Computationally-efficient load planning systems and methods of diagnostic laboratories

A diagnostic laboratory system, comprising:

• a system controller;
• a plurality of analyzers connected to each other via one or more automated tracks for transporting sample containers to and from the plurality of analyzers under the control of the system controller, each of the plurality of analyzers configured to perform one or more tests on one or more samples contained in the sample containers over a planning period;
• and
• a computer server coupled to the system controller, the computer server comprising an optimization-based load planning module including a data-reduction scheme executing on the computer server, a load plan for performing each of one or more requested test types over the planning period, the load plan comprising computer executable instructions configured to cause a system controller to assign each of the one or more requested test types to be performed over the planning period to one or more selected analyzers in accordance with one or more received preferences or priorities, wherein the optimization-based load planning module including the data-reduction scheme executing on the computer server comprises:
• creating a number of load planning variables based on computer readable data concerning analyzers included in the diagnostic laboratory system, and test types and test numbers to be performed within the diagnostic laboratory system over a planning period, and preferences or priorities related to operation of the diagnostic laboratory system and to the test types and test numbers of the requested tests to be performed;
• and
• reducing the number of load planning variables by solving successive surrogate problems by, in a first phase, removing integer and binary constraints from most but not all load planning variables that are binary values or integer values.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising:

• an optimization-based load planning module including a data-reduction scheme having computer-executable instructions configured to cause a computer server to:
• create a number of load planning variables based on computer readable data concerning analyzers included in a diagnostic laboratory system, and test types and test numbers to be performed within the diagnostic laboratory system over a planning period, and preferences or priorities related to operation of the diagnostic laboratory system and to the test types and test numbers of the requested tests to be performed;
• reduce the number of load planning variables by:
• solving successive surrogate problems by, in a first phase of optimization, removing integer and binary constraints from most but not all load planning variables that are binary values or integer values;
• or
• representing common test order patterns of samples by meta-samples, each meta-sample representing more than one sample, and determining a first load plan for the meta-samples and then a final load plan with the remaining samples;
• or
• iteratively optimizing over successive time periods within the planning period including a first optimization for a first portion of the planning period and then a second optimization for a second portion of the planning period that includes the results of the first optimization;
• and
• determine a load plan for performing each of one or more requested test types over a planning period, the load plan comprising computer-executable instructions configured to cause a system controller to assign each of the requested test types to be performed over the planning period to one or more selected analyzers in accordance with one or more received preferences or priorities.