Out on a LIMS (And Other Arboreal Features)

LIMS For several years I have been searching unsuccessfully for someone to review laboratory information management systems (LIMS) for this column. After looking into the subject myself, I can better appreciate why. The topic is so important and complex that books could be written about it; indeed , they have been. 1 Briefly, LIMS software helps laboratories schedule procedures , process and track samples and test results, collect analytical data, organize reports, and facilitate instrument checking and calibration. Modern LIMS can be enormous and almost impossible to review without a specific application in mind. Luckily, my correspondents tell me that a wealth of information is already available to prospective users. Instead of reviewing a particular vendor's offering as usual, I thus offer you a brief guide to more information on these essential systems. Originally developed in-house by individual analytical laboratories, customized solutions were eventually supplanted by commercial LIMS products developed by commercial instrument makers—primarily to get users for their own analytical tools. These systems often ran on minicom-puter controllers or mainframes, but general-purpose systems that ran on networked desktops and handheld entry stations that could be tailored to the needs of many users eventually became available. Two short summaries of LIMS development can be found online: Alan McLelland's " LIMS—Laboratory Toy or a Critical IT Component? " (Management System " (www.umsl.edu/~sauter/analysis/ LIMS_example.html). Modern LIMS products are extensive systems with linked databases that let researchers standardize data reporting methods and automatically collect data from instruments such as spectrometers and cromatographs. They also facilitate strengthened security by maintaining data validation, certification, audit trails, quality-control analysis, and record archiving. LIMS have become essential tools for many biological and chemical laboratories and manufacturing plants, as well as the pharmaceutical and petroleum industries and anyone else who needs to analyze and process massive amounts of test data. Because setting up a new LIMS can involve considerable reorganization of a firm's procedures, you should not underestimate the time necessary for installing the system and training employees. In fact, it is probably a good idea to involve representatives from each department from the start to ensure that no unpleasant surprises result during the changeover. Several firms provide third-party analyses of your needs for a laboratory management system. You can find them with a Google search for " LIMS evaluation. " Further information on this important topic is available at www.limsource.com, which features a large collection of resources, …