introduce you to the following topics: Hardware Information Flow Error Code basics Why The operator must have a basic knowledge of the hardware components, the flow of information and the basics of error codes in order to effectively operate the system. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH 1500 Instructions For Use (IFU) Manual, Chapter 3 Performance Guide SO For a complete LH System Overview, refer to the LH module at the back of this Training Manual. Rev. A (June 2009) SO-1 of Coulter

9 Hardware Components COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Inlet/Outlet/Stockyard Keypad In the space provided, describe the function of each item listed below. AUTO/MANUAL PAUSE/RUN ALARM RACK LOAD FUNCTION +/- LCD DISPLAY ENTER Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SO-2 of 9

10 Connection Unit Keypad COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES In the space provided, describe the functions of the items that are unique to the connection unit keypad. STAT-CASS PRIORITY Audible Alarms alert the operator to the specific where the error has occurred. Flashing Lights are located on the and the modules. The light indicates an error in the Inlet, Outlet, or Connection Unit. The light indicates an error in the stockyard. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SO-3 of 9

11 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Emergency Stop Buttons are located to the right of every keypad on each module of the line. Circle the appropriate answer. Pressing an emergency stop button will stop operation of: a. only that module. b. the entire line. Inlet 1. Holds up to generic racks. 2. Each generic rack can hold up to samples. 3. Tubes must be loaded beginning at Rack #1: a. True b. False 4. After consecutive empty spaces, the transfer arm considers the rest of the rack to be empty. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SO-4 of 9

12 6. Inlet Loading Options: a. Rack Load b. Rack Load c. Direct Sample Carrier Load COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 7. The systems Power ON and OFF buttons are located on the inlet. Outlet The Outlet racks can be programmed for up to Userdefined sort locations. When configuring the Outlet, the types of off-line tests, as well as the volume of those tests should be considered. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SO-5 of 9

13 Stockyard COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES The Stockyard is the main storage area for samples that do not have user-defined tests and have been run on the LH s. Conveyor Unit/Sorting Lane The conveyor unit reads the sample barcode and sorts the tube to the appropriate connection. If the connections are identical (i.e. both 755 s) then the conveyors will load balance. If the connections are different (i.e. one LH 750 one LH 755) the connection will sort the tube according to the LIS programming if LH distinct sorting is enabled in the Line Computer. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SO-6 of 9

14 Connection Unit COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES The connection unit is responsible for: recording the sample ID as the specimens enter the connection unit orienting the barcode for proper placement into a cassette loading tubes into LH cassettes loading the cassettes onto the LH unloading the cassettes from the LH unloading the tubes from the cassettes cassettes rotate inside the connection unit and are used to load and unload samples onto the LH analyzer. Connection unit safety features: 1. Arm covers that shield the operator from the cassette loading and unloading arms. These arm covers are NOT interchangeable. 2. Safety cover looking down into the connection that pauses operation of the connection unit when the cover is lifted 3. Front panels that pause operation of the connection when removed A LH 1502 has LH 750(s) and LH 755(s). A LH 1511 has LH 750(s) and LH 755(s). Error Code Basics Error codes are always 3 digits. The first number in the error code indicates the type of alarm. The second set of numbers tells you the specific component that is causing the alarm. First Digit in Error Code Description 0 Bar code no read error 1 Sensor (Fiber Optic, Hall Effect) error 2 Solenoid error 3 Bar code initialization error 4 Pulse Motor error 5 Communication error 7 Autoswitch on the gripper fingers Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SO-7 of 9

15 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Informational Flow within the Lab BEFORE LH 1500 Automation System LIS Instr.Mgr. LH750 LIS communication with the Analyzer can be by Direct Download (Dynamic) or by Host Query. optional Data may be transmitted back and forth through an Instrument Manager depending on the capabilities of the LIS system. LH755 LH 1500 Communications Flow LIS LH 750 Interface LH 1500 Interface LH755 LH750 Line Controller Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SO-8 of 9

16 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES LH 1500 Communications Flow Instrument Manager LIS LH 750 Interface LH 1500 Interface LH755 LH750 Line Controller Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SO-9 of 9

17 CO LH 1500 COMPONENTS This Performance Guide will guide you through identifying and defining: Sample carriers Belts Bar-code readers Sensors: hall effect, fiber optic, photo optic, opto isolator Cylinders: gripper fingers, stoppers, diverter gates Solenoids Auto sensors Gripper fingers and pads Cassette clips Why Being able to identify and define system components is essential for successful operation and troubleshooting. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: Performance Guide CO The information in this exercise is identical for both the LH 1500 and the LH Rev. A (June 2009) CO-1 of Coulter

18 Components COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. Sample Tube Carriers Sample tubes are placed into Sample Tube Carriers, also called pucks, for transport on the green conveyor belts. The metal springs inside of the carriers provide tension necessary to hold on to 13x75 sample tubes (the line can accommodate: hemoguard, rubber stopper, or greiner 13x75 tubes). No other size tube can be run on this line. The springs in the carriers can be bent when the labels are not placed properly on the tubes. A carrier with bent springs can cause all kinds of issues on the line so it is best to remove any carriers with damaged springs from the line and save them for the service engineer to replace the springs. The springs can also become too stretched out after years of constant use which can cause the tubes to constantly slip down into the carrier, often obstructing the barcode label. The carriers with stretched springs should be removed from the line and replaced with carriers that have new springs. On a LH 1500 line, carriers are constantly circulating even when there are no samples on the line. On a LH line, carriers line up behind the Inlet and the Outlet in the return lane and wait for samples to be loaded before they come around to the loading lane. 2. Belts The green belts on the conveyor move carriers to various locations on the system. The belts inside the connection unit move cassettes from one Cassette Handling Mechanism (CHM) position to the next. The front belts inside the Connection Unit move the cassettes from right to left and the back belts move the cassettes from left to right. All of the belts are constantly moving unless the line is Powered Down. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CO-2 of 9

19 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 3. Barcode Readers Every module except the Inlet module on the LH 1500 has a barcode reader. Barcode readers are used to identify the sample and sometimes to identify the leading edge in order to correctly orient the barcode labels (i.e. inside the connection unit so the labels face outward when the tube is placed in to a cassette.) Each barcode reader will attempt to read a barcode label up to 5 times. The barcode readers are what communicate to the Line Computer. All barcode readers are identified as either BR01 or BR Sensors a. Hall Effect Sensors Hall Effect sensors are little black sensors that detect metal. When metal is detected, a red light on the side of the sensor will light up. They are used on the conveyor to keep track of sample tube carriers as they travel along the conveyor. That is why the sample tube carriers are lined at the top with metal. The sensitivity of Hall Effect sensors cannot be adjusted. They hardly ever have to be replaced due to failure. b. Fiber Optic Sensors Fiber optic sensors detect the presence or absence of sample tubes by emitting a light beam that is reflected off of the sample tube. The reflected light bounces back to the sensor and is measured to determine the presence or absence of a sample tube. Fiber optics can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the intensity of the light using the amplifier that the fiber optic is attached to. When adjusting fiber optics, always adjust with the fiber optic looking at the darkest blood that is available. If Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CO-3 of 9

20 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES the fiber optic is adjusted looking at the label which is the brightest part of the tube, and the tube happens to land where the dark blood is facing the fiber optic, an alarm might occur because the fiber optic doesn t see the tube even though it is there. This is an example of something that might need tweaking on a new line. c. Photo Optic Sensors Photo Optic Sensors are used inside the Connection Unit to determine the location of cassettes. There are eight positions for cassettes inside the Connection Unit. Photo Optic sensors operate by emitting a light beam across a short distance. When that continuous light beam is interrupted by a cassette, the Photo Optic sensor detects the change. The easiest Photo Optic sensor to see is SN37 which detects the presence or absence of a cassette in the rack shuttle when it is in either CHM position #3 or #4. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CO-4 of 9

21 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES d. Opto Isolator Sensors Opto Isolator sensors are used to detect the position of transfer arms. All transfer arms on the system must know their HOME or starting position in order to operate correctly. 5. Cylinders Cylinders are driven by air and perform some type of motion. Some cylinders move up and down, some move in and out and some open and close. A few examples of cylinders not pictured below include the up and down motion of the gripper finger arms; the in and out motion of the pins that stop the cassette in various positions inside the connection unit; and the swinging of gripper finger arms to pick tubes up and place them elsewhere (i.e. from the track to the loading elevator in the LH Connection Conveyor.) #2 #1 Cylinder #1 opens and closes the gripper fingers. Cylinder #2 controls the up and down motion of the plunger that drags the cassette between CHM pos #1 and #3. This is a picture of a cylinder that is a stopper. Stoppers are located underneath the track. They move up and down in order to stop and release sample tube carriers. Occasionally a stopper will end up getting stuck on a sample tube carrier, resulting in a stuck puck. To fix a stuck puck, gently twist (never push) the puck and it will either pop forward or backward depending on where the stopper caught it underneath. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CO-5 of 9

22 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES A Diverter gate is another example of a cylinder. Diverter gates move in and out to let sample tube carriers pass or to make the sample tube carriers turn corners. 6. Solenoids All cylinders are controlled by solenoids which activate and deactivate in order to route pressure to their corresponding cylinders. A bank of solenoids. Each solenoid is labeled with the cylinder that it controls. Depressing the orange button will activate the solenoid and cause the corresponding cylinder to move (some lines might have blue solenoid buttons). 7. Auto switches or Auto sensors Auto switches or auto sensors are used to determine cylinder positions (i.e. is the stopper up or down, etc.) When looking at a cylinder, the auto sensors are small, black boxes with gray wires attached to the cylinder. When the auto sensor is activated, a small red light on the sensor lights up. Auto sensor Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CO-6 of 9

23 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES In these two photos, you can see two auto sensors are attached to the cylinder that operates the plunger. In the photo on the left, the plunger is in the up position and the light on the top auto sensor is lit. In the photo on the right, the plunger is in the down position and the bottom auto sensor light is lit. 8. Gripper Fingers and pads Gripper fingers close around sample tubes in order to pick the tubes up and move them to different locations. Gripper fingers are attached to cylinders and are therefore controlled by solenoids. A gripper pad that is made out of rubber and glued using Loctite is attached to each gripper finger. These pads get very sticky due to labels on the tubes and must be cleaned during weekly maintenance. Eventually these gripper pads will wear out and lose their gripping ability. Once that happens, it becomes necessary to replace the gripper pads. If the pads are not replaced, alarms will start to occur due to tubes slipping, or being dropped. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CO-7 of 9

24 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 9. Cassette springs Cassette springs are beveled in shape and clip into cassettes. The cassette springs for cassettes that are inside each connection unit are different than the cassette springs in regular LH 750 cassettes. The springs used inside the connection unit are less rigid than the springs of a regular LH 750 cassette. Since the same 4 cassettes inside each connection unit get used over and over, eventually these cassette springs will lose their tension and become too loose. Once they become too loose, the cassette can start to fall off of the Cassette Loading and Unloading Arms. You might also notice that when the cassette is rocking on the LH 750 rocker bed, tubes will start to slip out. The recommended replacement time for automation springs is every 4-6 months and is workload dependent. In order to prevent regular LH 750 cassettes getting mixed in with cassettes that are supposed to be inside the Connection Unit, it is recommended that the cassettes inside each connection be labeled with the Connection Unit number, and then 1-4 or A-D. When replacing the springs, it is best to replace the springs in all of the cassettes at once making sure to date the back of each cassette with the date of replacement. This can help keep track of how long the springs are lasting in your lab. The part # for the automation springs is Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CO-8 of 9

25 Skill Check COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. What size tubes can be placed on the line? 2. Only Hemoguard tubes can be run on the line. True False 3. How many times will a barcode reader attempt to read a barcode label? 4. Every module on the LH 1500 has a barcode reader except the module. 5. What type of sensors detect: a. Sample tube carriers? b. Sample tubes? c. Cassettes inside the Connection Unit? 6. Opto isolator sensors tell the transfer arms that they are in their HOME position. True False 7. Give 3 examples of different types of cylinders on the line. a. b. c. 8. How could an operator make a transfer arm move up and down? 9. Auto sensors are used to determine the position of. 10. How would an operator know if gripper pads need to be replaced or not? 11. LH 750 cassettes and LH 1500 cassettes are identical and therefore interchangeable. True or False. Explain. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CO-9 of 9

26 SS LH 1500 Startup Shutdown This Performance Guide will guide you through the following tasks/procedures: Pre-startup Checklist Perform daily Shutdown Perform daily Startup System Power Down System Power Up Fixing Magenta if a Power Up is done incorrectly Why Performing a Daily Shutdown and Daily Startup is necessary for proper data management. The Power Down, and Power Up procedure can be used to assist in troubleshooting when all else fails. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH 1500 Instructions For Use (IFU) Manual, Chapter 6 Performance Guide SS This entire exercise module is applicable to both the core LH 1500 users as well as the LH users Rev. A (June 2009) SS-1 of Coulter

27 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Daily Shutdown Step Action 1. Ensure no samples are running on the line and remove any samples from the Outlet by performing a proper Rack Load. 2. Press the PAUSE/RUN button on the Outlet unit keypad to pause the Outlet. Allow all of the sample tube carriers to line up behind the Outlet before performing a Daily Startup. Note: This step reduces the amount of stuck sample tube carriers that occur upon Daily Startup. 3. Select the System Operation button on the Main Menu of the Line Computer. 4. Select Shutdown. The Shutdown screen appears. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-2 of 12

28 5. Click OK. 6. The Shutdown reminder screen appears. COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 7. Press OK if all samples have been removed from the Line. 8. Verify that the System Status box says Ready and the Host Communication box says Offline. Note: Neither the LH 1500 nor the LH will communicate with the LIS if the Line Computer is Shutdown (Ready/Offline). Sample programming will not be downloaded to the Line Computer until a Startup is performed. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-3 of 12

29 Pre-Startup Checklist COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Complete all tasks below prior to each startup. Failure to do so may cause: System Errors Hardware Damage Sample Tube Breakage Operator Exposure to Biohazard Conditions Note: As soon as the line is started up and specimens are loaded onto the automation system, samples will be routed to any LH connection that has not been disabled in the Line Computer. In order to avoid any interruption in the processing of samples, it is important to complete steps 8-14 even though they are not necessary to startup the line itself. 1. Remove all tubes from the line. Note: Samples may remain in the stockyard and Inlet. 2. Place empty racks in the Outlet. 3. Ensure that each connection unit has four empty cassettes inside in their home positions (positions 1, 5, 6, & 8). 4. Inspect the track for possible obstructions, or foreign objects and the empty sample tube carriers for bent springs. (Remove any sample tube carriers with bent springs from the line.) 5. Ensure that all arm covers are properly positioned and locked in place. Ensure all safety covers are on. 6. Ensure all connection units are Enabled in the Line Computer. 7. Check to see if empty sample tube carriers are present inside the conveyor units at any of the connection units. 8. Check and replace reagents as needed on the LH 750/755 analyzers. 9. Ensure the LH analyzers and any attached Slidemakers have been started up and that the startup passed. 10. Run Latron, 5C, and Retic controls and verify that all QC is within normal operating limits. 11. Ensure the Slidemaker(s) have a sufficient supply of slides 12. Check and replace the Slidestainer(s) reagents as needed. 13. Fill the Slidestainer(s) baths. 14. Place the Slidestainer(s) into Auto mode. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-4 of 12

30 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Daily Startup Step Action 1. Verify the Pre-Startup checklist is complete. 2. If there are no empty sample tube carriers present in the conveyor units at any of the LH connections, proceed to step 6. If there are empty sample tube carriers present in the conveyor units at any of the LH connections select System Setup. Note: If there are just a couple of empty sample tube carriers in the conveyor unit then skip down to step 6 and once the line is Started up, hold your finger in front of fiber optic 69 to send the carriers out of the conveyor. 3. Choose Maintenance. The password is password1. The following options appear. 4. Select Thru Lane ON/OFF. The following Thru Lane screen appears. 5. Press OK. Wait until each conveyor unit is empty then select Exit. 6. Select System Operation in the Main Menu of the Line Computer. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-5 of 12

