Integrated LIMS/Document Management Solution

In addition to being a fully compliant standalone system for managing all of a laboratory's electronic records (Data and Documents), LabCORE is now being used by LIMS companies as the engine that powers the LIMS to store and retrieve documents and data from various sources. The result is that LabCORE dramatically improves the LIMS' ability to improve laboratory efficiency and compliance. Functions that used to be very labor intensive and error prone such as report assembly and document retrieval can be performed quickly and easily without leaving the LIMS application. Because LabCORE has a flexible and accessible API, it is easy to integrate into existing LIMS systems that are written in a variety of languages. This process is completely invisible to the laboratory using the LIMS. The integrated solution allows the LIMS companies to offer enterprise class document management capabilities through a leader in document and records management yet remain focused on their core ompetency. The capabilities that are being delivered to LIMS can be extended to other laboratory applications such as chromatography systems.

Accelerated Technology Laboratory Case Study

The partnership integrates P-Wave's laboratory document management system, LabCORE with Accelerated Technology Laboratories' (ATL) Sample Master LIMS. The result is a comprehensive laboratory informatics system for environmental testing and contract laboratories that allows for the automated capture, storage and retrieval of virtually all laboratory data and documents.

The first laboratory to benefit from this integrated solution is the Institute of Ecosystem Studies (IES) , a long term ecosystem studies laboratory in Milford New York. As laboratories of all types are challenged in managing the large volume of data and documents generated in multiple file formats and varied sources across a laboratory network. Being able to store, manage and retrieve these documents and records quickly and easily is something our customers need in order to improve efficiency. In addition, storing research data and associated records in a system with version control, audit trails and electronic signatures will help our customers with compliance as well as validating the integrity of their research projects and clinical studies. LabCORE working in conjunction with Sample Master gives our customers a comprehensive, compliant and easy to use laboratory informatics tool that will grow with their laboratory.

According to Mark Ferrero, P-Wave's President, "The integration of LabCORE and Sample Master is an exciting development that has great potential. Being able to store and manage all of laboratories information electronically through an automated, user friendly interface makes the concept of a paperless laboratory truly viable. Our partnership with Accelerated Technology Laboratories has already resulted in a very innovative solution for an environmental research laboratory in New York (The Institute of Ecosystem Studies) and will result in many more solutions around integration of scientific data and document management in the future."

Promium Case Study

The partnership integrates P-Wave's LabCORE with PROMIUM's ELEMENT DATASYSTEM, a LIMS. The result allows PROMIUM to offer its clients P-Wave's LabCORE product for their document and records management needs. According to Buddy Wilson, PROMIUM's President, "This state-of-the-art program empowers the laboratory to electronically store data from various sources and to attach the data to reports, based on each client's requirements. Contents of the stored files are not limited to just raw data, but also include chromatogram and spectral snapshots. Currently many laboratories use valuable, time-consuming human resources to generate such data packages. With this offering, laboratories using ELEMENT can now automatically collate, paginate, and report their analytical and instrument data with the corresponding spectral representation to their clients, at the click of a button. This reduces the laboratory's dependency on valuable human resources, making the LabCORE offering a truly powerful tool."

How it Works

Promiums' LIMS - Element DataSystem - intercepts extracted image data and associated metadata such as sample id or instrument id from an instrument data steam. Element then creates an image file that is stored in the Element database. A scheduled process inspects this database and when a new image file is detected XML-RPC is used to upload the image and its associated metadata to the LabCORE document management system. LabCORE then stores this image in its internal database and catalogs the associated metadata in its internal search engine to facilitate retrieval later. The advanced features of the LabCORE document management system such as digital signatures and document audit trail are now available for use with the image document. Element DataSystems can also retrieve these image documents for integration into the reports produced by the Element LIMS. Element DataSystems uses an XML-RPC process to query the LabCORE database with search criteria associated with the required documents. LabCORE then uses XML-RPC to return the image documents associated with the search criteria to the Element LIMS.