Patent application EP17382283A (EP), filed 2017-05-18
Publication number: EP3404890A1
Title: METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING DATA OF AN ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENT FOR ANALYZING BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES
Abstract: In one example of the present disclosure, a method for processing data of an analytical instrument for analyzing biological samples, the method comprising receiving instrument data from the analytical instrument at a data processing module communicatively connected with the analytical instrument, generating metadata from the received instrument data at the data processing module, applying a first encryption to the instrument data at the data processing module, applying a second encryption to the generated metadata at the data processing module, transmitting the encrypted metadata and encrypted instrument data to a remote server, wherein the remote server and the data processing module are communicatively connected, removing the second encryption from the metadata at the remote server and forwarding the instrument data encrypted by the first encryption from the remote server to a management system of the analytical instrument.
IPC codes: H04L  29/    06            A I
H04W  12/    02            A I
A61B   5/    00            A I
G06F  21/    62            A I
G16H  10/    60            A I
G16H  40/    20            A I
G16H  40/    67            A I
H04L  67/   561            A I
H04L  67/   565            A I
H04L  69/    08            A I
H04L   9/    40            A I
H04W  12/   033            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A method for processing data of an analytical instrument for analyzing biological samples, the method comprising:
number: 2
text: The method of claim 1, wherein applying the first encryption (7) comprises using a first encryption key and wherein applying the second encryption (8) comprises using a second encryption key different from the first encryption key.
number: 3
text: The method of claim 2, wherein the first encryption key is a customer specific key of a user of the analytical instrument and wherein the second key is a vendor specific key of a vendor of the analytical instrument (1a; 1b).
number: 4
text: The method of any one of claims 2 or 3, further comprising:
number: 5
text: The method of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein generating metadata (4) comprises parsing the instrument data (3) received from the analytical instrument (1a; 1b) by using at least one driver specific to the analytical instrument (1a; 1b) stored at the data processing module (2; 2a; 2b).
number: 6
text: The method of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein generating the metadata (4) comprises removing patient-specific data and/or client-specific data from the instrument data (3) received from the analytical instrument (1a; 1b).
number: 7
text: The method of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, further comprising:
number: 8
text: The method of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, further comprising:
number: 9
text: The method of any one of the preceding claims 2 to 8, wherein the first encryption key is a first public key of a first customer specific asymmetric encryption key pair and/or the second encryption key is a second public key of a second vendor specific asymmetric encryption key pair.
number: 10
text: The method of claim 9, wherein removing the second encryption (8) from the metadata (4) at the remote server (9) comprises decrypting the metadata (4) using a second private key of the second asymmetric encryption key pair and/or removing the first encryption (7) from the received instrument data (3) at the management system (5) comprises decrypting the metadata (4) using a first private key of the first asymmetric encryption key pair.
number: 11
text: The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second encryption (8) is applied to the instrument data (3) at the data processing module (2; 2a; 2b).
number: 12
text: A method for processing data of a management system of analytical instruments, comprising:
number: 13
text: A system for processing data of an analytical instrument for analyzing biological samples, the system comprising:
number: 14
text: A system for processing data of a management system for analytical instruments, comprising:
number: 15
text: A computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon which when executed by a computer system make the computer system perform the steps of any one of the methods 1 to 12.
Office action: search_report, dated 2018-11-21
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
inventive_step_epc_56
Prior art cited: ref_id: EP2863332A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2013109517A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2013109517
ref_type: patent
severity: obviousness
ref_id: EP2863332
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
Final disposition: pending (2018-11-21)