just like a very big extension of the idea of addition to simplifying the set-up, it also trials represent a growth area for LIMS.
cookies, you only need to do it once and makes customer support easier. ‘Clinical trials always operated with systems
it gives great advantages,’ he says. Starlims ‘The trend is towards vendors providing that managed trial logistics, then the samples
uses Microsoft’s .NET environment (see purpose-built functionality. Most people are were sent off to labs that had LIMS. We’ve
panel, below), which enables applications trying to fi nd ways to implement LIMS faster,’ seen an opportunity to offer one system for
to be done over the web, but the user has says LabWare’s Townsend. ‘The confi guration both parts of the process,’ he says.
full Windows control. According to Baron, side isn’t eliminated completely, but it is Food safety is another growing application
this enables the users to, for example, use the much less so projects go faster,’ area for LIMS, according to Leitham
serial port of their PC to communicate with It’s not just the implementation customers of Thermo. One example is the Irish
LIMS overvIew instruments. want to speed up. ‘Money is tight,’ says Department of Agriculture, which uses a
Beyond technical decisions, working Thermo’s Leitham. ‘We can improve Thermo Scientifi c Nautilus LIMS to house
with the providers of other systems is an effi ciencies with more automated processes.’ and store the genetic history of all livestock.
important way to ensure integration. Thermo But this does create challenges. ‘The It also provides a laboratory diagnostic
Fisher Scientifi c, for example, has recently expectations that customers have of the service to the livestock industry and monitors
announced a partnership with NextDocs to systems they are purchasing are higher than livestock diseases on a national level.
offer enterprise document management and before. They want it to do more for their And Schmidt of Waters observes: ‘When
workfl ow solutions for the laboratory. ‘There money,’ Leitham added. you originally thought about LIMS you
will certainly be more,’ says Leitham of
Thermo. ‘We are engaging other laboratory
‘CuSTOMeRS WAnT TO gO PAPeRLeSS;
vendors to forge partnerships that will help
drive better integration and more seamless We THInK IT IS ACHIeVAbLe’
workfl ows for our customers.’
Looking ahead, there are still plenty of would have thought about applications like
Confi guration not customisation things for LIMS vendors to do – and there quality control. That has changed. There
Another trend that LIMS vendors agree are still new customers out there too. Leitham are the same needs in other areas such as
upon is the move away from customised says: ‘I might have characterised the LIMS drug discovery, but the LIMS has to be more
systems towards standard LIMS that can be market as mature a few years ago but it is fl exible because people are always making
confi gured to customer requirements. The different now because of the increase in new compounds and they have to be able to
companies that buy LIMS typically want to outsourcing. While the experiment remains assign new analyses on the fl y.’
get their new system up and running as soon the same, the outsourced company has a Customers want other things from
as possible and this is a consistent request to different business model and may be separated their LIMS too. ‘There is a move from
their suppliers. Installing a LIMS is a lengthy geographically, so their needs are different.’ functionality to ease of use. Customers are
and costly process because of its complexity. counting clicks to do certain transactions,’
However, the time can be reduced by new uses for LIMS adds Schmidt. ‘There has also been a
including more of the desired functionality New application areas are also opening up for resurrection of the paperless requirement.
as standard. That way, customers can simply LIMS. ‘Standardisation makes it simpler to This was a buzzword 10 years ago but people
pick which fi elds they want to display and take our solution elsewhere,’ comments Vines said it couldn’t be done. Now, customers want
how they want their LIMS to look. In of IDBS. LabWare’s Townsend says clinical to go paperless; we think it is achievable.’
THe STAnDARDS THAT HeLP InTegRATe LIMS
Integrating LIMS across national boundaries and with a range of instruments and other
systems requires standards to enable communication.
Software systems known as web services play an important role in this today. They support
interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network, use XML messages and follow
the SOAP (simple object access protocol) standard.
Microsoft’s .NET framework is built on these ideas. ‘The .NET framework has many inherent
advantages and has taken web services to a very practical level,’ says Clive Baron of Starlims.
‘Having a Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) framework to handle SOAP messaging in a
comprehensive solution infrastructure brings a lot of elegance. Many of the major players are
adopting .NET as their chosen standard, and alignment along these lines is going to be good
for the industry. Integration between two .NET systems is very easy, as is the integration of
other external systems supporting SOAP-based web services. For example, when SDMS and
LIMS run on the same .NET platform supported by a common database utilising data common
to both applications, it becomes a more useful and powerful solution – eliminating the
expensive requirement of building custom interfaces. Indian CRO Veeda Clinical Research has
Then there are standards with data formats that help instruments and LIMS communicate. selected Thermo Scientifi c Watson LIMS
The JCAMP (Joint Committee on Atomic and Molecular Physical Data) standard, for example,
to automate its laboratory processes
defi nes a standard ASCII-based data format for analytical data such as infrared and NMR.
in its bioanalytical research facilities in
6
Ahmedabad, India and Oxford, uK.
LIG09 pp04-07 LIMS Overview.indd 6 9/12/08 17:08:56
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