informatics in forensics
Colin Thurston, director of product strategy, Process Industries, Thermo Fisher Scientific
F
orensic science is the application of science to answer questions of interest to a legal system, hence any software implemented in forensics labs must, in
addition to normal lab work, also support the legal process. This means that on top of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) the laboratory must be able to show that processes guarantee the reliability and traceability of results. For example, laboratory functions like sample handling processes have to ensure that samples are stored correctly to prevent degradation and cross contamination, while maintaining a full chain of custody record from collection through to processing and post-analysis storage. The range of sample types and the nature
of samples stored has drastically increased over the last 10 years, with the advent of new biological-based techniques such as low copy number DNA analysis. Any data management systems deployed in forensics laboratories need to be flexible and adaptable for new forensic tests and data types as they become available. The work carried out in a forensics
lab must be able to stand up to scrutiny in a court of law, so this means that the data management software needs to have complete and secure records of all samples processed within that environment. Thermo Scientific informatics solutions deliver the comprehensive data and sample management functionality and security that is critical to the forensics laboratory. Forensics labs require data systems capable
of handling many different data types. Some may be familiar in other lab environments, for example DNA sequences, whereas others are decidedly domain specific, such as shoe print images. Any LIMS deployed in the forensics lab must allow the storage and recall of all data associated with a specific case. The security and authentication of data is paramount to ensure that lab conclusions stand up to any legal scrutiny, hence a complete audit trail of sample processing events and electronic signatures are key requirements for the forensics LIMS. That is why all Thermo Scientific LIMS solutions have full auditing and electronic signature capability, as well as barcode support to enable error free sample identification. As more and more information is stored
electronically, the demands of the forensic lab have been to be able to integrate and centralise the data, for traceability, searching
16 SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING WORLD
and reporting. It is therefore a key requirement that any LIMS deployed within the forensics lab must be able to integrate with a variety of additional systems in a closed and secure environment. For example, DNA profiling of offenders
is becoming common practice in law enforcement worldwide, hence the forensics LIMS needs to be able to collect the data direct from the DNA sequencer, and then integrate that sequence record within the DNA database for future use. Thermo Scientific LIMS for the forensics field provides a framework for sample management and data capture which is easily extensible for high throughput labs with full integration capability and major analytical instrumentation, as well as external information systems.
THE SECURITY AND
AUTHENTICATION OF DATA IS PARAMOUNT TO ENSURE THAT
LAB CONCLUSIONS STAND UP TO ANY LEGAL SCRUTINY, HENCE A COMPLETE AUDIT TRAIL
Forensics laboratories need a system that is
going to be able to support the needs of their business as it changes and adapts. Changes in legal standards, analytical techniques, integration requirements and so on all need to be accommodated within the software solution selected by the laboratory. Systems such as Thermo Scientific LIMS are specifically designed to allow the creation of laboratory workflows that manage the laboratory process from sample collection and receipt through to processing, analysis and storage. The area of forensics has developed,
and will continue developing, in the range of techniques and sensitivities that are applied within the lab. Forensics LIMS will need to be flexible and extensible in order to accommodate new data types and the increased data loads that will be generated, while still maintaining the essential legal defensibility of the lab process. We are also seeing a trend for outsourcing of some routine analyses to commercial laboratories, and so the system must also be able to manage the process of external analytical testing and sample transfer.
in part, meet national Spanish law (Ley Organica 10/2007) for regulating DNA profile data. The laboratory achieved its accreditation (ISO 17025) in July 2010. Prior to that, the lab was working under internal procedures and international guidelines. The laboratory is using LIMS from
T
LabWare, which is compliant with ISO 9001:2000, as well as providing traceability for all steps in processing DNA samples. The organisation is looking to expand its LIMS and accreditation to other peripheral laboratories in the Spanish National Police, taking advantage of the new version of web-LIMS. One of the other aims is to connect all instrumentation to control analyses in real time, as well as produce statistics on these processes. One of the advantages with LabWare LIMS is that it is customisable to fulfil the needs of the client. Maintaining traceability of the laboratory protocols is one of the most important functions of LIMS, especially for the Spanish courts. LIMS helps maintain a chain of custody, while keeping quality control information of samples and plates, audit trails, documentation, and statistics. A spokesperson for the Spanish
National Police commented: ‘We are in a dynamic sector; the volume of data we handle now is much bigger than 10 years ago and so are the possibilities. Our main challenge now is to interact with other police forces and share not only information, but know-how.’ In the future, further requirements
will be placed on quality management and instrument integration. The spokesperson added: ‘Instrumentation has changed a lot in the last few years, and new challenges will appear in authentication and security. Presumably there will be a shift towards an electronic exchange of information with our customers and to the total elimination of paper in the labs.’
www.scientific-computing.com Policia Nacional
(Cuerpo Nacional de Policia), Spain
he Cuerpo Nacional de Policia, or the Spanish National Police Corps, has implemented a LIMS at its central laboratory to help,
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 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48