31 7. Choose Startup. The following screen appears. COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Delete Processed Samples Only deletes: Samples that have been removed from the system by performing a proper Rack Load (the Line Computer refers to these samples as Processed ) in the Line Computer database. Unprocessed samples (samples that have never been put on the line) greater than 72 hours old from the Line Computer database. All samples that sorted to sort locations in the Outlet. This is the recommended choice for Labs to perform on a daily basis. Note: If samples in the stockyard that are less than 72 hours old get deleted when choosing Delete Processed Samples Only, the LIS is not downloading the properly formatted date and time stamp with each sample ID. Do Not Delete Will not delete any data that is currently in the Line Computer. Delete All Sample Data Will delete ALL processed samples and unprocessed samples that are in the Line Computer including the Stockyard. 7. For this exercise and all other classroom exercises, choose Delete All Sample Data then click OK. (Remember in your lab you will choose Delete Processed Samples Only.) 8. Verify that the System Status box is Active and the Host Communication box is Online. 9. Press Pause/Run to release the sample tube carriers from the Outlet. It is now ready to begin loading samples. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-6 of 12

32 Power Down COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Step Actions 1. Press the PAUSE/RUN button on the Outlet unit keypad to pause the Outlet. Allow all of the sample tube carriers to line up behind the Outlet prior to performing a startup. 2. Select the System Operation button on the Main Menu of the Line Computer. 3. Click Shutdown. The shutdown screen appears. This Will Shutdown the Automation System. Are you sure? Select OK. 4. The shutdown reminder screen appears. Sample Present on the System. Please Remove. Proceed with System Shutdown. Are you Sure? Select OK. 5. Select Exit on the main menu of the Line Computer. Note: Exit is unavailable for selection (grayed out) unless the system is shutdown. 6. A message box appears. 7. Select OK. The following screen appears. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-7 of 12

33 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 8. Once the remaining time elapses, the Line Computer powers off and the screen goes blank. 9. Press the red power OFF button located on the Inlet unit. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-8 of 12

34 Power Up COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Step Action 1. Ensure at least 60 seconds have passed since pressing the red power OFF button on the Inlet. 2. Press the green ON button on the Inlet. 3. Press Pause/Run button on the Outlet unit keypad to help prevent stuck sample tube carriers when doing a Startup. 4. Press the power button on the Line Computer CPU. The software launches and the Main Menu screen will appear. 5. Ensure that there is no magenta on the Main screen. If magenta is present, do not proceed any further. Perform another power down. Magenta indicates that the Line Computer and the Line are not communicating and is usually caused by powering on the Line Computer while the power to the line is still off. 6. If no empty sample tube carriers are present in the conveyor units skip to step 7. If empty sample tube carriers are present in the conveyor units at any of the connections select System Setup then select Maintenance. The password for the Maintenance screen in password1. Select Thru Lane ON/OFF then OK. Wait until sample tube carriers have cleared the conveyor units then select Exit. 7. Select System Operation, then Startup. 8. Choose Delete All Samples Data for this exercise. Select OK. 9. Verify the Status is Active and the Host Communication is Online. 10. Press PAUSE/RUN on the Outlet unit keypad to un-pause the Outlet and release the sample tube carriers. 11. The LH 1500 is now ready to load samples. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-9 of 12

35 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Exiting and Restarting Line Computer Software for Magenta The following procedure can be used to correct Magenta in the Line Computer. Magenta usually occurs when the Line Computer is powered up prior to turning the power on to the Line. Performing another Power Down and Power Up in the correct sequence will fix Magenta. If however, the Startexe shortcut icon (often renamed Startup icon) is on the Line Computer desktop, then by following the procedure below, the operator can skip doing a full Power Down. Step Action 1. If the Line Computer is Started up, (System Status Active and Host Communication ONLINE) proceed with step 2. If the Line Computer is Shutdown (System Status Ready and Host Communication OFFLINE) proceed to step Select System Operation on the Line Computer main menu. 3. Select Shutdown. A box with This will shutdown the Automation system. Are you sure? will appear. 4. Click OK. 5. If a message appears Samples present on the System. Please remove. Proceed with System Shutdown. Are you sure? 6. Press OK. 7. Verify that the System Status box reads Ready and the Host Communication box reads OFFLINE. 8. Click on the Exit button in the Line Computer main menu. A message will appear This will exit to windows. Are you sure? 9. Select OK. 10. The Shutdown screen will appear saying The System will Shutdown. Select CANCEL. 11. Press the green power ON button on the Inlet Module (if the line is not already powered on). 12. Click on the Startexe.bat shortcut icon on the desktop of the Line Computer to re-launch the Line Computer Software. 13. Ensure there is no Magenta present on the Line Computer main screen. 14. For this exercise, we are NOT going to perform another Daily Startup since we have already practiced doing that. In the lab however, a Daily Startup would now be performed. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-10 of 12

36 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Exiting and Restarting Line Computer Software after closing C:\Startexe.bat The following procedure can be used to fix the problem when someone closes the C:\Startexe.bat black box that appears in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen whenever the Line Computer software has launched. (The toolbar is always hidden unless someone scrolls down to the bottom of the page to make it appear.) Performing another Power Down and Power Up in the correct sequence will fix this problem. If however, the Startexe shortcut icon (often renamed Startup icon) is on the Line Computer desktop, then by following the procedure below, the operator can skip doing a full Power Down. Step Action 1. If the Line Computer is Started up, (System Status Active and Host Communication ONLINE) proceed with step 2. If the Line Computer is Shutdown (System Status Ready and Host Communication OFFLINE) proceed to step Select System Operation on the Line Computer main menu. 3. Select Shutdown. A box with This will shutdown the Automation system. Are you sure? will appear. 4. Click OK. 5. If a message appears Samples present on the System. Please remove. Proceed with System Shutdown. Are you sure? 6. Press OK. 7. Verify that the System Status box reads Ready and the Host Communication box reads OFFLINE. 8. Click on the Exit button in the Line Computer main menu. A message will appear This will exit to windows. Are you sure? 9. Select OK. The Shutdown screen will appear saying The System will Shutdown. Select CANCEL. 10. Press the green power ON button on the Inlet Module (if the line is not already powered on). 11. Click on the Startexe.bat shortcut icon (the icon might also be named Startup icon) on the desktop of the Line Computer to relaunch the Line Computer Software. 12. Ensure there is no Magenta present on the Line Computer main screen. 13. For this exercise, we are NOT going to perform another Daily Startup since we have already practiced doing that. In the lab however, a Daily Startup would now be performed. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-11 of 12

37 Skill Checks COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. After selecting System Operation/Startup, which option only deletes processed samples AND non-processed samples more than 72 hours old?? Delete Processed Samples Only Do Not Delete Delete All Sample Data 2. Should the operator not follow the proper Power Up sequence, what may occur with the LH 1500 system? 3. When Startup is performed correctly, the: System Status is and the Host Communications is. 4. Under what circumstances would a Thru Lane ON/OFF be performed? 5. When is it necessary to perform a Power Down? 6. Exiting out of the Line Computer automatically shuts the computer off. TRUE FALSE 7. When the Line Computer is Shutdown, samples will continue to download to the Line Computer from the LIS. TRUE FALSE 8. When is a good time to check the sample tube carriers for bent springs? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SS-12 of 12

38 SP1 LH 1500 Sample Processing 1 This Performance Guide will guide you through the following tasks/procedures: Routine Rack Load in the Inlet Priority Rack Load Direct Sample Tube carrier loading System Initiated Rack Load at the Stockyard and Outlet Operator Initiated Rack Load at the Stockyard and Outlet Why These tasks are crucial to operating effectively in a laboratory environment and allow the operator to optimize the usage of their automation line. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH 1500 Instructions For Use (IFU) Manual, Chapter 5 Performance Guide SP1 For LH users, information starting with the Stockyard on page 3 all the way through page 9 is applicable to the operation of the LH Loading instructions for the LH can be found under the LH section of the training manual. Rev. A (June 2009) SP1-1 of Coulter

39 Routine Rack Load in the Inlet Prior to beginning this exercise, perform a Daily Startup. COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Step Action 1. Verify that the Inlet is in Auto mode and the Rack Load light is solid green. 2. Remove Rack #1 and load 2 samples starting at position Place the rack back into the Inlet. 4. The PAUSE/RUN button begins flashing indicating that a rack was put on. Press PAUSE/RUN to begin sampling. Observe: Once the second sample is picked up, how many empty spaces does it continue to check? After it is done checking for empty spaces in Rack #1 what does the transfer arm do next? What happens once the transfer arm is done looking for samples in Rack #4? 5. Verify the Rack Load light is solid green. Remove Rack # 4 and load 2 samples. 6. Place the rack back into the Inlet and press PAUSE/RUN. 7. Observe: Once the transfer arm is done looking for samples in Rack #4, does the arm go to Rack #1 and start looking for samples since we started loading in Rack #4? Priority Rack Load in the Inlet Step Action 1. Ensure the Rack Load light is solid green. Place 4 samples in Rack #3 lift and replace the rack. Press PAUSE/RUN. 2. While the transfer arm is loading those samples, press Rack Load. 3. The Rack Load light will blink, the Alarm button will blink and beep (3x) and the yellow warning light on the Outlet will flash. 4. Once the Rack Load light turns solid, place 2 samples in Rack #1, lift and replace the rack. Press PAUSE/RUN. Observe: Does the transfer arm immediately go back and finish sampling from the rack that it was in the process of sampling from (Rack #3)? If not where does it go? What happens when it s done sampling from Rack #1? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP1-2 of 10

40 Direct Sample Tube Carrier Loading COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Step Action 1. Load a tube directly into a sample tube carrier prior to BR02 (that is the first barcode reader on the line located at connection unit #1). Note: Make sure the tube is not so far down into the sample tube carrier that the bar code is covered. Stockyard The LH 1500 Stockyard is a 1 level, ambient temperature Stockyard. It holds 3 racks of 340 samples each, making the total capacity 1020 samples. There are two barcode readers behind both the LH 1500 and the LH Stockyard. The first barcode reader, BR01 reads the sample ID and either sends the sample on to the Outlet if it has a user defined test ordered that is programmed to sort to the Outlet, or it assigns the sample a position in the Stockyard. If assigned to the Stockyard, the loading gripper fingers then pick the sample up, placing it into the loading transfer cup that has come forward to wait for the sample. The loading transfer cup then moves back into the Stockyard where a fiber optic verifies the presence of a sample. As long as the fiber optic detects a sample, then the Transfer Arm comes and picks the sample up and places it into the assigned position in one of the Stockyard racks. Once in the Stockyard, the operator can retrieve the sample using the Line Computer. When retrieving a sample, the operator has the option to send that retrieved sample to a sort location in the Outlet (i.e. to check the specimen integrity) or to send that sample to a specific analyzer to be rerun. The second barcode reader, BR02 verifies the sample ID s for samples that are retrieved from the Stockyard. Most labs only empty the Stockyard when prompted by the automation to do so. Keeping the samples in the Stockyard as long as possible not only allows the operator to retrieve samples in the Stockyard, but also allows the automation to rerun and reflex samples without operator intervention if the lab has reflexing capability in either their LIS, IM or by using DL. When all of the racks are full and there is a sample waiting to sort into the Stockyard, the system will alert the operator to perform a Rack Load at the Stockyard. This is called a System Initiated Rack Load. When the LH 1500 system is requesting a Rack Load: 1. The Stockyard light will flash 2. The Alarm button will flash 3. A non-continuous audible alarm will beep 4. The Rack Load button will flash 5. Once the Alarm button is pressed to quiet the alarm, the Rack Load light will be solid green 6. A single digit number will appear in the display window indicating which level or shelf needs a rack load. (For core Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP1-3 of 10

41 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES LH 1500 systems, that number will always be a 1 because the Stockyard for core systems has only 1 shelf or level.) 7. In order to see which rack needs to be removed (Rack Loaded) from the Stockyard, the operator must press the (-) Function button. 8. The double digit number will be 01, 02, or 03. The rack to the far left is 01 and the rack to the far right is The operator will then remove the appropriate rack and replace with an empty rack. 10. Once the empty rack is pushed all the way back, the PAUSE/RUN button will begin to flash. 11. Press the PAUSE/RUN button to resume operation. There are three very important notes about the Stockyard that operators need to be aware of: 1. Do NOT confuse a System Initiated Rack Load request with an error code alarm!! The main clue this is not an alarm is that the Rack Load button is solid green. Also, the audible beep for a Rack Load request is non-continuous as opposed to a continuous beep that occurs when there is an error code alarm. 2. If the Stockyard remains paused after pressing the PAUSE/RUN button, then either: one of the racks is not all the way back, or one is upside down 3. If the Rack Load light is not lit at all, pulling one of the racks out only pauses the Stockyard so that rack does NOT have to be emptied. However, the operator must remember to press PAUSE/RUN once the rack is pushed back in, or the Stockyard will remain paused. Outlet Samples that require further off-line testing will be routed to the Outlet. There are 4 racks that hold 50 samples each in the Outlet. Each rack can be divided into subsections or sort locations in order to separate samples based on the tests that are ordered. The smallest subsection that can be programmed is 5 positions. The Outlet can have up to 15 User-definable sort locations and they are programmed using test codes that are defined in the LIS starting with UD1. Rack configuration is always set up by BCI personnel but 9 months to a year after running the automation, it is always a good idea to analyze your sort locations and make sure that they are big enough, but not too big for the current volume of tests being run on the line for maximum efficiency. Later in class we will learn how to program racks in the Performance Guide RC. Once a sample gets to the Outlet, it is read by BR01, picked up by the transfer arm gripper fingers and placed into the appropriate rack according to the test ordered. Once ANY of the subsections/sort locations in a rack become full, the Outlet will alert the operator to perform a Rack Load on that particular rack. When a Rack Load is performed, ALL of the tubes in the rack (not just the tubes from the subsection that is full) must be removed. If all samples are not Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP1-4 of 10

42 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES removed, then eventually an alarm will occur due to the automation trying to load a tube into the rack with tubes still in it resulting in a tube on top of tube error. If samples are removed from the Outlet racks without performing a Rack Load, then the LH 1500 still thinks the samples are there. Not only does the automation no longer know where those samples are, but it can confuse operators because eventually the automation will alert the operator to perform a Rack Load but the rack will appear empty due to operators removing samples improperly. This can even cause an alarm in some labs if they have reflex testing or a Validation Pending rack set up, because the automation can attempt to retrieve a sample from the Outlet thinking the sample is still there. Using the Line Computer, samples can be manually retrieved not only from the Stockyard like we learned above, but from the Outlet as well. From the Outlet, samples can be retrieved to: 1. Another sort location in the Outlet 2. An analyzer 3. The Stockyard By using the Line Computer, the automation is able to keep track of the sample tube. Samples cannot be retrieved from the Error rack or the Validation Error rack. Any samples that end up in the Error or Validation Error rack must be Rack Loaded, run manually if necessary and stored off-line. Sometimes samples will end up in the Error rack that got run and resulted on the LH 750 but because they didn t get read by BR01 inside the connection unit, they will still sort to the Error rack. If the Line Computer says a sample is Complete, then that means that the line has run and sorted the sample to either the Stockyard or the Outlet. It does not mean that there are no tests pending on that sample. Creating a System Initiated Rack Load at the Outlet for classroom demonstration purposes It is impossible to run enough samples in a classroom environment to see a System Initiated Rack Load request at the Stockyard. We can however create an opportunity to see a System Initiated Rack Load at the Outlet, which is almost identical. In the lab, the operator will be using the sample ID to retrieve samples the majority of the time. In a later exercise, we will practice retrieving samples using the specific sample ID. Right now, in order to create a System Initiated Rack Load at the Outlet, we are going to have to retrieve enough samples to fill up our smallest subsection in one of the racks in the Outlet, plus another sample that will be waiting to sort into the full subsection. For classroom purposes, we have a subsection that only holds 5 samples. In order to trigger the System Initiated Rack Load request, we need to retrieve 6 samples to go to that sort location. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP1-5 of 10

43 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES On the Line Computer main menu, at the bottom under Rack Statistics, we can see the names of the user definable sort locations in the Outlet, as well as the Stockyard, Error, Pending, Val Pending and Val Error sort locations. The window to the right of each sort location shows the number of samples that have sorted to that particular sort location. The screen capture below is from the classroom Line Computer where there are no Val Pending or Val Error sort locations. 1. For classroom purposes, pause the Outlet so that all of the students are able to observe and check off the steps in the table below for System Initiated Rack Load. 2. Under Rack Statistics, click on one of the sort locations other than Sicklecell that has a number next to it. 3. Highlight one of the samples on the list. 4. Select Sample Detail at the bottom. 5. Select Manual Retrieve at the bottom of the screen. 6. Click on the drop down box under Select Destination. 7. Highlight Sicklecell. 8. Select Retrieve. 9. Continue until 6 samples have been retrieved to the Sicklecell sort location. Note: If there were already samples in that sort location then only retrieve the number of samples to that location to equal Read step 12 and the paragraph before the System Initiated Rack Load table prior to proceeding to step Un-pause the Outlet. 12. Observe: A System Initiated Rack Load will occur once the 6 th sample is ready to sort to the Sicklecell sort location. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP1-6 of 10

