Patent ID: 8645167

Claim:
A system for providing data related to a workflow in a physical laboratory, the system comprising: a workflow server configured to receive data related to a physical laboratory; a laboratory device in communication with the workflow server and configured to provide the data; a display device; and an interface component configured to: display a virtual laboratory component providing a graphical representation that depicts an appearance and physical layout of the physical laboratory, the virtual laboratory component having one or more virtual laboratory stations graphically representative of one or more corresponding physical laboratory stations configured to process a tissue specimen according to a workflow, wherein relative positions of the virtual laboratory components reflect relative positions of the corresponding physical laboratory stations; enable a first active component associated with the virtual laboratory component, wherein the first active component is configured to receive a user selection of a virtual laboratory station graphically representative of a corresponding physical laboratory station; and generate a supplemental view component of the selected virtual laboratory station in response to the user selection, wherein the supplemental view provides supplemental information on processing of the tissue specimen by the corresponding physical laboratory station graphically represented by the selected virtual laboratory station; wherein the one or more virtual laboratory stations include at least one of a tissue specimen receiving station, a tissue specimen grossing station, a tissue specimen processing station, a tissue specimen embedding station, a tissue specimen sectioning station, a tissue specimen staining station, a tissue specimen imaging station, a tissue specimen archiving station, or a tissue specimen image archiving station, and wherein the interface component is further configured to display a specimen indicator that indicates a current specimen state based on a current relationship of the tissue specimen to the workflow.