Monitoring a laboratory automation device via a simulation model

A computer program for monitoring a laboratory automation device comprising a plurality of device components, which are controlled by digital control commands, the digital control commands being generated by a controller of the laboratory automation device from assay definition data defining an assay procedure for the laboratory automation device;

• wherein the computer program, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to carry out the following step:
• receiving the control commands;
• inputting the control commands into a simulation model of the laboratory automation device, the simulation model comprising model components for at least some of the device components;
• updating the simulation model by simulating state changes of the device components based on the control commands;
• determining a desired processing state of the laboratory automation device from the assay definition data and a virtual processing state of the laboratory automation device from the updated simulation model;
• comparing the desired processing state with the virtual processing state for deciding, whether the assay procedure was correctly executed.

A computer-readable medium, in which a computer program for monitoring a laboratory automation device is stored, the laboratory automation device comprising a plurality of device components, which are controlled by digital control commands, the digital control commands being generated by a controller of the laboratory automation device from assay definition data defining an assay procedure for the laboratory automation device;

• wherein the computer program, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to carry out the following step:
• receiving the control commands;
• inputting the control commands into a simulation model of the laboratory automation device, the simulation model comprising model components for at least some of the device components;
• updating the simulation model by simulating state changes of the device components based on the control commands;
• determining a desired processing state of the laboratory automation device from the assay definition data and a virtual processing state of the laboratory automation device from the updated simulation model;
• comparing the desired processing state with the virtual processing state for deciding, whether the assay procedure was correctly executed.

A monitoring system for a laboratory automation device, the system comprising:

• a laboratory automation device with a plurality of device components;
• a controller adapted for generating digital control commands from assay definition data defining an assay procedure for the laboratory automation device, wherein the device components are controlled by the digital control commands;
• a monitoring device adapted for receiving the digital control commands and for performing the following steps:
• receiving the control commands;
• inputting the control commands into a simulation model of the laboratory automation device, the simulation model comprising model components for at least some of the device components;
• updating the simulation model by simulating state changes of the device components based on the control commands;
• determining a desired processing state of the laboratory automation device from the assay definition data and a virtual processing state of the laboratory automation device from the updated simulation model;
• comparing the desired processing state with the virtual processing state for deciding, whether the assay procedure was correctly executed.