44 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES For classroom purposes, check off the steps in the table below for System Initiated Rack Load as you observe and perform them. For experienced users, do not quiet the alarm until everyone in the class has had an opportunity to observe and check off the first 4 steps. System Initiated Rack Load at the Outlet 1. The Outlet light will flash. 2. A non-continuous audible alarm will beep. 3. The Alarm button will flash. 4. Press the Alarm button on the Outlet keypad to quiet the alarm. 5. Once the Alarm button is pressed, the Rack Load light turns solid green. 6. A double digit number will appear in the display window. The double digit number will be 01, 02, 03, or 04. The rack to the far left is 01 and the rack to the far right is The operator will then remove the appropriate rack and replace with an empty rack OR lift the appropriate rack up and back down again remembering to remove every sample from the rack. 8. The PAUSE/RUN button will begin to flash. 9. Press the PAUSE/RUN button to resume operation. 10. For classroom purposes, any samples remaining in both the Stockyard and Outlet can now be removed by following the below procedures for performing an Operator Initiated Rack Load. Operator Initiated Rack Load in the Stockyard 1. At the Stockyard, press the Rack Load button. a) The Rack Load light will blink if it is in the middle of doing something. Once it completes what it was doing b) The Alarm button will flash and beep a noncontinuous beep and then the Rack Load light will go solid c) The yellow warning light on the Stockyard will flash 2. Press Alarm to silence the beep. 3. Pull the rack with the samples out. 4. Remove all of the samples from the rack. Note: Anytime the Rack Load light is solid green at the Stockyard, any rack that is removed from the Stockyard MUST be emptied even if the wrong rack was removed! Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP1-7 of 10

45 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 5. Slide the rack all the way back in. Press PAUSE/RUN to resume operation. Note: If the Stockyard remains paused after pressing the PAUSE/RUN button, then either: one of the racks is not all the way back, or one is upside down. Operator Initiated Rack Load at the Outlet 1. At the Outlet, press the Rack Load button. a) The Alarm button will flash and beep a noncontinuous beep b) The yellow warning light on the Outlet will flash 2. Press Alarm to silence the beep. The Rack Load light becomes solid green. 3. Remove each rack with samples and replace with empty spare racks OR keep the racks in the Outlet, but lift each rack with samples up and back down. Remove all tubes from every rack lifted. Note: Anytime the Rack Load light is solid green at the Outlet, any rack that is removed or lifted up, must be completely emptied! 4. The PAUSE/RUN button will flash. Note: If the PAUSE/RUN button is not flashing after Rack Loading a rack, then the rack is not seated properly. 5. Press PAUSE/RUN to resume operation. 6. This concludes our exercise for today so perform a Daily Shutdown. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP1-8 of 10

46 Skill Checks COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. At the Inlet and Outlet, the Rack Load light must be solid green in order to lift a rack without causing an alarm. TRUE FALSE 2. At the Inlet, if the loading arm encounters 4 empty positions it thinks the rest of the rack is empty. TRUE FALSE 3. At the Inlet, if the loading arm encounters a certain number of empty positions in a rack, it moves on to the next rack unless it is Rack #! 4. When doing Priority Rack loading at the Inlet, after picking up the Priority samples, the loading arm goes back to the rack that it was originally loading and picks up where it left off. TRUE FALSE 5. Number the steps below for Rack Loading a partially filled rack in the Stockyard or the Outlet. Replace the rack with an empty rack Press the ALARM button Remove the appropriate rack Press PAUSE/RUN to resume processing Press RACK LOAD 6. If the Rack Load light is NOT lit at the Stockyard and a rack is pulled out, that rack must be emptied. TRUE or FALSE. Explain why. 7. How does the automation let the operator know that it is done loading samples from the Inlet? 8. Define what Complete means to the Line Computer. 9. If the Stockyard does not come out of PAUSE even if the PAUSE/RUN button is pressed, what two things could cause this? a. b. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP1-9 of 10

47 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 10. When placing a sample that has never been put on the line directly into a sample tube carrier, can it be placed anywhere on the line? Explain: 11. If the Stockyard is requesting a System Initiated Rack Load, what do the single digit number and double digit numbers that appear in the display window mean? 12. What are two main differences between a System Initiated Rack Load request at the Stockyard and an error code alarm? 13. If the Rack Load light is lit at the Stockyard and the incorrect rack is accidently removed, what is the proper way to handle this? 14. When performing a Rack Load at the Outlet, once an empty rack is placed back into the Outlet, what should happen next? What if that didn t happen, what is the most likely reason? 15. The automation waits until all subsections are full in an Outlet rack before requesting a System Initiated Rack Load. TRUE FALSE Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP1-10 of 10

48 LC LH 1500 Line Controller/Line Computer This Performance Guide will introduce you to the following topics: The function of the Line Computer The various statuses of the connected modules How to enable/disable the connection units The Main Menu screen The Main Menu toolbar options Database Query System Setup Options How and when to use the Error Logs Why The operator must have a basic knowledge of the Line Computer software in order to efficiently operate the LH 1500 in a Lab environment. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH 1500 Instructions For Use (IFU) Manual, Chapter 4 Performance Guide LC Performance Guide RC Except for a few changes mentioned under the LH section of the manual, this module remains the same for both the LH 1500 and the LH Rev. A (June 2009) LC-1 of Coulter

49 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Line Controller/Line Computer The Line Controller is responsible for controlling the automation line. The Main Menu is a graphical representation of the automation line s physical layout and will vary according to each individual laboratory setup. The Line Controller: Receives patient information and test requests from the LIS. Can query the LIS for patient information and test requests if the LIS is capable of handling the query. Can auto receive (also called auto logging or auto accessioning) if the LIS is capable of receiving an A (arrival message) from the line. Communicates with the automation line involving a sample s status and location on the line. Can send sample sort location information (rack #, pos #, etc) to the LIS if the LIS is capable of receiving this information. Routes samples for rerun and add-on tests. Has the ability to perform re-flex testing using decision rules set up in the LH750 s in conjunction with re-flex rules from either the LIS or middle ware (i.e. Instrument Manager.) Not all LIS s are capable of reflexing. Allows the user to define sort locations in the Outlet for off-line testing based on the individual needs of the lab Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-2 of 20

50 Main Menu Screen COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES In the upper right hand corner of the Main Menu Screen, there is a Unit Status box that serves as a legend for the varying statuses. When the connectable units which consist of the Inlet, Outlet, LH Connection Units, and the Stockyard are enabled, they are off white. When one of the LH s is down, or if you want to run one of the LH s as a stand alone unit, it is possible to disable an individual LH connection. To disable a connection unit, select the Setup button at the bottom of the appropriate connection unit on the main menu of the Line Computer and click Disable. Then select OK. When the connection unit is disabled, it will be gray and no new samples will sort to that connection unit. Any samples that have already sorted into that connection unit however, will be completed and unloaded from the connection unit. When the Line Computer is not communicating with the LH 1500 automation line, the Outlet, LH connection units, and the Stockyard (all of the modules with barcode readers) will be magenta. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-3 of 20

51 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES When an error occurs in the Inlet, Outlet, any of the connection units, or the Stockyard, that module will turn red and the error code, along with the date and time will be listed at the bottom of the Main Screen. An error occurred in the Outlet at 05:49 PM on 11/16/2005. The red and the message at the bottom usually goes away as soon as the Alarm button is pressed. The same information will be listed in the System Error log. The red stripe indicates that a barcode on one of the samples entering into LH#2 did not get read at BR01 inside the connection unit. This sample will go to the Error sort location in the Outlet even if it got read by the LH 750. Other information the main screen provides: 941 samples have downloaded from the LIS into the Line Computer 10 samples have been put on the line and read by the first barcode reader (BR02) 5 samples are still in process which means they have not yet sorted into the Stockyard or Outlet. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-4 of 20

52 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES In a standard Line Computer, 10,000 is the maximum number of Host Downloads allowed. For accounts with extremely high volumes this number can be changed to 24,000. If a proper Daily Shutdown and Startup are not done daily, this number can reach its limit and the Inlet will literally stop picking up samples with no other indication that there is a problem. If this happens, the Operations Error Log will have the message, Database full. Cannot rcv data, next to every sample ID that attempts to download. Of the 10 samples that were received on the line, 8 samples were routed to LH #2 and 2 samples were routed to LH #1. To see the specific sample ID s that were routed to each connection unit, click on the Sample List button on each connection unit. This Sample List shows that 12 samples had been routed to the LH#3 connection unit between 07:14 PM and 07:18 PM. The 9 th tube to enter the connection unit was a barcode no read. Under the Sample List button on each LH connection unit is a Setup button. This Setup button is where you Enable or Disable each connection. The Setup button also allows you to choose whether or not you want to route retics or samples that need slides to that connection. Slide will only be available if there is a LH 755 attached to that connection. If both Retic and Slide are selected, then CDRS will show up under the connection units name. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-5 of 20

53 Rack Statistics COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES The rack statistics shows the 15 user definable sort locations/subsections plus the Error, Pending, Validation Pending, and Validation Error sort locations. The window to the right of each sort location shows the number of samples that have sorted to that particular sort location. The Val Pending and the Val Error sort locations can only be utilized if the LIS has the capability of sending a validation flag to the Line Computer. If the LIS is capable of sending a validation flag once results are verified, tubes that are not verified will go to the Val Pending and wait the user defined amount of time to receive a validation flag. If no flag is received within that user defined time, then that sample will get picked up and put into the Val Error sort location where it will require operator intervention and need to be stored off-line. Depending on the speed of the LIS, once verified, most samples will either go straight to the Stockyard or go to the Val Pending sort location for a short period of time, then be picked up and routed to the Stockyard. Samples that end up in the Error rack/sort location are samples that either did not read at BR01 inside the connection unit or they did not download into the Line Computer so the line does not have test requests for them. Remember, just because it did not read inside the connection unit does not mean that the LH 750 did not read the barcode. If the LH 750 was able to read the barcode then that sample can be verified in the LIS but will still go to the Error sort location. Always check samples from the Error sort location to see if they have already been verified. Samples that end up in the Error sort location must be stored offline. For LH lines, samples that did not download into the Line Computer and therefore have no test request information will go to the Error lane not the Error sort location in the Outlet. Samples that do not read at BR01 inside the connection unit on the LH will still go to the Error rack/sort location in the Outlet. Samples that do not get read by the LH 750 but read every where else on the line, will end up in the Stockyard UNLESS a Val Pending sort location is set up in the Outlet (only accounts that have a LIS that can send validation flags to the Line Computer can have a Val Pending rack) OR some type of reverse logic is set up through either the LIS, IM or the DL2000. Your BCI Apps person will be able to help you set this up. If not, consult the procedure Suggestions for handling samples that read on the LH 1500, but NOT on the LH 750/755. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-6 of 20

54 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 5 of the samples that were received on the line in the above example are in the stockyard. Missing Sample List When a sample does not reach either the Stockyard or a sort location in the Outlet within a user definable amount of time, it will appear in the Missing Sample window. It will remain in the Missing Sample window until: 1. That specimen reaches the Stockyard or Outlet. 2. A Daily Startup is performed and Delete All Sample Data is chosen. The most common reason samples end up on the Missing Sample list is because techs remove the sample from the track to do other testing instead of letting it sort to either the Stockyard or Outlet then retrieving it through the automation. This is a very important training issue because this could potentially dramatically decrease the number of available sample tube carriers circulating for new samples to be put on the line. Every missing sample is assumed to be in a sample tube carrier and only a certain number of sample tube carriers are allowed to be circulating at one time. So, although there may be plenty of available sample tube carriers, the line will not release them. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-7 of 20

55 Main Menu Bar of the Line Controller COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES System Operation Database System Setup Error Log Exit About Startup Shutdown Database Query Detail Location System Setup System Error Log Operations Error Log LIS Connection Circulate Sample Powers Down the Line Computer Current Software Version Information Manual Retrieval Pending Criteria Print Rack Label Test Assignment S, SR, R Sample Routing LH Distinct Sorting Rerun (Processed) Maintenance Thru Lane ON/OFF Bar Code Configuration Setup (For Service Only) Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-8 of 20

56 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES System Operation This is where the operator goes to perform a Shutdown and Startup of the Line Controller. In this screen capture, Shutdown is grayed out because the Line Controller is already Shutdown leaving Startup as the only available option. Performing a Shutdown and Startup on a daily basis is necessary for proper data management. Note: While in Shutdown, the LH 1500 does not communicate with the LIS. Sample programming will not be downloaded to the Line Computer until a Startup is performed. When performing a Startup, the following window appears: Delete Processed Samples Only deletes: Samples that have been removed from the system by performing a proper Rack Load (the Line Computer refers to these samples as Processed ) in the Line Computer database. Unprocessed samples (samples that have never been put on the line) greater than 72 hours old from the Line Computer database. All samples that sorted to sort locations in the Outlet. This is the recommended choice for Labs to perform on a daily basis. Note: If samples in the stockyard that are less than 72 hours old get deleted when choosing Delete Processed Samples Only, the LIS is NOT downloading the properly formatted date and time stamp with each sample ID. Do Not Delete Will not delete any data that is currently in the Line Computer database. Delete All Sample Data Will delete ALL processed samples and unprocessed samples that are in the Line Computer including the Stockyard. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-9 of 20

57 Database COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES The Database Query screen can be used to search for a specific sample or to see how many, as well as what sample ID s have downloaded into the Line Computer database. Search Key Recp Date (mm/dd/yy) Recp # Bar Code # Patient Name The date the sample was downloaded into the Line Controller. A system generated # for each sample that is downloaded into the Line Controller. If searching for a specific sample, the individual bar code # can be entered here. A list of all samples that are in the Line Computer s database can be seen in ascending order by pressing ENTER in the bar code ID field. This feature is useful if the LIS has gone down and you want to see up to what number it downloaded into the Line Computer. Patient s Name Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-11 of 20

58 Search Category Not Recvd Not Validated Pending Complete COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Samples that have downloaded into the Line Computer but have not been put on the line. Samples that: 1. have been read by BR01 inside the connection unit but have not arrived at either the Outlet or Stockyard 2. samples that are in the Val Pending sort location waiting on a validation flag from the LIS (Not all LIS s are capable of sending a validation flag) Samples that: 1. have been read at BR02 (the first bar code reader) but have not yet been read by BR01 inside the connection unit 2. have had additional tests ordered after they have sorted to the Outlet or Stockyard 3. have been removed from the line by performing a Rack Load but have requested a Rerun (PROCESSED) through the Line Controller 4. have not completed all of their testing (i.e. the LH 755 is disabled and the samples need a slide made) and have sorted to the Pending sort location in the Outlet. Samples that have: 1. sorted to either the Stockyard or the Outlet 2. been removed from the Stockyard or Outlet by performing a Rack Load Searching by Bar Code # By entering the bar code # and pressing enter, the desired specimen appears on the screen. Highlight the appropriate line by clicking on the Seq. #. This enables the operator to then choose one of the buttons at the bottom of the screen. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-12 of 20

59 By selecting COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES the Sample Detail Window appears. From here, the operator can get specifics of Sample Demographics, Sample Status, Sort Information and Test Information. By selecting from either the Database Query screen or the Sample Detail screen, the general vicinity of the sample on the line is shown by a dark blue box on the main menu screen. Never leave the Line Computer in this screen because it looks as if the Line Computer is frozen because everything in the Main Menu is grayed out. Also, while the Line Computer is in this screen it might not update any rack loads that are performed. To exit from this screen, click on the button that says Previous Screen where it usually says Screen Refresh. It is possible to retrieve a sample once it has been sorted to either the Outlet or Stockyard. You can retrieve a sample from: 1. The Stockyard to an Outlet sort location (Often the Labs designate one of the Outlet sort locations for retrievals) 2. A sort location in the Outlet to another sort location in the Outlet 3. The Stockyard or the Outlet to one of the connection units for retesting. 4. The Outlet to the Stockyard unless the sample is in the Val Error or Error sort location. To retrieve a sample, select the button from either the Database Query screen, the Sample Detail screen or by clicking on a sort location under Rack Statistics. The retrieval window appears. Once a Destination is selected, click Retrieve. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-13 of 20

