[Obi-instrument-branch] definition of instrument

[Alan Ruttenberg]

Currently

'material entity'
and is_manufactured_by some (organization
or person)
and has_function some ('synthesizing function'
or 'measure function')
and is_specified_output_of some 'material transformation'

Why only these two functions?

I'm uncertain whether it's worth keeping the distinction between
instrument and device.

-Alan

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[frank gibson]

On Thu, Nov 27, 2008 at 6:33 AM, Alan Ruttenberg
<alanrut...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Currently
>
> 'material entity'
> and is_manufactured_by some (organization
> or person)
> and has_function some ('synthesizing function'
> or 'measure function')
> and is_specified_output_of some 'material transformation'
>
> Why only these two functions?
>
> I'm uncertain whether it's worth keeping the distinction between
> instrument and device.

We are currently working on the definition of instrument, to include
proposals like settings, function to input/output data etc. We have
not finalised it yet, and the discussions are ongoing. We have had
this discussion before, test-tubes are devices, while some people
feel uncomfortable calling them instruments. Its possible that the
final definition of instrument may be simply, those devices that have
the function to output data.

Frank

>
> -Alan
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge
> Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes
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> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/obi-instrument-branch
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--
Frank Gibson, PhD
http://peanutbutter.wordpress.com/

[Daniel Schober]

This is a hard one... We need the distinction between Device and Instrument.
Previously I made the suggestion to add the differentia 'has_parameter' (or 'has_variable')  for instruments. I cannnot imagine an instrument that has not at least one setting. e.g. has_parameter (e.g. on/off for an ultrasonics homogenizer). The latter would be in harmony with the previous suggestion to have a differrentia like has_power_source. 

Cheers, Daniel Schober.

-- 
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Daniel Schober

NET Project - Ontologist

The European Bioinformatics Institute   email:  sch...@ebi.ac.uk
EMBL Outstation - Hinxton               direct: +44 (0)1223 494410
Wellcome Trust Genome Campus            fax: +44 (0)1223 494 468
Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK                 	Room: A3-141 (extension building)

Project page: www.ebi.ac.uk/net-project

Personal page:    http://www.ebi.ac.uk/Information/Staff/person_maint.php?s_person_id=734
Former home page: http://www.bioinf.mdc-berlin.de/%7Eschober/

[frank gibson]

Hi Daniel,

Some people call any device that is used in an experiment an
instrument, some people call any thing that has the function to
measure and instrument. Wikipedia calls it "The scientific instruments
are part of a laboratory equipment, but are considered larger or more
sophisticated than other measuring instruments. It is coupled with any
kind of data logger, which is more and more often a computer."

We are not going to please everyone, but I think there is commonality
here, devices with the function to measure and the function to produce
data, are definitely instruments.

Devices that do not produce data are not instruments, i.e they are
just devices with other functions. An ultrasonic homogenizer is a
device with the function to perturbe - this would not be an
instrument. A power_pack is a device with the function to provide
electricity - under your definition a power_pack would be an
instrument - I would disagree with this inference.

Frank

On Thu, Nov 27, 2008 at 11:52 AM, Daniel Schober <sch...@ebi.ac.uk> wrote:
> This is a hard one... We need the distinction between Device and Instrument.
> Previously I made the suggestion to add the differentia 'has_parameter' (or
> 'has_variable') for instruments. I cannnot imagine an instrument that has
> not at least one setting. e.g. has_parameter (e.g. on/off for an ultrasonics
> homogenizer). The latter would be in harmony with the previous suggestion to
> have a differrentia like has_power_source.
>
> Cheers, Daniel Schober.
>
> frank gibson wrote:
>

> __________________________________________________________________________________________
>
> Dr. Daniel Schober
>
> NET Project - Ontologist
>
> The European Bioinformatics Institute email: sch...@ebi.ac.uk
> EMBL Outstation - Hinxton direct: +44 (0)1223 494410
> Wellcome Trust Genome Campus fax: +44 (0)1223 494 468
> Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK Room: A3-141 (extension building)
>
> Project page: www.ebi.ac.uk/net-project
>
> Personal page:
> http://www.ebi.ac.uk/Information/Staff/person_maint.php?s_person_id=734
> Former home page: http://www.bioinf.mdc-berlin.de/%7Eschober/
>
>

--

[Alan Ruttenberg]

I am not convinced that there is a useful or likely to be commonly
understood being made here.

-Alan

On Nov 27, 2008, at 9:47 AM, "frank gibson" <Frank....@ncl.ac.uk>
wrote: