Patent ID: 8250636

Claim:
A user authenticating access-control and management system for a network-connected shared laboratory instrument comprising: (A) a network connected shared laboratory instrument; (B) a network connected domain controller for receiving logon credentials from a user in an attempt to access the shared laboratory instrument, and authenticating the user as an authorized user of the system based on logon credentials associated with the user prior; and (C) a network connected role server including a role database for determining whether the logon credentials authorize the user to access the selected shared laboratory instrument by comparing the logon credentials to credential information stored in the'role database by the following steps, (C)(1) identifying a role of the user; (C)(2) identifying a set of default laboratory instrument access rights associated with the role; (C)(3) identifying a set of user-specific laboratory instrument access rights associated with the user; (C)(4) applying the user-specific laboratory test instrument access rights to the default laboratory test instrument access rights to obtain a set of final laboratory instrument access rights associated with the user; (C)(5) determining whether the set of final laboratory instrument access rights associated with the user includes the right to access the selected shared laboratory instrument; and (C)(6) determining that the logon credentials authorize the user to access the selected shared laboratory instruments if it is determined that the set of final laboratory instrument access rights associated with the user includes the right to access the selected shared laboratory instrument; (C)(7) granting the user access to the selected shared laboratory test instrument only if it is determined that the user is an authorized user of the system and the logon credentials authorize the user to access the selected shared laboratory instrument; (C)(8) identifying a set of operations that the user has the right to perform using the selected shared laboratory instrument for performing one or more laboratory tests; and (C)(9) allowing the user to perform on the selected shared laboratory instrument only those operations in the identified set of operations for performing one or more laboratory tests.