Laboratory informatics is a specialized field that combines multiple disciplines to optimize operations for labs facing increasing competition and a changing technology landscape. It encompasses a range of tasks and systems designed to streamline processes, manage lab data, and facilitate data analysis and reporting. Most labs use software like laboratory information management systems (LIMS), electronic laboratory notebooks (ELN), laboratory execution […]
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Busy labs collect an incredible amount of data every day. From patient and sample data and test results to information about equipment, reagents, and personnel, data is the foundation of the lab business. So safeguarding this valuable data — maintaining its security and ensuring it is always accessible — is critical. In our last post, we shared four ways to […]
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Labs that are implementing a laboratory information management system (LIMS) generally start with “happy path” use cases. These ideal or expected workflows represent the most efficient, smoothest route to complete a task. But a system that only meets these straightforward requirements will quickly run into trouble in a production environment. Experienced LIMS implementers know it’s also critical to support unexpected […]
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Liquid Handler Robots: Key Integration Factors to Consider Integrating a liquid handling robot (LHR) with a laboratory information management system (LIMS) takes a collaborative effort between the lab, the LHR management software vendor, and the integration consultant. In our last post, we talked about some of the problems that can occur when labs use automated LHRs, and three integration patterns […]
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How to Mitigate Three Common Liquid Handler Robot Problems Liquid handling robots (LHRs) are commonly used by labs working at scale. Because they reduce the need for manual processing, they can be hugely beneficial or even essential for labs with high throughput. However, LHRs also bring the potential for catastrophic errors. If lab staff walk away from the equipment — […]
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Laboratories face frequent changes. Whether you’re implementing new workflows or updating an existing one, adding an instrument, iterating on a validated assay, or optimizing processes to keep up with market conditions or advances in technology, one thing is certain — change is inevitable. But that doesn’t make it easy. Humans naturally resist change. We prefer tasks that are comfortable and […]
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Day-to-day lab operations rely on workflows to manage people, tasks, and systems so that work follows a consistent process every time. Defined workflows help ensure that all the steps are done in the correct order, are free from errors, and meet regulatory requirements. But, representing lab workflows can be difficult. Without careful definition, you might introduce inaccuracies — such as […]
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Barcoding is extremely useful in a lab environment. It lets you quickly and automatically identify and track items like samples, plates, and reagents. But implementing a lab barcode system is not as simple as charging up a scanner and getting to work. To be effective, the scanning solution should be integrated with your laboratory information management system (LIMS). That means […]
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Building custom laboratory software from the ground up requires robust planning and meticulous attention to detail. In the process of doing this for our clients and ourselves on our forthcoming product, we have developed our own software development best practices to ensure the implementation meets all the requirements. We’ve found this to be a magic mix — user and regulatory […]
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Are you trying to decide if your lab should build its own custom software, buy off-the-shelf software (knowing you’ll inevitably have to customize it), or just keep stumbling along with Excel and paper-based tracking? The answer to this question will ultimately depend on your short- and long-term information system (informatics) strategy. How do you devise an informatics strategy? There are […]
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