60 System Setup COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES System Setup is password protected. The password is supervisor. Rerun (PROCESSED) is available while the Line Computer is in Startup. All other System Setup menu options are only available when the Line Computer is Shutdown. The normal setting for the LIS Connection is Enable. If the LIS goes down for an extended period of time, or when installing the LH1500 it may become necessary to run in DEMO mode. In order to run in DEMO mode, without the LIS: 1. The LIS Connection has to be disabled. 2. Each connection that is going to be run has to be checked in the Run without LIS box. 3. Use LIS Test Order for sorting must be selected. Note: When in DEMO mode, to sort samples to the Stockyard, or the Complete sort location, Complete has to be changed from section 15 to section 01 under Test Assignment. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-14 of 20

61 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES The Default setting for Circulation is No. ALWAYS leave the default setting to No in order to avoid a substantial decreased throughput due to occupied carriers. Max # of Samples- 95 is the default for 2 connection units. If three connections are configured set the Max # of Samples to 140. Validation Timeout determines how long samples will sit in the Val Pending sort location waiting for results to be verified before moving the samples to the Val Error sort location. This is only applicable for LIS s that have the capability of sending a validation flag once the results have been verified. The default is 5 Min. In order to decrease the number of samples that go to the Val Error sort location it is better to set the Validation Timeout to between min. If the Lab has Auto-validation, the time can be set closer to 30 minutes. The longer it takes to verify samples, the larger the Val Pend sort location needs to be. Missing Sample Timeout- is the amount of time the Line allows the sample to sort to the Stockyard or Outlet once it has been put on the line and read at BR02 before it places the sample ID on the Missing Sample List. Rack Label and Test Assignment are used in conjunction with each other to configure the Stockyard and the user defined sort locations in the Outlet. See RC in Training Manual for more details. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-15 of 20

62 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Under normal operating conditions, Enable Partial Processing without S,SR,R is not enabled. S,SR,R Sample Routing Setup makes it possible for partial processing of a sample in the event an analyzer is down. The operator can choose where they want the sample to sort to after it has been partially processed. LH Distinct Sorting Setup was designed for Labs with one LH 755 and one LH 750 (LH1511). This option allows for CBCD s to sort to the LH 755 only and for CBC s to sort to the LH 750 only, instead of load balancing between the two analyzers. This reduces the number of slides that have to be made manually. This would only be an option for Labs that are unable to do reflex testing through their LIS, or IM. In the event that either the LH 755 or the LH 750 is down, the LH Distinct Sorting has to be removed in order to send all samples to the analyzer that is not down. In order to remove the Distinct Sorting, the Line Computer has to be shutdown. If the Distinct Sorting is not removed and one of the analyzers is down, all samples that were supposed to sort to that analyzer will go to the Pending sort location. If the analyzer is fixed and the connection unit is enabled, the samples will be brought out of the Pending Sort location and run on that analyzer. Rerun(PROCESSED) allows samples that have been removed from the line by performing a Rack Load, to be put back on the line and rerun. If the sample is on the LH To Do List, only those tests will be performed. If it is not on the To Do List, the LH Default testing will be performed. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-16 of 20

63 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Maintenance Like System Setup, Maintenance is also password protected. The password is password1. Maintenance menu options are only available if the Line Computer is Shutdown. Thru Lane ON/OFF will empty out each of the conveyor units if empty sample tube carriers are present. Bar Code Configuration Setup is used by a BCI employee to set the appropriate bar code symbology according to individual Lab s needs during installation. Only one bar code symbology may be configured at a time. The choices for bar code symbology are: Interleaved 2 of 5 (with or without a check digit) Codabar/NW7 (with or without a check digit) Code 39 (with or without a check digit) Code 128 (always select with a check digit) Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-17 of 20

64 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Error Log There are two types of error logs. The first error log, Operations Error Log can be used to figure out why samples sort to the Error sort location or in this case, why downloads are not being received from the LIS. The System Error Log is a list of hardware errors that occurred at modules with barcode readers, the date and time they occurred, and the unit that the alarm occurred in. Both the Operations error log as well as the System Error Log hold up to 200 events and are first in, first out. The System Error Log can be very useful in identifying hardware issues that require service, as well as additional training opportunities that might be necessary. In the System Error Log pictured below, we see that on 11/16/2005 at 12:15AM at LH#2 connection unit had a 1SN33 PAS alarm. The 1 means that it is a sensor and the 33 is the actual sensor where the error occurred. PAS means it was a pass alarm so that the sample tube carrier took too long to pass from the sensor before 1-33 to sensor 33. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-18 of 20

65 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Exit Exit is only available when the Line Controller is in Shutdown. Exiting out of the Line Controller actually turns the power off to the Line Computer CPU. When Exit is chosen, the following Exit screen appears: Once the Operator selects OK the following screen appears. Once the remaining time elapses, the Line Computer powers down. About This screen gives the current software version information. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-19 of 20

66 Skill Checks COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. Why do samples appear in the missing sample list? 2. How many User Defined sort locations are available excluding Val Pending, Val Error, Error and Pending?. 3. By selecting Detail in either the Database Query screen or the Sample Detail screen, the general vicinity of the sample on the line is shown by a dark blue box on the main menu. True False 4. Describe how to Disable a connection unit and what color the connection turns on the main menu screen once it is disabled. 5. A red stripe at the top of a connection unit module in the Line Computer screen means: 6. Using the screen capture below, in which unit did the 1SN05 error occur? 7. Which Error Log would you look at to see why samples went to the error rack? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-20 of 20

67 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 8. Which Error Log would help assess training needs as well as potential Service calls? 9. What does the PAS mean in the screen capture of the System Error Log next to 1SN33 found on the previous page? 10. LH Distinct Sorting would have to be enabled with the LH 1502? Why or Why not? 11. The Line Computer is responsible for controlling the automation line, receives patient information and test requests from the LIS? TRUE FALSE 12. Samples that read on the LH 1500 but not on the LH 750 go to the error rack. TRUE FALSE 13. Which Main Menu toolbar option would an operator click on to find out what software version the Line Computer is currently using? 14. Which System Setup option would be used to run a sample on the line that had already been run and removed from the line by performing a Rack Load? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LC-21 of 20

68 SP2 LH 1500 Sample Processing 2 This Performance Guide will guide you through the following tasks/procedures: Rerun (PROCESSED) samples Sample Search Manual Retrieval Barcode no read Why These tasks are crucial to operating effectively in a laboratory environment and allow the operator to optimize the usage of their automation line. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH 1500 Instructions For Use (IFU) Manual, Chapter 5 Performance Guide SP2 This exercise is the same for both the LH 1500 and the LH except the barcode no read section. See the note under the barcode no read section for details about the differences in how the LH handles barcode no reads. Rev. A (June 2009) SP2-1 of Coulter

69 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Rerun (PROCESSED) samples, Sample Search and retrieving a sample using Manual Retrieve Step Action 1. Perform a Daily Startup (Choose, Delete All Sample Data for classroom purposes only). Load 5 samples. Let the samples sort to the Stockyard before proceeding. 2. On the Line Computer Main Menu, under Rack Statistics, click on the Stockyard (Complete) section. Observe: What does it say next to Removal Date/Time? What does it say next to Rack Seq. #? Write down one of the bar code numbers of the samples that are in the Stockyard. 3. Exit out of the Stockyard (Complete) rack statistics screen by clicking on Exit in the bottom right hand corner. 4. Click on Database in the Main Menu of the Line Computer. 5. Type the bar code number of the sample from step 2 in the Bar Code # field and press enter on the keyboard. Observe: Record the Result and Sample field in the chart below. Result Sample 6. Exit out of the Database Query screen by selecting Exit in the bottom right hand corner. 7. At the Stockyard, press the Rack Load button. 8. Press Alarm to silence the beep. 9. Pull the rack with the specimens out. Note: Anytime the Rack Load light is solid green at either the Stockyard or Outlet, any rack that is removed from the Stockyard or Outlet, MUST be emptied. 10. Remove all of the samples from the rack. (Bring the sample with the bar code # that you wrote down in step 2 with you). 11. Slide the rack all the way back in. Press PAUSE/RUN. Note: If the Stockyard remains paused after pressing the PAUSE/RUN button, then either: one of the racks is not all the way back, or one is upside down. 12. Return to the Line Computer. Under Rack Statistics, click on the Stockyard (Complete) section again. Observe: What does it say next to Removal Date/Time? What does it say next to Rack Seq. #? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP2-2 of 5

70 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 13. Exit out of the Rack Statistics screen and return to the Database Query screen. 14. Type the same bar code # from step 2 in the Bar code # field and press enter on the keyboard. Observe: Record the Result and Sample field in the chart below. Result Sample 15. Exit out of the Database Query screen by selecting Exit in the bottom right hand corner. 16. Click on System Setup in the Main Menu. Select System Setup. Type supervisor for the password. 17. Select Rerun(PROCESSED). 18. Type in the bar code # of the sample from step 2. Select OK. 19. A message appears saying, Sample processed information will be deleted. Select OK. 20. Select Cancel to exit the Rerun (PROCESSED) screen. 21. Select Exit to get out of the System Setup screen. 22. Return to the Database Query screen and look that bar code # up again. Observe: Record the Result and Sample field in the chart below. Result Sample 23. Load that tube back on the line. Note: If the sample gets sent to the same LH that it originally got run on, it will do whatever the LH default test is set for, because it is no longer on that LH s To Do List. If it gets sent to the other LH, it will still be on the To Do List, so whatever was originally ordered, is what will get run on that sample. 24. Once the sample reaches the Stockyard, go to the Database Query screen, enter the Bar Code # and press enter. 25. Click on the Seq. #. This highlights the entire line. 26. Select the Manual Retrieve button at the bottom of the screen. The Sample Retrieval window appears. 27. Click on the drop down box under Select Destination. Select SedRate. Then click Retrieve. 28. While the sample is in transit to the Outlet, Exit out of the Database Query screen, go back in, enter the Bar Code # and press enter. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP2-3 of 5

71 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 29. Highlight the Seq. #, and select the Location button at the bottom of the screen. Observe: Record what you see. Does it correspond to the general vicinity of the sample itself? 30. Select Previous Screen to get out of the Location screen. 31. Once the sample gets to the Outlet, perform a Rack Load and remove the sample. Bar-Code No Read on the Automation Line Step Action 1. Load a sample on the line with no barcode label. Observe: Does an alarm occur at either of the connection units? What alarm is given for the barcode no read and at what module is the alarm given? How do we resolve a barcode no read? 2. That concludes this exercise. Remove any samples that sorted to the Outlet by performing a Rack Load then perform a Daily Shutdown. Note: On LH lines, if the sample is not read at the Inlet, the sample will go to the Error Lane behind the Inlet barcode reader. If a sample is not read by any of the other barcode readers on the LH line, a zero alarm will occur which will pause that particular module until the alarm is resolved. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP2-4 of 5

72 Skill Checks COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. When using the Manual Retrieve feature in the Line Computer, can the operator route a sample to a specific LH connection? 2. If a sample is located in the Stockyard, what is displayed in the Results and Sample field in the Database Query screen? 3. If a sample is removed from the line by performing a proper RACK LOAD, what is displayed in the Sample field in the Database Query screen and what does that stand for? 4. Using the Line Computer, how could an operator tell if a proper Rack Load has been performed on a specific rack at either the Stockyard or the Outlet? 5. When a Rack Load has been performed in either the Outlet or the Stockyard what does that tell the line about that rack? 6. When would an operator use the Rerun (PROCESSED) samples option in the Line Computer? 7. On a LH 1500 line, what happens when the line cannot read the barcode label of a sample? 8. On a LH line, where does the sample go if it cannot read the barcode label at the Inlet? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP2-5 of 5

73 SP3 LH 1500 Sample Processing 3 This Performance Guide will guide you through the following tasks/procedures: Enabling and Disabling of a connection unit STAT-CASS mode Using the LH 700 s as stand alone units Secondary sampling on the LH while in Automation mode Why These tasks are crucial to operating effectively in a laboratory environment and allow the operator to optimize the usage of their automation line. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH 1500 Instructions For Use (IFU) Manual, Chapter 5 Performance Guide SP3 Procedures in this exercise can be used for both the LH 1500 and the LH because they are the same for both. Rev. A (June 2009) SP3-1 of Coulter

74 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Disabling an LH Connection Unit If one of the LH analyzers goes down, it is still possible to run the automation line by disabling the connection unit that the down LH is attached to. By disabling the connection unit in the Line Computer, all samples will be routed to the other connection(s). Before beginning the below exercise, perform a Daily Startup. Step Action 1. On the Main Menu of the Line Computer click on the Setup button on LH#2 connection unit. 2. Select Disable. Click OK. Observe: What color is the unit on the Line Computer main screen when it is Disabled? What color is the unit when it is Enabled? 3. Load 2 samples. Observe: Which LH connection unit do the samples get routed to? STAT-CASS Mode STAT-CASS Mode is used in the lab for several different reasons. It can be used to interrupt the loading of samples in automation mode in order to run a specimen that is super STAT. It can also be used to run QC on an instrument while samples continue to load into the connection unit in automation mode. A connection can only stay in STAT-CASS mode for 15 minutes. If the connection unit is left in STAT-CASS mode for longer than 15 minutes, the connection unit will start to beep a noncontinuous beep with no other indication of an error (no error codes, lights flashing, or buttons flashing). The same non-continuous beep can be heard when either the cassette loading arm cover is not on and there are samples waiting to load on to the analyzer, or the cassette unloading arm cover is not on and there are samples waiting to unload from the analyzer. Step Action 1. For classroom purposes, leave LH#2 Connection unit disabled. 2. Load 1 sample. 3. While the sample is being loaded into the cassette inside the connection unit, press the STAT-CASS button on the connection unit keypad. Observe: Is the STAT-CASS light solid or blinking? 4. Place a sample into a non-automation cassette, remove the loading arm cover and load the cassette onto the LH#1 loading bay. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP3-2 of 6

75 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 5. Remove the unloading arm cover and then remove the cassette from the unloading bay. Replace both Arm covers. 6. Press STAT-CASS to de-select it. The Cassette Loading Arm should immediately come up to load the cassette that has been waiting inside the connection unit. Note: It is extremely important to first remove the cassette then de-select the STAT-CASS button. If the STAT-CASS button is de-selected before removing the cassette, it will either result in an alarm, or a non-automation cassette can get loaded into the connection unit. 7. Once the cassette gets loaded onto the LH, press STAT-CASS. Observe: Is the STAT-CASS light solid or blinking? 8. Load 3 samples in the Inlet. 9. Watch the STAT-CASS button as the cassette gets unloaded from the LH. At what point does the STAT-CASS light change? 10. Load an empty cassette onto the LH. Observe: Are the last 3 samples that were put on the line being loaded into the connection while the STAT-CASS button is on? 11. This time, press STAT-CASS to deselect it before removing the empty cassette from the LH unloading bay. Observe: What happens? To fix the above alarm, remove the cassette, and then press PAUSE/RUN. Running the LH s as stand alone units Disabling the connection unit and then selecting STAT-CASS allows the LH s to be run as stand alone units (as if they weren t attached to the automation line.) This is very important because the line and the Line Computer remain on, so downloads from the LIS are still being received. The LH s also turn into stand alone units when the line is Shutdown. However, if the Line Computer is Shutdown, it cannot receive data from the LIS. This causes a big problem once the line is brought back up. Since no data was received while it was down, unless the LIS has the capability to resend the data, or unless the LH 1500 is attached to an Instrument Manager, the samples that did not download into the Line Computer cannot be run on the line. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP3-3 of 6

76 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Because the connection unit is disabled, there is no time limit to the STAT- CASS button like there is when the STAT-CASS button is used and the connection is enabled. 1. Place a sample into a cassette, remove the Loading arm cover, and load the cassette into the loading bay of LH#2. Observe: Does the cassette load? Press the START/CONT. button on the LH analyzer. What happens then? 2. Press the STAT-CASS button on the LH Connection unit keypad. Observe: Does the cassette load now? 3. Once the cassette has finished running, remove the unloading arm cover, and remove the cassette from the unloading bay. 4. Press the STAT-CASS button again to deselect it. Note: If the STAT-CASS button light does NOT go off after deselecting it, then the loading arm cover is not on correctly. 5. For classroom exercise purposes, press PAUSE/RUN on LH#2 connection unit keypad to pause the connection unit. 6. Enable LH#2 connection unit by selecting Setup on LH#2 then select Enable and OK. 7. Load 2 samples into the Inlet or directly into the sample tube carriers. 8. When the sample that routed to LH#1 connection loads into the cassette inside the connection unit, press PRIORITY to override the Load Timeout and advance the cassette. 9. Once that cassette gets loaded onto the LH, Disable the LH#1 Connection unit. Observe: Does the sample get unloaded from the LH? Does the sample get unloaded from the connection unit? 10. Enable LH#1 Connection unit. 11. Go over to LH#2 Connection unit. Press PAUSE/RUN to unpause the connection. 12. Have instructor cause an alarm. 13. Disable the LH#2 Connection unit. 14. Load 1 sample. Observe: What happens when the sample gets to LH#2 connection unit and why? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP3-4 of 6

