Building a Smart Laboratory 2018
information. Embedded into an SDMS will also be the means to provide appropriate security of the records by means of access control, audit trail, authorisation, and change management.
What is a laboratory execution system (LES)?
A laboratory execution system (LES) sits somewhere between an ELN and a LIMS in terms of the functionality it delivers, but its existence is typically targeted at analytical service and quality control laboratories where high-volume workflows and regulatory compliance are primary business requirements. In a very basic sense, the underlying logical structure of an LES is almost identical to a LIMS, but the user interface is procedure-centric, rather than the usual sample-centric approach found in a LIMS. Tis allows a standard laboratory operating procedure (SOP) to be executed in an automated way, usually by interaction with laboratory instruments interfaced to the LES (where possible) in order to capture data without the need for transcription. Calculations on the captured data can be performed in the system, and thus the automated approach can eliminate two potential sources of error. Te concept of a ‘paperless lab’ is a specific objective of the LES, eliminating the use of paper either for intermediate recording of data, or for longer term record keeping and archival purposes. Te LES is designed to adhere to
laboratory workflows and provides a more repeatable and structured approach to
be configured with appropriate data entry points, with data checking; and unique workflows can be mapped to support repetitive and routine procedures. As with other laboratory informatics
systems, the underlying information technologies can extend an LES to a broader range of capabilities. For this reason, the LES can, in some cases, serve as an alternative to a LIMS, an ELN, or an SDMS. As with each of the major laboratory informatics tools, purchasing and implementation decisions require a thorough understanding of the laboratory’s functional requirements. However, it is more likely that the LES will be seen as complementary to ERP and QM systems where high-throughput QA is an essential step in a business process.
What is an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN)?
In its simplest form, an electronic laboratory notebook can be considered to be a direct replacement for the paper lab notebook. In this instance, it can provide the generic functionality (‘paper on glass’) to support scientific documentation for patent evidence, cross-discipline collaboration, and general record keeping. However, the integration capabilities raise the possibility of a tighter coupling of other laboratory systems into the ‘electronic laboratory notebook’. In other words, can the information that is currently printed from other laboratory systems, cut out and pasted into the paper lab notebook, be electronically entered or linked directly to the electronic laboratory notebook?
Information: Laboratory informatics tools FIG 5 Broad vs. deep
Broad functions Records, patents,
cross-discipline collaboration
addressed by the ‘broad’ layer, whereas the discipline-specific functionality penetrates the ‘interpreted/processed data’ layer in Figure 1. From a patent perspective, the
‘experimental layer’ of Figure 1 is crucial as it captures what the scientist is thinking and doing, and therefore will provide the evidence of conception and reduction to practice of the ‘invention’. In broader intellectual property (IP) terms, it is the ‘experiment’ layer that constitutes a record of the laboratory’s work and as such contributes to the scientific knowledge repository. For as long as this repository resides on
In the academic community, blogging tools have been used to record experimental work and thus provide the basic features of an ELN
“
quantitative testing procedures to help ensure compliance. Te user interface usually takes the form of an electronic equivalent to the paper version of a laboratory standard operating procedure or worksheet. Tis type of interface is oſten referred as ‘paper on glass’, a term also used for a generic electronic laboratory notebook. Most LES applications can be readily configured to support alternative laboratory workflows in a way that relates closely to traditional paper-based processes. Worksheets can be converted to electronic forms; standard operating procedures can
www.scientific-computing.com/BASL2018 For example, systems that provide
chemical structure drawing, structure and sub-structure searching, and compound registration are an integral part of the chemistry laboratory’s process, and therefore would be expected to become part of an electronic solution. Similarly, other scientific disciplines will have specific requirements consistent with their particular laboratory processes. Figure 5 illustrates the relationship
between ‘broad’ (generic) and ‘deep’ (specific) systems. In this context, the ‘notebook’ functionality (see Figure 1) is
paper, the ability to access, collaborate and share scientific knowledge is constrained. Te implementation of an ELN therefore offers a significant opportunity to bring about greater efficiencies. But a clearly defined understanding of
the role that the ELN is going to play in a given organisation is absolutely essential at the start of an electronic laboratory notebook project. As discussed, an electronic laboratory notebook supports the ‘experiments’ layer, and also contains abstractions from the lower data levels (see Figure 1). So the CENSA[2]
definition of an
electronic laboratory notebook as ‘a system to create, store, retrieve and share fully electronic records in ways that meet all legal, regulatory, technical and scientific requirements’ is all encompassing and can mean different things to different people.
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Chemists Biologists Analysts
Other discipline Other discipline
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