Building a Smart Laboratory 2012 Contents/Introduction Contents Laboratory automation


and laboratory informatics Industry evolution and trends


The LIMS market The ELN market


What is laboratory automation?


An overview of laboratory informatics Laboratory instrument systems Simple analytical instruments


Computerised instrument systems


What is a LIMS? What is an LES? What is an SDMS? What is an ELN?


Business requirements Costs/return on investment


Regulatory compliance and systems validation GAMP software categories in a LIMS GAMP software categories and


system life cycle for a LIMS


System life cycle, detail and documented evidence Patent-related issues


The America Invents Act – implications Data integrity


Data authenticity Data management


Knowledge management


Technical issues Systems architecture


Cloud Pay by the cycle Operational vs. investment budgeting Data storage Data integration


The internet and web-based tools Semantic computing Electronic records Data formats


Electronic records management Systems integration


Functional/user requirements Business case development


and project management Internal culture and


18 18 21 22 22 22 23


25 25


26 26 26 26 27 28 28 28 29 29 29


30 32


33


technology adoption Summary, references and further reading 34


4


5 5 5 6 8 9 9


10 10 12 14 14


16 16


17 17 18


Introduction – The smart laboratory


Tere is no specific definition of a ‘smart’ laboratory. Te term is oſten used in different contexts to imply a laboratory that is designed in a way to optimise it’s physical layout, or that incorporates the latest technology to control the laboratory environment, or that the laboratory is using the latest technology to manage its scientific activities. For the purposes of this publication, it is the latter definition that applies. Te progressive incorporation of information technology into


all aspects of laboratory operations has resulted in fundamental changes in lab work. Prior to about 1900, most scientific innovation and development was either embedded in an industrial process, or was an outcome of academic or privately initiated research. Te progressive introduction of industrial R&D laboratories heralded a new era of innovation and development with an extensive dependence on the skills, knowledge and creativity of individual scientists. Te evolution has continued into the ‘information age’ with a growing dependence on information technology, as both an integral part of the scientific process and as a means of managing scientific information and knowledge. Te dependence of science on technology grows relentlessly. From


“ Te dependence of science on technology grows relentlessly”


the basic application of computational power to undertake scientific calculations at unprecedented speeds, up to the current situation of extensive and sophisticated laboratory automation, black box measurement devices and multiuser information management systems, technology is causing glassware and paper notebooks to become increasingly rare in the laboratory landscape. A frequently articulated fear about the relentless incorporation of


technology in scientific processes is the extent to which it can de- humanise laboratory activities and reduce the demand for intellectual input, or indeed any fundamental knowledge about the science and technology processes that are in use. Te objective of this publication is to present a basic guide to the


most common components of a ‘smart’ laboratory, to give some general background to the benefits they deliver and to provide some guidance on how to go about building a smart laboratory.


John Trigg phaseFour Informatics 2012


This guide, Building a Smart Laboratory, is written and compiled by John Trigg, director of phaseFour Informatics, with contributions from Peter Boogaard, founder of Industrial Lab Automation, and Bob McDowall of McDowall consulting. It has been produced by Europa Science, the publishers of Scientific Computing World, and edited by Beth Sharp.


©2012 Europa Science Ltd. All images Shutterstock.com


Unit 9 Clifton Court, Cambridge, CB1 7BN, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1223 211 170. Fax: +44 (0)1223 213 385. Web: www.scientific-computing.com


3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36