77 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Secondary Sampling on the LH While in Automation Mode Step Action 1. Once the 3 samples in the above exercise load onto the LH and are in the process of sampling, press STOP on the LH analyzer s keypad. Note: Make sure that STOP is only pressed once. If STOP is pressed twice, it will release the Stripper Plate from the tube which will result in a tube being skipped at the LH. 2. Once the LH is done analyzing the sample it was in the process of analyzing, the Manual aspiration probe will come out and the LH screen display will say Ready. 3. Press ID and enter the bar code #. Then press ENTER. 4. Allow the aspiration probe to sample from the STAT or microtainer until it beeps, then remove the sample. 5. Once the LH analyzer screen display says Ready press START/CONT on the LH analyzer keypad. The automation will resume its operation. 6. For this exercise, once all of the samples have finished running on the line and have sorted to either the Stockyard or Outlet, rack load both the Stockyard and Outlet and perform a Daily Shutdown. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP3-5 of 6

78 Skill Checks COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. How long can the operator use STAT-CASS mode prior to the automation alerting the operator that the maximum STAT-CASS time has been exceeded? 2. What is the proper way to take a connection unit out of STAT-CASS mode once the STAT-CASS has unloaded to the unloading bay? If the LH Connection Unit has an error, disabling the Connection Unit will allow samples to bypass that module. TRUE FALSE 4. If the LH Connection Unit is disabled while samples are in the connection unit, the connection unit will finish unloading every sample that entered into the connection unit but it will not route any new samples to that connection. TRUE FALSE 5. The green LED on the STAT-CASS button of the Connection Unit Keypad blinks indicating the system is ready to run Stat samples. TRUE FALSE 6. Why would the LH Connection unit not come out of STAT-CASS mode? 7. To run one of the LH analyzers as a stand-alone unit, the operator must disable the connection unit and then load cassettes. TRUE FALSE 8. What two conditions cause a connection unit to beep a non-continuous beep without any other indication of an error? If both LH s are in Auto mode and samples that were loaded by the automation are running on the analyzers, how many times does an operator need to press STOP on the LH analyzer to run a microtainer? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only SP3-6 of 6

79 CR LH 1500 Cassette Replacement This Performance Guide will guide you through the following tasks/procedures: Removing the cassettes from the connection unit Replacing the cassettes into the connection unit Why Occasionally it becomes necessary to remove the cassettes from the connection unit for the following reasons: Error Recovery Replacing the springs every 4-6 months based on laboratory workload (Part # ) Cleaning the cassettes Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH 1500 Instructions For Use (IFU) Manual, Appendix A Maintenance under As Needed Maintenance Procedures Performance Guide CR The procedures in this exercise are the same for both the LH 1500 and the LH Rev. A (June 2009) CR-1 of Coulter

80 General Information COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES The springs used for the automation cassettes are different from the springs used in regular LH 750 cassettes. For this reason, it is important to differentiate the cassettes that should remain inside the connection units from other LH 750 cassettes. A common practice is to color through the barcode on the front of the automation cassettes position 1, 5, 8, and 12 as these are the positions used for the Cassette Loading and Unloading Arm fingers. It is also helpful to label the back of each cassette (LH#1 A-D, or LH#2 1-4) to help keep track of the cassettes because operators can inadvertently mix the cassettes up especially when using STAT-CASS mode. It is recommended that the springs inside each of the automation cassettes gets replaced every 4-6 months depending on workload. The springs become stretched and the tubes no longer fit tightly. This could cause problems while the tubes are rocking on the LH 750 rocker bed because they will start to slide out, causing a rocker bed jam which will stop the LH 750. Loose springs can also cause problems when the Cassette Loading and Unloading arms attempt to pick up the cassettes, the cassettes can fall off. If tubes appear to be sticking while either loading or unloading the cassette, it may be necessary to clean the cassettes with warm, soapy water in order to remove the residue built up from labels. Cassette Handling Mechanism (CHM) The Cassette Handling Mechanism is responsible for moving the four cassettes inside the connection unit in a clockwise rotation. There are eight positions that the cassettes are rotated through. See diagram below. The positions outlined in red (Pos# 1, 5, 6 and 8) are the home positions. Samples are placed into a cassette in Pos# 4 by the Sample Transfer Mechanism (STM). A maximum of eight samples are loaded into a cassette. Sample positions 1 and 5 in the cassette are reserved for the Cassette Loading Arm fingers. Sample positions 8 and 12 in the cassette are reserved for the Cassette Unloading Arm fingers. Cassettes are picked up by the Cassette Loading Arm in Pos# 5 and placed into the LH loading bay. Once the cassette has completed sampling, it is unloaded to the LH unloading bay where the Cassette Unloading Arm picks the cassette up and places it into the connection unit in Pos# 7. The cassette is then shuttled to Pos# 8 where it is pushed onto the belt and routed to Pos# 1. Samples are unloaded from the cassette in Pos# 2 and the empty cassette is then routed around to Pos# 4 to continue loading more samples. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CR-2 of 5

81 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Removing Cassettes Step Action 1. Ensure that the line is Started up and that the connection units are in Auto mode. If samples are running on the line, disable one of the connection units, wait for all of the samples in that connection unit to unload, then proceed to step Lift the tabletop safety cover (this automatically pauses the automation) 3. Remove the cassette from pos #1 (Refer to above diagram.) 4. Before proceeding with step 4, read steps 4 and 5 all the way through the note in step 5 to prevent an alarm from occurring. Close the cover, and press PAUSE/RUN to advance the next cassette from pos #8 to pos #1. 5. Lift the cover to pause the automation BEFORE the next cassette reaches pos #1. Remove the cassette from pos #1. Note: If you wait until the cassette REACHES pos #1 to lift the cover and remove the cassette, then the Unloading STM arm will already be on its way over to grab the cassette and move it to pos #2 which will result in an error. If the STM arm DOES come over, then do not attempt to remove the cassette from pos #1. Wait until the STM arm moves the cassette over to pos #2 or #3, then lift the cover once the next cassette begins moving from pos #8 to pos #1. 6. Repeat steps 4-5 until all four cassettes have been removed. Replacing Cassettes Step Action 1. If replacing the cassette springs, write the date on the back of each cassette in order to track how long the springs are lasting in your particular lab. 2. Lift the tabletop safety cover and place a cassette in pos #5. Note: Ensure the cassette is placed with the barcodes facing the back of the connection unit 3. Close the cover and press PAUSE/RUN. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CR-3 of 5

82 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 4. Once the cassette in pos #5 advances to pos #6, lift the cover and place the second cassette in pos #5. 5. Close the cover and press PAUSE/RUN. 6. Continue until all four cassettes are inside the connection unit. 7. Enable the connection unit that was disabled and repeat the entire procedure for the other connection unit(s). Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CR-4 of 5

83 Skill Checks COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. List the four home positions for cassettes in the Cassette Handling Mechanism: 2. Depending on the laboratory s workload, the cassette springs for the cassettes inside the Connection unit should be replaced every. 3. An automation cassette holds a maximum of samples. 4. The Cassette Load / Unload Arm fingers use which cassette positions? 5. When a cassette is unloaded from an LH Analyzer, to which CHM position is it returned to inside the Connection Unit? 6. List two things that can happen if the cassette springs inside the connection unit get too loose? The Connection Unit pauses whenever the tabletop safety cover is opened. TRUE FALSE 8. The LH 750 cassettes use the same springs as the cassettes that are used for automation and remain inside the connection unit. TRUE FALSE Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only CR-5 of 5

84 EC LH 1500 Error Codes At the completion of this exercise, you will have: Learned what happens when an error occurs at a module Identified how to read error codes Correlate error codes with module diagram schematics Why By understanding how modules display error codes and what they mean, error recovery becomes more efficient. Reference LH 1500 Hematology Automation System Instructions For Use (IFU), Chapter 7 and Appendix -B Error Codes Performance Guide All of the information in this exercise is the same for both the LH 1500 and the LH Rev. A (June 2009) EC-1 of Coulter

85 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES ERROR CODES When there is an alarm at a module, several things occur: 1. The Alarm button flashes 2. An audible, continuous alarm is heard (Different from a Rack Load alarm that beeps every few seconds) 3. The module Pauses so the Pause/Run button lights up 4. The light attached to the Outlet module will light up if the alarm is at the Inlet, Outlet, or Connection units. The light attached to the Stockyard will flash if the alarm is at the Stockyard. 5. A single digit number will appear in the display window. To solve an alarm: 1. Press the Alarm button to silence the audible alarm 2. Look at the single digit number that appears in the display window. This tells you the type of alarm (i.e. sensor, solenoid, auto switch) 3. Press the (-) Function button to see the second part of the alarm which is a two digit number. This tells you which specific component is causing the alarm. 4. If the first number (the single digit number) is a 1, 2, or 7 look the error code up on the schematic using the schematic initials and the two digit number, then refer to the book if necessary. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only EC-2 of 10

86 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES The Single digit number in the error code and what it means Single digit # Schematic initials Description 0 A barcode no read error. Caused by: 1. The label is damaged, unreadable or covered by the sample tube carrier. 2. The sample tube carrier not spinning properly (i.e. because of a dirty orange o-ring, or dual bearing spinner not adjusted properly). If this is the case, 0 alarms will be occurring frequently at the same barcode reader. Clean the o-ring if it continues to not spin properly contact service. 1 SN A sensor error. There are different types of sensors: 1. Fiber Optic sensors- are looking for tubes. To resolve: a. Determine whether the fiber optic that is causing the alarm sees a tube, or doesn t see a tube. b. Give it what it wants by taking the tube away or placing a tube in front of the fiber optic. 2. Hall Effect sensors- are the little black sensors that are looking for the sample tube carriers. When a Hall Effect sensor sees metal, it has a red light that will light up. To resolve: a. Press Pause/Run because sometimes, it simply took too long for a puck to pass from the previous sensor to the sensor that is alarming. If the alarm goes away, then it was simply a timing issue. If the alarm does not go away then b. Locate the sensor and if it sees a puck, then it doesn t want to see it (i.e. sometimes there is an obstruction on the track downstream that will cause pucks to back up eventually causing an alarm because the hall effect doesn t want to see the puck) In this case, removing the obstruction downstream will allow the puck to move past the offending sensor. c. If it doesn t see a puck, then it wants to see one. Look up stream to find out why the puck did not pass by like it should (sometimes pucks get hung up turning corners, etc.) If you are unable to free the puck up stream, then showing the sensor metal can make it think that a puck passed by. 3. Switch sensors- are underneath each rack in the Inlet and Outlet and they are looking for racks 4. Photo Optic sensors-are looking for cassettes inside the connection unit 2 SL A cylinder error. A cylinder is anything that is driven by air. This alarm occurs when something interferes with a cylinders normal range of motion. Cylinders are controlled by solenoids which activate and deactivate in order to route pressure to various cylinders. All cylinder alarms are resolved by removing the obstruction. Examples of cylinders: 1. Stoppers underneath the track that stop and release sample tube carriers. Sometimes these become stuck on a sample tube carrier causing a stuck puck. To remove the obstruction, gently twist (never push) the puck and it will pop forward or backward. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only EC-3 of 10

87 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 2. Gripper fingers (the up and down motion and the opening and closing). The most common example of an up and down motion obstruction would be tube on top of tube. To resolve, remove the tube from the rack and empty rack if the problem was not caused by a duplicate ID. 3. Diverter gates (something is obstructing them from opening or closing or they are too slow) If they are moving too slow, pressing Pause/Run will resolve the alarm but it will continue to alarm every time it needs to move so a service call will become necessary. 3 Barcode reader initialization error. Possible causes: 1. Dirty barcode reader 2. Sunlight from windows interfering with barcode reader light 3. Barcode reader tilted (i.e. bracket becomes loose) 4 Pulse motor alarm. Pulse motors move the transfer arms in the Inlet, Outlet and Stockyard front to back and side to side. Sensors are used to tell the arms when they have reached certain positions, including their HOME position. If a 4 alarm occurs at the Inlet, Outlet or Stockyard try the following. Go on to the next step if the previous step doesn t work: 1. Try pressing Pause/Run. 2. Press the Auto/Manual button twice to go to Manual mode. Then go back to Auto mode. This re-initializes or re-homes the module. 3. Turn the power to the module off. Move the arm to the middle (NEVER move the arm unless the power is off). Turn the module power back on. Press the Auto/Manual button twice to return to Auto mode. Inside the Connection Unit, pulse motors move the STM (Sample Transfer Mechanism) arms from side to side. If a 4 alarm occurs inside the Connection Unit, as long as the line has the latest software version E-04, to fix a 4 alarm: 1. Press Pause/Run and both STM arms will re-home themselves. Ensure that any cassettes in positions 1, 2 and 3 are properly positioned in order to avoid another 4 alarm. 5 Communication alarm between the LH analyzer and the connection unit. They are usually caused because either the LH is not READY or because there is a cassette in the loading or unloading bay of the analyzer and there shouldn t be. 7 AS Auto Switch or Auto Sensor error on gripper fingers. There are many auto switches on the line. The only ones that will give you a 7 alarm are the ones on gripper fingers. This occurs when there is a tube in the fingers and there shouldn t be, or there isn t a tube in the gripper fingers and there should be. Auto switches are adjustable so occasionally if 7 alarms are occurring for no explainable reason, then it could mean that the auto switch needs to be adjusted. Auto switches that are not on the gripper fingers and can be seen on the schematics will never give you a 7 alarm. Those auto switches are used in conjunction with cylinders so that the cylinders know when they are up, or down or in and out. If one of those auto switches stops working, then you will get continual 2 alarms because the cylinder won t know whether it is up or down. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only EC-4 of 10

88 How to Read schematics: COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Let s pretend that we have a 1-07 alarm at the Inlet Module. The chart from above indicates that 1 means it is a sensor alarm. The chart also indicates that the schematic initials for a sensor are SN. So, when looking at the Inlet Module schematic, look for the sensor labeled SN07. The Inlet schematic shows that SN07 is the sensor that is underneath Rack#3 in the Inlet. Someone must have lifted Rack#3 when the Rack Load light was not solid green. Only when the Rack Load light is solid green is it safe to remove a rack from the Inlet. To resolve the SN07 alarm, the operator must ensure that Rack#3 is in place (give it what it wants), then press Pause/Run to resume operation. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only EC-5 of 10

89 Schematic Basics COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES If an error occurs at the Inlet or Outlet, there is only one schematic diagram for each of these modules and they are labeled Inlet Unit and Outlet Unit. If however the error occurs at the Connection Unit or Stockyard, there are several different schematic views for each of these modules. Every schematic view has a legend which is usually located in the bottom right or left of each schematic. This legend indicates what sensors, autoswitches, solenoids, etc. are depicted in that particular schematic view. In order to not waste time looking at the wrong schematic, always check to make sure the sensor, autoswitch or solenoid that is causing the alarm, is located on that particular schematic. = Legend = Hall effect sensor. Hall effect sensors detect metal. Sample tube carriers (pucks) are lined at the top with metal. Hall effect sensors keep track of Pucks as they travel along the line. = Fiber optic sensor. Fiber optic sensors detect the presence or absence of a sample tube. = Top view of a sample tube carrier. Side view of a puck and the stopper that is stopping it. Stoppers are cylinders located underneath the track and typically cannot be seen by the operator. Stoppers will always be drawn off to the side with a line drawn to a circle to indicate the position of the puck when it is being stopped by that stopper. Although we can t see the stopper, we can locate the position of the puck being stopped based on proximity to sensors on the track. Sometimes a stopper will get stuck on a puck causing a 2 alarm. Stoppers can be unstuck by twisting the stopper. It will either pop forward or backward once it is unstuck. Diverter gate. Diverter gates help route pucks around corners when changing lanes. Pneumatic cylinder that operates the diverter gate and is located underneath the track. In this schematic, air is routed to the cylinder by solenoid 62. Gripper finger transfer arm. Arms are drawn off to the side with a line drawn to the x-axis that the arm travels on, inside the hood of the module. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only EC-6 of 10

