Methods and apparatus for predicting and preventing failure of in vitro diagnostic instruments

A method of predicting failures of an in vitro diagnostic instrument, comprising:

• monitoring, via one or more monitoring devices associated with one or more components of the in vitro diagnostic instrument, two or more condition-based maintenance (CBM) parameters of the in vitro diagnostic instrument;
• providing the two or more condition-based maintenance parameters of the in vitro diagnostic instrument to a local database of a local data server storing data on the functionality and condition-based maintenance parameters of the one or more components of the in vitro diagnostic instrument in memory in the local database;
• transmitting the condition-based maintenance data to a remote server which is a CBM analysis server;
• wherein:
• the transmitting of the condition-based maintenance data to the remote server comprises a conditional push operation where a condition is required to be met before the transmitting takes place;
• storing the condition-based maintenance data at the CBM analysis server;
• generating predictions via the CBM analysis server of impending failures of components of the in vitro diagnostic instrument based on failure prediction criteria, wherein a pattern of the condition-based maintenance data is compared against known patterns in a failure pattern library of the CBM analysis server for that component, wherein the comparison comprises threshold-based comparisons, wherein if a preselected threshold is exceeded, then a failure is predicted to occur;
• assigning a confidence level via the CBM analysis server to a generated prediction of impending failure of a component of the in vitro diagnostic instrument, the confidence level based on a degree of deviation from the preselected threshold;
• and
• initiating a suitable action by the CBM analysis server if the deviation from the failure prediction criteria is above a defined threshold amount;
• wherein the two or more condition-based maintenance parameters of the in vitro diagnostic instrument comprise a software-related CBM parameter of component connectivity and one or more of:
• a temperature of a component of the in vitro diagnostic instrument;
• a pressure in a component of the in vitro diagnostic instrument;
• a liquid level in a component of the in vitro diagnostic instrument;
• a current drawn by a component of the in vitro diagnostic instrument;
• a flow rate through a component of the in vitro diagnostic instrument;
• and
• a backlash in a pump component of the in vitro diagnostic instrument.