90 Skill Check COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. List the 5 things that occur at a module when there is an alarm. a. b. c. d. e. 2. When an alarm occurs at a module, what does the operator need to press in order to see the component that is causing an alarm? 3. How can the operator tell if a Hall Effect sensor sees a sample tube carrier? Using schematics answer the following questions: 4. What sensor inside the connection unit tells the cassette that it is in the following Cassette Handling Mechanism position: a. CHM pos #1? b. CHM pos #2? c. CHM pos #3? d. CHM pos #4? e. CHM pos #5? f. CHM pos #6? g. CHM pos #7? h. CHM pos #8? i. CHM pos #9? 5. What alarm would occur if the rack shuttle was not able to move forward to CHM position #4 due to an obstruction? Describe how to resolve the alarm. 6. The only alarm that might require the operator to turn the power off to the module in order to resolve the alarm is what? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only EC-7 of 10

91 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 7. In the connection unit, what solenoid might an operator have to press in order to release the pin from the cassette if it is stuck between CHM position #1 and #2? 8. At the Stockyard, what alarm would occur if an operator removed a tube by hand from the Stockyard, returned it to the incorrect spot and then another operator went to retrieve that same tube using the Line Computer? Describe how to resolve this alarm? 9. What alarm would occur if an operator accidently performed a Rack Load on a rack in the Stockyard, then pushed it back in without removing the samples from the rack? Describe how to resolve this alarm? 10. At the Stockyard, what alarm would occur if there is an object obstructing the movement of the loading transfer cup so that the cup cannot move in to the Stockyard? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only EC-8 of 10

92 Optional schematic reading practice questions COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Describe what is causing the alarm listed next to each schematic and how to resolve it (i.e. it s a fiber optic sensor that either sees a tube and doesn t want to, or it wants to see a tube and doesn t ; or it s a stopper underneath the sample tube carrier that is stuck near sensor 18, etc.) Refer to the full schematic view for reference. Do not use the error code book. Inlet: Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only EC-9 of 10

93 LH Connection Conveyor COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only EC-10 of 10

94 TS LH 1500 Troubleshooting This Performance Guide will guide you through the following tasks/procedures: Creating common errors that occur in the lab Noting the steps necessary to fix them. Why Error Recovery is an integral part of operating the LH 1500 Automation system as efficiently as possible, with as little down time as possible. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH 1500 Instructions For Use (IFU) Manual, Chapter 7 Performance Guide TS This exercise is the same for both the LH 1500 and the LH Rev. A (June 2009) TS-1 of Coulter

95 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Preparation Instructor will use the following scenarios to cause some of the most common alarms that occur in labs. Students will use their Schematics (Sensor Diagrams) to locate and resolve the alarms. Error Scenario #1 Allow 1 bar-coded sample to be loaded into a cassette in the Connection Unit. When the cassette has been analyzed and placed in the LH Unloading Bay, press Pause / Run before the unloading arm removes the cassette. Manually remove the cassette from the LH Unloading Bay (there should be only 3 cassettes in the Connection Unit). Press Pause / Run. Describe the error that occurs and how to recover from the error. Error Scenario #2 Allow 1 sample tube to be loaded into a cassette in the Connection Unit. Press Priority on the connection unit keypad. While the LH instrument is analyzing the loaded cassette, press Pause / Run and add an empty Hemogard cassette to the Unloading Bay of the LH Analyzer. Describe the error that occurs and how to recover from the error. Error Scenario #3 Load 1 sample tube. Allow the analyzed sample tube from the cassette to be unloaded back to the Conveyor Unit of the LH As the tube and sample holder are moving toward the I-Lane, block the sample until an error occurs. Describe the error that occurs and how to recover from the error. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only TS-2 of 4

96 Error Scenario #4 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Allow 3 sample tubes to be loaded into a cassette in the Connection Unit. As one of the sample tubes is being picked up by the STM gripper Arm and carried over to the cassette, press Pause / Run. Remove the tube from the gripper fingers (always use two hands, using one hand to twist the tube out will eventually damage the gripper fingers). Press Pause/Run and allow the alarm to occur. Put the tube back in the gripper fingers (to simulate the tube sticking to the gripper fingers when it was supposed to go down inside cassette. Describe the error that occurs and how to recover from the error. Error Scenario #5 Slide the Cassette Unloading Arm Safety cover back so the sensor is not activated. Load 1 sample tube. Allow it to load into the Connection Unit and onto the LH analyzer. Describe what happens when the cassette unloads into the Unloading Bay of the LH analyzer and how to fix it. Error Scenario #6 Perform a Rack Load at the Stockyard but leave the samples in the Rack. What error(s) occur when the samples reach the Stockyard? Describe how to fix it. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only TS-3 of 4

97 Skill Checks COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. How does the line know whether or not the STM arm loaded a tube into a cassette inside the Connection Unit? 2. In order to fix a PAS error, you have to hold a sample tube in front of a sensor. TRUE FALSE 3. Name three realistic reasons why scenario #6 might happen in a lab environment. 4. What are the two reasons for a non-continuous beep to occur when no alarm is present in the connection unit? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only TS-4 of 4

98 ES LH 1500 Emergency Stop Button Recovery This Performance Guide will guide you through recovering from an Emergency Stop. An Emergency Stop occurs when someone depresses any one of the Emergency Stop Buttons located throughout the LH The power to the entire line is immediately shutoff. This is one of several safety features that the LH 1500 is equipped with. Why Occasionally it becomes necessary to perform an emergency stop while samples are being processed on the line. It is important for the operator to realize that under most circumstances, it is possible to recover from an emergency stop without having to remove everything from the entire line, and store the samples off-line. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: Performance Guide ES Performance Guide CR Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Coulter

99 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Step Action 1. If either the Cassette Loading or Unloading arm is up and extended (in the process of loading or unloading a cassette from the LH s), on any of the connections, remove everything from the line and call service. Attempting to perform a stop button recovery while any of the arms are extended will result in the arm crashing against the top of the connection unit. Extended Arm 2. If either the Cassette Loading or Unloading arm is up BUT NOT EXTENDED proceed to step Press the Stop Button that was depressed to disengage it. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only ES- 2 of 9

100 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 4. Remove the safety cover from the conveyor unit and remove: a. All samples that have entered the sorting lane in EACH LH connection. b. Any tube in the loading grippers. Place them in a cassette to be run on the LH that they were assigned to run on. (Do not load onto LH s yet) Loading grippers Sorting Lane 5. Inside each connection unit remove any tube(s) that might be: a. in the loading gripper fingers of the Sample Transfer Mechanism (STM) b. in a cassette in the front row in positions 4-5 (Refer to diagram in step 16) c. in front of BR01 (at SN 41) d. in the loading elevator (if it is accessible). Note: If the elevator is inside the conveyor, do not attempt to retrieve the tube. As soon as the power is restored and the connection is placed into Auto mode, the elevators will drop down and give you a 1-49 error if a tube is in the loading elevator. Place them into the same cassettes from above for samples to be run off-line. SN 41 Sample Transfer Mechanism responsible for loading tubes into cassettes Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only ES- 3 of 9

101 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 6. Remove any cassette that might be on the Cassette Loading Arm at each connection unit by first removing the safety cover. 7. Load the cassettes with the tubes to be run from steps 4-6, onto each LH while the power is still off to the line. 8. Remove all tubes that are inside the connection unit: a. In a cassette in the back row in position 2 or 3 only (Refer to diagram in step 16). b. In the unloading gripper fingers of the Sample Transfer Mechanism c. In the unloading elevator. Remove any tube that is in the Unloading gripper fingers of the conveyor unit. All of these tubes have been run on the LH. Note: If the elevator is inside the conveyor, do not attempt to retrieve the tube. As soon as the power is restored and the connection is placed into Auto mode, the elevators will drop down and give you a 1-44 error if a tube is in the unloading elevator. Unloading gripper fingers of STM Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only ES- 4 of 9

102 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 9. Remove any cassette that might be on the Cassette Unloading arm at each connection unit by first removing the safety cover. (Refer to picture in step 6). These tubes have completed sampling. 10. Place the tubes that have completed sampling from steps 8-9 into the empty sample tube carriers waiting in the conveyor unit. Samples that have completed sampling Empty sample tube carriers in sorting lane will be released to the unloading area of the conveyor unit once the connection is in auto mode 11. Once the samples that were manually loaded onto each LH have completed sampling and are in the unloading bay, remove the cassettes, take the tubes from the cassettes and place them into the remaining empty sample tube carriers in the conveyor unit. Note: If there are not enough empty sample tube carriers, wait until the connection unit is placed back into auto, then the three empty sample tube carriers in the sorting lane will be released to the unloading area of the conveyor unit (see picture in step 10). Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only ES- 5 of 9

103 12. In the Stockyard remove any tube in the: a. Transfer Load Arm grippers b. Receiving Transfer Cup c. Gripper fingers of the Retrieval Arm Place them into a rack on top of stockyard for now. COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Retrieval Arm Receiving Transfer Cup Unloading Transfer Cup Transfer Load Arm grippers Transfer Unload Arm grippers 13. In the Stockyard remove any tube in the: a. Transfer Unload Arm grippers b. Unloading Transfer cup 14. In the Outlet remove any tube that might be in the gripper fingers. Place on top of the Outlet in an empty rack for now. 15. In the Inlet remove any tube that might be in the gripper fingers and place into the rack that was in the process of loading. 16. Replace the designated Automation cassettes into their appropriate Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only ES- 6 of 9

104 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES connection unit. Note: It may only be possible to put a cassette in position #1 and #5 at this time. Remove any cassette that might be in position #2 or #3. Once the connection unit is back into Auto mode, refer to the Cassette Replacement procedure (CR) to return the remaining cassette(s) to the connection unit. 17. Replace all the safety covers for the Cassette Loading and Unloading Arms, as well as the safety cover looking down into the connection unit. 18. Select the System Operation button on the Main Menu of the Line Computer. 19. Click Shutdown. The shutdown screen appears. This Will Shutdown the Automation System. Are you sure? Select OK. 20. The shutdown reminder screen appears. Sample Present on the System. Please Remove. Proceed with System Shutdown. Are you Sure? Select OK. 21. Once the Line Computer is shutdown, press the green power ON button at the Inlet. 22. Power on the Line Computer. Select System Operation, then Startup. 23. You MUST choose Do Not Delete in order to pick up where you left off. Select OK. 24. Take the sample that was in the Outlet gripper fingers and place it in a sample tube carrier in front of the Outlet barcode reader. (It will be placed in the position that it was assigned to prior to the emergency stop) 25. There should now be enough sample tube carriers available in the unloading side of the conveyor units to place any remaining samples that were waiting on empty sample tube carriers from step 11 into. 26. Take the samples that you removed from the Stockyard and place them in empty sample tube carriers prior to BR01 at the Stockyard. (They will be placed in the position that they were assigned to go prior to the emergency stop.) 27. Replace ALL remaining safety covers (Stockyard Shield, and Conveyor Unit covers). Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only ES- 7 of 9

105 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 28. Ensure the samples are moved to the front of the racks in the Inlet. Perform a Rack Load to process the sample tubes remaining in the Inlet when the emergency stop button was depressed. Note: Any sample that was sorted into a conveyor unit but did not get read by BR01 inside the connection, will end up in the error sort location even though they were manually placed onto the LH s and sampled. These samples (a maximum of 6 per connection unit) will have to be stored offline. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only ES- 8 of 9

106 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Skill Check 1. All samples have to be removed from the Line when an emergency stop occurs. True False 2. Why do some samples end up in the Error sort location after an emergency stop button recovery? 3. If the Cassette Loading or Unloading arm on either connection is up and extended after an emergency stop, it is safe to continue on following the ES recovery procedure. True False 4. Two cassettes cannot be between pos#1-pos#3 or a rack jam will occur upon Startup. True False 5. What will happen if a Shutdown and Startup is not performed after an emergency stop? 6. When doing a Startup after an emergency stop, which deleting option do you choose in the Startup screen? 7. It is very important to get any tubes that might be in the elevators after an emergency stop out, prior to performing a Startup. True False Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only ES- 9 of 9

107 RC LH 1500 Rack Configuration This Performance Guide will guide you through the following tasks: Understanding the Lab s workflow Assigning Rack Labels Test Assignment Rack Configuration Why In order to make the LH 1500 as efficient as possible for each lab, it s necessary to understand workflow and how the workflow impacts rack configuration in the Outlet. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH1500 Instructions For Use (IFU) Manual, Chapter 6 Performance Guide RC This exercise is almost identical for the core LH 1500 and the LH Pay close attention to the notes and keep in mind that when configuring the Stockyard, the screen captures will look slightly different for the LH than the screen captures for the LH Rev. A (June 2009) RC-1 of Coulter

108 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Prior to Rack Configuration Before beginning to configure the racks in the Outlet and Stockyard from scratch, it is necessary to do some investigation of the workflow in the lab. The following things must be done prior to configuring the racks for the first time in order to ensure workflow efficiency and setup accuracy. Find out what tests the Lab is going to want to sort into different sort locations in the Outlet. Get the volumes of these tests in order to make the sort locations the appropriate size. Have the Lab s LIS person define the test codes they are going to want sorted into the Outlet using UD1-UD9 and UDa-UDf. Find out if the LIS is capable of sending a validation flag to the Line Computer. If not, then Val Pending and Val Error cannot be used. Make a sketch of the Outlet and map out where and how many spaces are necessary for each UD test code. Perform a Rack Load of all racks in the Stockyard and Outlet and replace with all empty racks. This MUST be done because Rack Configuration wipes out the ENTIRE line computer sample database, including Host Downloads as well as samples that are stored in the Stockyard and Outlet. Perform a Daily Shutdown. Click on the Setup tab of both the Stockyard and Outlet on the Main Menu of the Line Computer. Delete all racks. Go to System Setup/System Setup (password is supervisor.) Select Test Assignment. Delete everything but: Test Code Rack Section # 1 01 Exit out of the Line Computer Screen. Power up the Line Computer (to avoid Magenta, ensure the power is on to the line prior to powering up). If the operator simply wants to change Rack Configuration or add a new test and a sort location for the new test, then the only steps from above that MUST be done prior to Rack Configuration is: Perform a Rack Load of all racks in the Stockyard and Outlet and replace with all empty racks. This MUST be done because Rack Configuration wipes out the ENTIRE line computer sample database, including Host Downloads as well as samples that are stored in the Stockyard and Outlet. Perform a Daily Shutdown. Rack Configuration Configuring racks is a three step process, all of which must be done while the Line Computer is in Shutdown. In the first step, the user definable sections are given a Rack Label or name. In the second step, under Test Assignment, the rack label is associated with a UD test code, and the priority level is setup. In the last step, the UD test codes are assigned to specific positions in the Outlet Rack. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only RC-2 of 8

109 Rack Label COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Step Action 1. Ensure the Line Computer is Shutdown. 2. Select System Setup on the Main Menu of the Line Computer. 3. Select System Setup and type in the password supervisor. Click OK. 4. Select 5. The Rack Label Setup screen appears. 6. Select 01 in the No. column. This highlights the first row. 7. In the Rack Label field, type the name that the LIS defined for the test code UD1. In the above screen capture, it s SedRate. There is a maximum limit of 10 characters. (For class, use the Rack Label names from the IFU pages 6-14 and 6-15 as a guide.) Note1: For the core LH 1500, to maintain consistency from Lab to Lab, the installation team has requested that Section No. 01 be labeled whatever UD1 has been defined as in the LIS, 02/UD2, etc. Note2: NEVER change the LIS Code. Note3: For the core LH 1500, Section No. 15 is always given the Rack Label of Stockyard. Note4: For the LH 1500+, Section No. 01 is always given the Rack Label of Stockyard. 8. Select Change. 9. For class, label the remaining sections using the IFU pages 6-14 and 6-15 as a guide. For classroom purposes, make Section no.15 Stockyard for the Rack Label instead of Complete. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only RC-3 of 8

110 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 10. Once all Rack Labels have been entered, select OK. 11. The message, New settings will be valid after the next Restart, appears. Select OK then Exit. 12. Select Exit in the Line Computer Main Menu. The message appears saying This will Exit to Windows. Are you Sure? Select OK. 13. Let the Line Computer power itself off. Wait 1 minute then perform a Power Up. OR If the Startexe icon is on the desktop, then select Cancel when the Shutdown screen appears saying, The System will Shutdown. Re-launch the Line Computer software by clicking on desktop icon Startexe.bat. Test Assignment Step Action 1. Select System Setup on the Main Menu of the Line Computer. 2. Select System Setup and type in the password supervisor. Click OK. 3. Select 4. The Test Assignment Setup screen appears. 5. Select UD1 in the Test column. 6. Highlight the Rack Label name under Rack Section that corresponds to UD1. (For class, use the IFU page 6-17 as a guide.) Note: If configuring a core LH 1500, UDf should be Stockyard. If configuring the LH 1500+, UD1 should be Stockyard. 7. Click ADD. UD1 SedRate Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only RC-4 of 8

111 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 8. Continue until all UD test codes have been assigned to their appropriate Rack Section. 9. After all UD test codes have been assigned, select CBC under the Test column, highlight whatever Rack Label name was given to section #15 (For the classroom it was Stockyard) then click ADD. 10. Next, select CBC and DIF, highlight Stockyard, then ADD. 11. Select RET, highlight Stockyard, then ADD. 12. Select SLD, highlight Stockyard, then ADD. 13. Samples will sort in order of priority starting at the top of the list. Using the Test Assignment Setup screen in step 4 as an example, if a sample gets put on the line with both a HgbA1C and Flow ordered on it, that sample will sort to the HgbA1C sort location because it s higher in priority than the Flow. The C,CD,R and S must remain at the bottom of the list, to ensure samples get sorted to the Outlet. 14. Change the priority of the UD s according to Lab protocol. To do this, highlight the Test Code that you want to change, then click UP or DOWN to increase or decrease the priority. 15. Select OK. 16. A message appears, New settings will be valid after the next Startup. Select OK then Exit. 17. Select Exit in the Line Computer Main Menu. The message appears saying This will Exit to Windows. Are you Sure? Select OK. 18. Let the Line Computer power itself off. Wait 1 minute then perform a Power Up. OR If the Startexe icon is on the desktop, then select Cancel when the Shutdown screen appears saying, The System will Shutdown. Re-launch the Line Computer software by clicking on desktop icon Startexe.bat. Rack Setup for the Outlet and Stockyard Step Action 1. Select the Setup button on the Outlet module in the Main Menu of the Line Computer. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only RC-5 of 8

112 2. The Outlet Rack Setup screen appears. COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 3. Click on Rack 1 in the upper left hand corner of the Outlet Rack Setup screen. 4. Highlight the first square in the upper left corner of the Rack Image. 5. In the first Sample Positions box, enter the first position of the range where the desired test will be sorted. (If you click on the square under Rack Image that corresponds to where you want your sort location to start, then the corresponding sample position will show up under the first Sample Position box.) Enter the last position of the range in the second box. (Do not make your sort locations smaller than 5 positions) Note: Keep the volumes of the user defined tests in mind while deciding how large the sort location range should be. Helpful Hint: Grab a rack from the Outlet and use that as a guide when entering the ranges. 6. Select the desired user defined test in the Section list. (For classroom purposes use the IFU charts for Rack Setup on page 6-22.) 7. Select Change. The test code will appear in the corresponding boxes of the Rack Image. 8. Continue this procedure until all four racks in the Outlet are assigned. 9. Select OK. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only RC-6 of 8

113 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 10. A warning message appears, The Current Rack Information will be lost! Are you Sure? Note: Whenever the Outlet and/or the Stockyard rack configurations are changed, the ENTIRE line computer sample database is wiped out, including Host Downloads as well as samples that are stored in the Stockyard and Outlet. 11. Select OK. 12. A message appears, New settings will be valid after the next Startup. 13. Select OK. 14. Select the Setup button on the Stockyard module in the Main Menu of the Line Computer. 15. Repeat steps 3-13 to assign section 15 (Stockyard) to positions in all 3 racks. 16. Select Exit in the Line Computer Main Menu. The message appears saying This will Exit to Windows. Are you Sure? Select OK. 17. Let the Line Computer power itself off. Wait 1 minute then perform a Power Up. OR If the Startexe.bat icon is on the desktop, then select Cancel when the Shutdown screen appears saying, The System will Shutdown. Re-launch the Line Computer software by clicking on desktop icon Startexe.bat. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only RC-7 of 8

114 Skill Checks COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES 1. Volumes of the user defined tests are not important in configuring racks. TRUE FALSE 2. is the first step in the three part process of rack configuration. 3. Prior to Rack Configuration, it is necessary to perform a Rack Load on all racks in the Stockyard and Outlet replacing them with all empty racks. TRUE FALSE 4. What is wiped out when the Outlet or Stockyard configuration is changed? 5. Rack Label setup is where you assign a sort location a name, AND assign it priority. TRUE FALSE 6. When setting up the Rack Labels, it is OK to change the LIS Code. TRUE FALSE 7. When configuring Outlet sort locations, do not make a sort location smaller than sample positions. 8. What would happen if CD, R, and S were at the top of the list instead of the bottom of the list in the Test Assignment screen and why? Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only RC-8 of 8

115 MT EC LH 1500 MENTOR TRAINER Given an operating LH 1500, training modules, and appropriate supplies for administering modules: Format a training plan for your laboratory Verify skill performance for each trainee Have a course Facilitator and/or Applications Specialist verify your performance as a mentor/trainer Why In order to have competent LH 1500 operators in your laboratory, it is important that they be grounded in the basics of instrument operation. As the mentor/trainer for your laboratory, it is your responsibility not only to train, but to mentor your colleagues as they progress through the skills required to become a competent, LH 1500 operator. Reference For this exercise, please refer to the following: LH 1500 Training Modules with Skill Checks Training Checklist Rev. A (June 20009) MT-1 of Coulter

116 INFORMATION / PRACTICE SECTION Hints Before You Start COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Have a plan! Let trainees know that you expect them to become competent LH 1500 operators Have supplies ready: copies of modules, Skill Checks, schematics, etc. Provide practice, practice, and more practice for trainees! Watch trainees, but let them do the hands-on stuff! It s OK for trainees to make a mistake! Don t jump in too quickly, unless there is a real danger involved! Offer encouragement and positive reinforcement! Have trainees tell you what they learned about the topics Training is an ongoing process, not a one-time event! Encourage pride in a job well done. Create a Training Plan Create a written training plan outline for your facility. Include Required Topics as well as Elective Topics (for all). Required Topics are for basic system operation. Elective Topics are for identifying and recovering from error conditions. Required Topics (for all): System Overview, Sample Processing 1, 2 and 3, Components, Line Controller, Startup Shutdown, and Maintenance Elective Topics (for all): Error Codes, Rack Configuration, Cassette Replacement, Emergency Stop, and Troubleshooting. 1. List the topics you plan to cover in each section. 2. Describe how you will do the training for each topic. List the resources you will need and the techniques (verbal, module, practice, demo, etc.) you plan to use. 3. List the important points that need to be covered in each topic. 4. Describe how you will verify that a trainee learned the topics listed (observation, skill check, etc.) 5. Describe the documentation you will use to show completed training for an individual (checklist provided or your own sign off sheet). Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only MT-3 of 3

117 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES Train a Person in the Basics Choose a person to train in all the basic topics listed. (You may not be able to complete this part of the practice while at the Education Center. In that case, an Applications Specialist will observe you and sign your Skill Check.) A facilitator will observe as you do the training: Following your training plan, provide the trainee with any supplies and materials needed. Using the technique(s) you outlined, have the trainee learn all the topics on your list. Verify each topic learned according to your outline. Document your training on a checklist. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only MT-3 of 3

118 BECKMAN COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING CHECKLIST When you return to your lab, you will probably want to start training your colleagues as soon as your LH 1500 is installed. By following the classroom training Course Map, you can tailor training to the needs of your colleagues. You are free to use the Training Modules for training colleagues in your lab. You may choose to verify the trainee s knowledge of a given topic by using a Skill Check. LH 1500 Topics System Overview Components Startup Shutdown Sample Processing 1 Line Computer Sample Processing 2 Sample Processing 3 Cassette Replacement Error Codes Troubleshooting Maintenance LH 1500 Plus (if applicable) Emergency Stop Rack Configuration Mentor Trainer Photocopy the Personal Progress Summary on the next page to use as you train each of your colleagues. This provides a permanent progress record for each trainee. Rev. A (June Coulter

119 COULTER LH 1500 TRAINING MODULES PERSONAL PROGRESS SUMMARY NAME LH 1500 Skill Checks Date Achieved Sign Off Apps REQUIRED System Overview Components Startup Shutdown Sample Processing 1 Line Computer Sample Processing 2 Sample Processing 3 Cassette Replacement Error Codes Troubleshooting Maintenance LH 1500 Plus (If applicable) ELECTIVE Emergency Stop Rack Configuration ADVANCED Mentor Trainer TCL-2 Rev. A (June 2009)

120 LH LH 1500 LH This Performance Guide will guide you through the following tasks/procedures: LH System Overview Rack Load in the Inlet Operator Initiated Rack Load at the Inlet System Initiated Rack Load at the Stockyard and Outlet Operator Initiated Rack Load at the Stockyard and Outlet Remapping Why These tasks are crucial to operating effectively in a laboratory environment and allow the operator to optimize the usage of their automation line. Reference For additional information regarding the Line Computer software, please refer to the following: The LC module in the LH 1500 Training Manual For the procedure on how to load a STAT-CASS, please refer to: The SP3 module in the LH 1500 Training Manual For more specific instructions on Rack Configuration and Test Assignment please refer to: The RC module in the LH 1500 Training Manual For more information regarding specific hardware components please refer to: The CO module in the LH 1500 Training Manual Rev. A (June 2009) LH 1500 Plus -1 of Coulter

121 LH System Overview COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Inlet Outlet Inlet On the LH 1500+, the Inlet is the first module on the automation line and the Outlet, is to the left of that. This is opposite of the core LH 1500 automation line. The LH orientation of the Inlet and the Outlet allow samples that only have off-line tests ordered to be sorted directly into the Outlet without having to make a trip around the entire line to be sorted. Another notable difference between the core LH 1500 and the LH is that the sample tube carriers (pucks) do not continuously circulate around the line like those on the core LH Instead, they line up behind the Inlet, Outlet and beyond, in the return lane while awaiting the arrival of samples at the Inlet. Once the Inlet on the LH is finished loading all of the samples, it will beep 5 times instead of 3 times like the core LH Fingered Gripper Arm BCR The LH Inlet contains 4 racks that hold 50 samples each. Unlike the single gripper finger on the LH 1500, the LH has a 5 fingered gripper arm. The LH Inlet also has a barcode reader (BCR). This barcode reader reads the barcode label of the sample, verifies test request information has been received and ensures that the sample is not a duplicate barcode I.D. If the Inlet barcode reader cannot read the label, if there is no test Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -2 of 26

122 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE request information for that sample or if the sample is a duplicate, that sample will not make it beyond the Inlet module. Instead of progressing down the line, the sample will be routed behind the Inlet to the Error Lane. Front view of the LH Inlet Rack #1 Rack #2 Rack #3 Rack #4 Back view of the LH Inlet transfer arm gripper fingers The gripper fingers are placing 5 samples into the pucks that are waiting. Each puck has a fiber optic above it to determine the presence or absence of a tube. Back view of LH Inlet The queue of empty pucks. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -3 of 26

123 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Every module on the LH has a flashing light attached to it that will illuminate when an error code alarm occurs or if there is a Rack Load request at either the Outlet or the Stockyard. Power ON Power OFF The Power ON and Power OFF buttons are located to the front right of the Inlet on both the core LH 1500 and the LH They turn the power to the entire line on and off respectively. Keypad for the Inlet, Outlet and Stockyard 1. Auto/Manual button a. When the line is Started Up (Active/Online in the Line Computer) every module will be in Auto mode b. When the line is Shutdown (Ready/Offline in the Line Computer) every module will be in Manual mode c. Going from Auto to Manual and back to Auto will initialize (home) that module d. To switch from Auto to Manual at the Inlet, Outlet or Stockyard you will press the Auto/Manual button twice to go to Manual and twice to go back to Auto Note1: Avoid going from Auto/Manual at the Stockyard unless it is a last resort because it can lose track of anything that it is supposed to be retrieving or re-flexing. Note2: If ever the light should start to blink next to Auto but not switch to Manual, then press and hold the Auto/Manual button for approximately sec. and usually a solid green light will appear next to Manual indicating that it switched over to Manual mode. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -4 of 26

124 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE e. To use a function code, the module must be placed into Manual mode 2. Pause/Run a. Pressing this button if the light is not lit, will pause that module so everything pauses and pucks will not move beyond that module b. Pressing this button if the light is lit will unpause that module c. When performing a Rack Load at the Inlet, Outlet or Stockyard after a new rack is put on, the Pause/Run button will flash. To resume operation, the Pause/Run button must be pressed d. If the Rack Load light is not lit, then pulling a rack out of the Stockyard only pauses the Stockyard. Press Pause/Run to unpause the Stockyard. e. The Pause/Run button will be lit at the Stockyard, indicating the Stockyard is paused and it will not come out of pause: 1. Anytime a rack is not pushed all the way back into the Stockyard 2. If a rack is placed into the Stockyard upside down (this is only possible with the old style racks) 3. If any of the doors on the Stockyard are open 3. Alarm a. The alarm button will light up and a continuous beeping audible alarm will occur when an error has occurred at a module. To silence the audible alarm, press the Alarm button b. The alarm button will flash and a non-continuous audible alarm will occur when a Rack Load is being requested at the Outlet or the Stockyard. To silence the audible alarm, press the Alarm button 4. Rack Load a. Rack Load at the Inlet means to load new racks with samples b. Rack Load at the Outlet or the Stockyard means to empty a rack or racks c. In order to lift a rack from either the Inlet or the Outlet without causing an alarm, the Rack Load light MUST be solid green d. If the Rack Load light is not solid green and the operator wants to load or unload a rack, then press the Rack Load button and follow the proper procedure for loading/unloading racks e. If the Rack Load light is solid green at the Outlet, any rack that is lifted up while the light is solid green, must be emptied before pressing Pause/Run to resume operation f. If the Rack Load light is solid green at the Stockyard, any rack that is pulled out of the Stockyard (even if someone barely pulls the wrong rack out by accident), must be emptied. g. If any sort location in an Outlet rack becomes full, the system will alert the operator to perform a Rack Load on that specific rack by indicating a rack number in the LCD display window h. If the Stockyard becomes full, the system will alert the operator to perform a Rack Load on that specific rack by indicating a shelf number and rack number in the LCD display window 5. Function +/- a. (-) Function key is used to see the second part of an alarm Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -5 of 26

125 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE b. (+/-) Function keys are used to place a module into a particular Function code when the module is in Manual mode c. (+) Function key can be used to go back to the first part of an error code alarm if the second part of the alarm is currently displayed 6. Enter a. Once a Function code is entered using the Function +/- keys, pressing Enter will activate that function code as long as the module is in Manual mode 7. LCD display a. The error codes will be displayed in this window when an alarm occurs b. If a module is in a Function code, the Function code will be displayed in this window Emergency Stop Buttons Emergency Stop Buttons are located to the right of every keypad on each module of the line. When any emergency stop button is pressed, it cuts the power to the entire line not just to a particular module. Emergency stop buttons should only be pressed for TRUE EMERGENCIES. There are two different types of emergency stop buttons. The original style of emergency stop button can be twisted in and stays in the depressed position. This requires the operator to twist the button out a second time to disengage the stop button before attempting to turn the power back on to the line. If the operator did not disengage the button, nothing would happen when the operator pressed the Power ON button at the Inlet. The new emergency stop button version is a push-in and push-out button. The operator must press the button a second time to disengage the stop button before attempting to turn the power back on to the line. If the operator does not disengage the button, nothing will happen when the operator presses the Power ON button at the Inlet. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -6 of 26

126 Error Lane COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Fiber optic pointing at position #1 of the Error Lane Diverter gate When the Inlet barcode reader encounters a problem with a sample, a diverter gate comes out and diverts the sample back behind the Inlet to the Error Lane. The Error Lane holds 6 samples. The fiber optic pointing at position #1 in the Error Lane detects the presence or absence of a tube. If an empty puck should enter the Error Lane, it is routed through the Error Lane back to the queue. Reasons samples go to the Error Lane: 1. The Inlet barcode reader (BR01) could not read the barcode label. 2. Duplicate sample ID. 3. There is no test request information for that sample. Once the Error Lane is full: 1. The Alarm button light on the Inlet keypad flashes rapidly 2. A rapid, audible, non-continuous alarm beeps 3. The Pause/Run button light on the keypad is solid green To empty out the Error Lane: 1. Press the Alarm button to silence the audible alarm 2. Remove the tubes 3. Press Pause/Run to resume operation Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -7 of 26

127 Outlet COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Diverter gate to send puck from return lane around to the front BCR Empty puck queue As mentioned above, the Outlet being located to the left of the Inlet on the LH allows samples that only have off-line tests ordered to go directly to the Outlet without making a trip around the line. Careful examination of the lanes reveal that there is a place behind the Outlet where a puck with a tube in it will be diverted around to the front of the Outlet where it will be read by the Outlet barcode reader, picked up by the Transfer Arm and sorted into the Outlet. An empty puck on the other hand, will move forward to the empty puck queue. The Outlet contains 4 racks that hold 50 samples each. The Outlet racks can be divided into different subsections which can also be called sort locations. The sort locations can be as small as 5 positions and as large as the whole rack of 50 positions. The Outlet racks can be programmed for up to 15 userdefined sort locations. Once ANY of the subsections/sort locations in a rack become full, the Outlet will alert the operator to perform a Rack Load on that particular rack. When a Rack Load is performed, ALL of the tubes in the rack (not just the tubes from the subsection that is full) must be removed. If all samples are not removed, then eventually an alarm will occur due to the automation trying to load a tube into the rack with tubes still in it resulting in a tube on top of tube error. Most labs post a diagram of the Outlet configuration on the hood of the Outlet module. This can be seen in the picture above. Some labs are even using magnetic paper to print their rack configurations on. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -8 of 26

128 Tracks Conveyor Lane COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE The LH has 4 lanes of track instead of 2 lanes of track like that found on the core LH The LH has two lanes that are going from right to left carrying the samples toward the analyzers and two lanes that are going from left to right carrying either empty pucks or samples that are being sent back for rerun or add-on tests or that are on their way to sort at the Outlet. In the picture to the left, the direction that the red arrows are pointing indicates the direction that the belts are traveling. 1. Sort Lane 2. Bypass Lane 3. Return Lane 4. Empty puck return lane The Sort Lane is the lane that the samples enter into when they have been routed to a specific connection unit. The Bypass Lane is the lane that the samples travel in until they get to the appropriate sort lane prior to their assigned connection unit. This Bypass lane allows samples to pass on to another connection unit in the event that a particular connection unit s sort lane is full as seen in the picture below. The Return Lane is the lane that samples travel in if they have already been run on an analyzer and they either need to be rerun or sorted into the Outlet for further off-line testing. The Empty Puck Return Lane is the lane that the empty pucks travel in on their way back to the Inlet. The conveyor lane is where the samples go as they are being loaded into the connection unit. Once the sample is loaded into the loading elevator, the empty puck will travel around to the other side of the conveyor lane and wait for samples to be unloaded from the unloading elevator. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -9 of 26

129 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE In this picture, we can see that the sorting lane for the connection unit pictured is full so the two samples that are at the barcode reader will proceed on to another connection unit for analysis. We can also see a sample that is on its way back around in the return lane for retesting or to sort to the Outlet. Conveyor unit/lane Coveyor Lane Hole where unloading elevator comes up to deliver the sample to the unloading arm on the conveyor unit Hole where the loading elevator comes up to retrieve the sample from the loading arm on the conveyor unit and take the sample down into the connection unit. Once samples have been routed into the Sorting Lane, and read by the barcode reader, they are diverted into the actual Conveyor lane where they are picked up by the loading arm, loaded into the loading elevator and taken down into the connection unit. The empty pucks then proceed to move around to the other side of the conveyor lane where they wait for samples to be unloaded from the unloading elevator. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -10 of 26

130 Connection Unit Cassette Unloading Arm Cover Left Front Panel Cassette Loading Arm Cover Table top safety cover Right Front Panel COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Every LH analyzer is positioned on top of a Connection Unit. The Connection Unit is what loads and unloads samples into and out of cassettes, and loads and unloads cassettes onto and off of the analyzer. A non-custom LH can have up to 4 connection units attached. There are 4 cassettes that rotate around to 8 different positions inside the connection unit. These positions are called the Cassette Handling Mechanism positions (CHM #1-8). The same 4 cassettes continuously get loaded onto the LH analyzer and unloaded from the LH analyzer. Although these cassettes look like regular LH cassettes, they are actually different because they have springs in them specifically designed for use on the automation line. Safety features of the Connection Unit There are 3 different safety features on the Connection Unit. 1. Arm Covers that shield the operator from the cassette loading and unloading arms. These arms covers are NOT interchangeable. If the arm covers need to be taken off for any reason, when placing the covers back on, it is recommended to always ensure the red sensor light is lit for each arm cover before proceeding. If one of the arm covers is not on and the Connection Unit is waiting to load samples onto or unload samples from the LH, then an audible, non-continuous beeping alarm will sound from the Connection Unit. 2. Table top safety cover. Anytime the table top safety cover is lifted, it pauses the connection unit. If the connection unit will not come out of pause when the PAUSE/RUN button is pressed, then check to make sure that the table top safety cover is situated correctly over the sensor. If the sensor sees the safety cover, then the sensor should have a red light that is lit up. 3. The Front panels of the Connection Unit both have sensors to detect the presence or absence of the panels. If one of the panels is not on or is not situated correctly, then the Connection Unit will pause. If the connection unit will not come out of pause when the PAUSE/RUN button is pressed, then check to make sure the front panels are both on. Two reasons the Connection Unit will not come out of pause: 1. The table top safety cover is not on or is not seated correctly. 2. One or both of the front panels are not on or are not situated correctly. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -11 of 26

131 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE The picture below is a view looking down into the Connection Unit (CU) through the table top safety cover. Loading STM Arm Positions 1, 5, 8 and 12 are left empty for the cassette loading & unloading arm fingers Loading elevator comes down into CU here with tube BR01 Once the Loading Elevator in the Conveyor lane brings a sample down into the Connection Unit, the sample is placed into a permanent puck-like spinner in front of the connection unit barcode reader (BR01). The barcode reader serves two purposes: 1) Read the sample ID and verify its arrival into the connection unit 2) Identify the leading edge of the barcode label so that the barcode can be properly placed into the waiting cassette with the barcode facing the open slit in the cassette allowing the LH to read it. Once the barcode reader has read the sample ID and identified the leading edge, the loading Sample Transfer Mechanism (STM) arm will pick the tube up from in front of the barcode reader and load it into a cassette that is waiting in CHM position #4. The automation will continue to do this as samples come into the connection unit until the waiting cassette is filled to capacity. The capacity for an automation cassette is 8 samples because the automation leaves positions 1, 5, 8 and 12 empty for the cassette loading and unloading arm fingers. If more samples do not come into the connection unit, the automation will wait a user-definable amount of time called the Load Timeout (usually seconds) from the last sample that is received into the connection unit, before pushing a partially filled cassette into CHM position #5 for the cassette to be loaded onto the analyzer. If the cassette did get filled to capacity, it automatically gets pushed over into CHM position #5 for loading. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -12 of 26

132 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE With the safety shield in place, the Cassette Loading Arm is loading a cassette onto the LH analyzer. In this picture, the safety shield was removed to get a better glimpse of the Cassette Unloading Arm unloading a cassette by placing the unloading fingers into positions 8 and 12. The cassettes used for automation usually have positions 1, 5, 8 and 12 colored over with a red sharpie to remind operators that these are automation cassettes and to not load any tube by hand into those positions. Unloading STM Arm CHM pos #2 Once the cassette gets unloaded back into the Connection Unit, it is shuttled from the front track to the back track in the Connection Unit. When the cassette arrives at the sample unloading position (CHM position #2), the Unloading STM Arm picks the samples up and delivers them to the unloading elevator. Once the samples are unloaded into the empty pucks that are waiting in the conveyor lane, they leave the conveyor lane. If no further testing is ordered, then those samples go to the Stockyard. If additional off-line tests are ordered, then those samples will go to the appropriate sort locations in the Outlet. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -13 of 26

133 Connection Unit Keypad COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE The STAT-CASS and the PRIORITY buttons are unique to the Connection unit keypad. All of the other buttons have the same functions described above for the Inlet, Outlet and Stockyard keypad. There is only one minor difference when switching from Auto to Manual mode at the Connection Units compared to the other modules. To switch from Auto to Manual at the Connection Units, simply press and hold the Auto/Manual button for approximately sec. until the light appears next to Manual. Note: If ever the light should start to blink next to Auto but not switch to Manual, then press and hold the Auto/Manual button for approximately sec. and usually a solid green light will appear next to Manual indicating that it switched over to Manual mode. 1. STAT-CASS a. STAT-CASS allows the operator to manually load a cassette onto the LH analyzer while the connection unit is in Automation mode. See SP3 in the LH 1500 Training Manual for the STAT-CASS procedure as it is the same for both the core LH 1500 and the LH STAT-CASS mode can only be used for 15 minutes before an audible, non-continuous beeping alarm will sound from the connection unit. There is no error code alarm associated with this non-continuous beeping and the alarm button light will not be lit up on the connection unit keypad. If the STAT-CASS button light is solid green, and an audible, non-continuous beeping alarm is coming from the connection unit, then it means the 15 minutes has been exceeded. 2. PRIORITY a. When the Sample Transfer Mechanism inside the connection unit is loading tubes into a cassette, there is a user definable time referred to as the Load Timeout that it uses. The Load Timeout is the amount of time the automation will wait for another tube to come into the connection unit before it will push a partially filled cassette over to the next position inside the connection unit to be loaded onto the LH analyzer. Pressing the PRIORITY button on the connection unit keypad will tell the automation to override the Load Timeout and immediately push the partially filled cassette over to the cassette loading position. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -14 of 26

134 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Merge Lane (also called Marge Lane in schematics) The Merge Lane is unique to the LH It is located right before the Stockyard. It has its own barcode reader and keypad. The purpose of the Merge Lane before the Stockyard is to determine whether or not there are additional off-line tests ordered or if there are any samples that need to be re-run or added on to. If a sample has a user-defined test ordered that is programmed to sort to the Outlet, then that sample will turn the corner in the Merge Lane and make its way back up to the Outlet. The sample will do the same thing if it needs to return to an analyzer for repeat or additional testing. Bypassing the Stockyard improves the time that it takes samples to get around to either the Outlet or the analyzers. It also helps improve the time it takes to get into the Stockyard by preventing a large backup of samples. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -15 of 26

135 Stockyard Front View COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Level 2 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Level 1 2K Stockyard 3K Stockyard The LH Stockyard can be either a 2 or 3 level Stockyard. Each level holds 3 racks. Rack 01 is the rack to the far left of each level and rack 03 is the rack to the far right of each level. Each rack holds 340 samples. The 2 level Stockyard has a total capacity of 2040 samples. The 3 level Stockyard has a total capacity of 3060 samples. On both Stockyards, level 1 is the bottom level or shelf. Sensors for both doors Both of the doors on each level have sensors to detect whether the doors are opened or closed. If either door is opened, the Stockyard will immediately pause and stay paused until the operator unpauses the Stockyard by pressing Pause/Run. The Stockyard also immediately pauses if a rack is pulled out. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -16 of 26

136 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Reasons why the Stockyard will not come out of pause: 1. One or more of the doors are not closed all the way. 2. One or more of the racks are not pushed back all the way. 3. If the Stockyard racks are the old style racks where the width of the top of the rack is the same as the width of the bottom of the rack, then one or more of the racks could be upside down. With the new style of racks, this is impossible to do due to the variation in width of the top and the bottom. Stockyard Back View Loading Arm Unloading Arm BRO1 BR02 There are two barcode readers behind both the 2K and the 3K Stockyards for the LH The first barcode reader, BR01 reads the sample ID and as long as there are no additional tests ordered and the sample doesn t have to be re-run, it assigns the sample a position in the Stockyard. Once the sample is assigned a position in the Stockyard, the loading gripper fingers then pick the sample up, and take the sample to the appropriate level. The second barcode reader, BR02 verifies the sample ID s for samples that are retrieved from the Stockyard. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -17 of 26

137 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Loading Transfer Cup Once the Loading Arm brings the sample to the appropriate floor, it places the sample into the loading Transfer Cup that has come forward to wait for the sample. Transfer Arm Fiber optic detects sample tube The loading transfer cup then moves back into the Stockyard where a fiber optic verifies the presence of a sample. As long as the fiber optic detects a sample, then the Transfer Arm comes and picks the sample up and places it into the assigned position in one of the Stockyard racks. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -18 of 26

138 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE The Transfer Arm inside the Stockyard is pictured here with a sample in its gripper fingers in route to the assigned position for that sample. Each level of the Stockyard has its own Transfer arm to deliver samples to the racks on that level. Once in a rack inside the Stockyard, the operator can retrieve the sample using the Line Computer. When retrieving a sample, the operator has the option to send that retrieved sample to a sort location in the Outlet (i.e. to check the specimen integrity) or to send that sample to a specific analyzer to be rerun. Most labs only empty the Stockyard when prompted by the automation to do so. Keeping the samples in the Stockyard as long as possible not only allows the operator to retrieve samples in the Stockyard, but also allows the automation to rerun and reflex things without operator intervention if the lab has reflexing capability in either their LIS, IM or by using DL. When all of the racks are full and there is a sample waiting to sort into the Stockyard, the system will alert the operator to perform a Rack Load at the Stockyard. This is called a System Initiated Rack Load. System Initiated Rack Load request for the LH The System Initiated Rack Load request for the LH is very similar to the LH 1500 with a few minor differences. 1. The Stockyard light will flash. 2. The Alarm button will flash. 3. A non-continuous audible alarm will beep. 4. The Rack Load light will be solid green. 5. Once the Alarm button is pressed to silence the audible alarm, a single digit number and a double digit number will flash back and forth in the display window. 6. The single digit number indicates the shelf that needs the rack load. Shelf 1, 2, or 3. Shelf 1 being the bottom shelf and shelf 3 being the top shelf. 7. The double digit number will be 01, 02, or 03. The rack to the far left is 01 and the rack to the far right is The operator will then remove the appropriate rack and replace it with an empty rack. Note: Anytime the Rack Load light is solid green at the Stockyard, any rack that is removed from the Stockyard MUST be emptied even if the wrong rack was accidentally removed or barely pulled out! Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -19 of 26

139 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE 9. Once the empty rack is pushed all the way back, the PAUSE/RUN button will begin to flash fast. 10. Close the Stockyard door (if the door remains open, the Stockyard will remain paused.) 11. Press the PAUSE/RUN button to resume operation. There are three very important notes about the Stockyard that operators need to be aware of: 1. Do NOT confuse a System Initiated Rack Load request with an error code alarm!! The main clue this is not an error alarm is that the Rack Load button is solid green. Also, the audible beep for a Rack Load request is non-continuous as opposed to a continuous error alarm beep. 2. If the Stockyard remains paused after pressing the PAUSE/RUN button, then either: one of the racks is not all the way back, or one is upside down (if using the old style racks). It could also mean that a door is not closed all the way. 3. If the Rack Load light is not lit at all, pulling one of the racks out only pauses the Stockyard so that rack does NOT have to be emptied. However, the operator must remember to press PAUSE/RUN once the rack is pushed back in, or the Stockyard will remain paused. Operator Initiated Rack Load in the Stockyard Step Action 1. At the Stockyard, press the Rack Load button. a. The Rack Load light will blink if it is in the middle of doing something. Once it completes what it was doing b. The Alarm button will flash and beep a non-continuous beep and then the Rack Load light will go solid c. The yellow warning light on the Stockyard will flash 2. Press Alarm to silence the beep. 3. Pull the rack with the samples out. 4. Remove all of the samples from the rack. Note: Anytime the Rack Load light is solid green at the Stockyard, any rack that is removed from the Stockyard MUST be emptied even if the wrong rack was removed! 5. Slide the rack all the way back in. Press PAUSE/RUN to resume operation. Note: If the Stockyard remains paused after pressing the PAUSE/RUN button, then either: one of the racks is not all the way back, one is upside down or there is a door that is open. Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -20 of 26

140 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE Line Computer The Line Computer for the LH is almost identical to the core LH 1500 Line Computer. In fact, there are only a few changes on the main screen of the Line Computer for the LH For more detailed Line Computer information, refer to the Line Computer exercise module for the LH The Inlet and the Outlet are now reversed to reflect the new configuration on the LH The Stockyard is now pictured as either a 2K or a 3K Stockyard Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -21 of 26

141 COULTER LH TRAINING MODULE The red stripe indicates a barcode on one of the samples entering the LH connection unit did not get read at BR01 inside the connection unit. On the 1500+, this sample will then be routed to the next LH connection unit on the line. Stockyard is now listed first under Rack Statistics because on the LH 1500+, the Stockyard has to be defined as Section No. 01 and UD1 whereas on the core LH 1500, it was Section No. 15 and UDf. See the RC module in the LH 1500 Training Manual for more details on programming. One of the most significant changes in the software for the LH is that by clicking on the Setup button under the Stockyard on the main menu, the operator can enable or disable the Stockyard by clicking on Enable or Rev. A (June 2009) For Training Purposes Only LH 1500 Plus -22 of 26