LIMSzine
The following page contains information on:
The Process of Uncovering LIMS Information
Megalon Announces New Software for Managing Scientific
Information
Beckman Announces New Graphics Analysis Module
Software Interfaces Announces New Report Writing
Capability
Many laboratories considering implementing a laboratory information management
system (LIMS) have a vision of their goal, but getting there is not so clear.
Where do I start? Where do I get information about LIMS? How do I choose
the right one? The process of uncovering LIMS information is much like any
other challenge: you need to be part sleuth, part librarian, part student.
Published information can be found in various scientific journals, typically
as application studies which discuss how one company went about selecting
a LIMS, or as vendor-written articles which provide in-depth details about
a specific LIMS product. SC&A offers an Annual LIMS Buyers Guide which
lists various LIMS vendors. So, check out the back issues of various scientific
publications.
While books on LIMS are few and far between, they do exist. R.D. McDowall
edited Laboratory Information Management Systems, Concepts, Integration,
Implementation in 1987 through Sigma Press. In 1990, R.R. Mahaffey authored
LIMS: Applied Information Technology for the Laboratory which was published
by Van Nostrand Reinhold. Most recently, A.S. Nakagawa introduced his book,
LIMS: Implementation and Management, which was published by the Royal Chemistry
Society in May 1994.
Associations and Societies also offer specialized information. The LIMS
Institute is primarily responsible for the International LIMS Conference
but also provides information on the Conference's presentations, consultants,
exhibitors, and more. For information, contact Gerst Gibbon, c/o USDOE/PETC,
PO Box 10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 or call (412) 274-6889. The American
Chemical Society (ACS) offers both classes and publications. Call the ACS
at (800) 227-5558 for details. The American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM) offers a short Guide for LIMS which describes computer systems used
to manage laboratory information. For information, call the ASTM at (215)
299-5585.
Trade Shows offer a wealth of LIMS information. They provide an outstanding
opportunity to visit a vendor's booth, see the product in action, ask questions,
and get a hands-on demo. Many LIMS vendors are small software publishers
who don't have a large travel budget; this may be your best bet to test
their products. The Pittsburgh Conference (PittCon) in February/March is
one opportunity, so are the ACS shows. The only trade show specializing
in LIMS is the International LIMS Conference held every June. It includes
four days packed with presentations and seminars devoted to the latest LIMS
trends and technology.
Classes, courses and training can all be obtained at the trade shows as
well as through the associations. A one day course on LIMS: From Problem
Definition to System Evaluation is taught by Gerst Gibbon and Joe Golden
through the ACS and will be held at the Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS)
this November as well as the weekend before PittCon. In fact, the ACS runs
several continuing education short courses in conjunction with various shows,
so look for those details when you receive trade show information.
Consultants can be an enormous help because they enable the lab to zero
in on problem definition and they are knowledgeable about the available
LIMS. Check out their references and catch their presentations at the various
shows. Key presentations at the recent International LIMS Conference were
given by Joe Golden, President of Laboratory Management Systems (718) 798-4079,
and Randy Collins of Laboratory Expertise Center (708) 310-0129.
Getting information about LIMS isn't as hard as it first looks. Think of
it as a project management assignment in which you map out the stages through
which you must go in order to reach system implementation. That's because
while the technology changes, the methodology doesn't. Uncovering how to
apply a technology doesn't change since your lab must still undergo the
process of defining your specific problems and goals and evaluating different
systems. A combination of perseverance, involvement in the LIMS community,
and good old common sense will see you through.
Megalon Announces New Software for Managing
Scientific Information
Megalon announced the availability of ResearchStation scientific information
management software for PCs. By taking advantage of Windows-standard OLE
2.0 technology, ResearchStation provides an integrated workspace in which
scientists can gather, combine, and use information in any form: text, images,
numerical data, graphics, video, and sound. By providing a single framework
for managing diverse data sets, it offers a fundamentally new opportunity
for scientists to take advantage of desktop computing and information technologies
in research. Without leaving ResearchStation, users can work with multiple
software applications in a single window, capturing, recording, organizing,
visualizing and sharing data and information from many sources. For additional
information, contact Megalon at (415) 884-3000.
Beckman Announces New Graphics Analysis
Module
Beckman Instruments recently introduced a new functionality for chromatography
data management with their PeakPro C/S Graphics Analysis Module. The Windows-based
chromatographic analysis package allows users to perform graphics analysis
in either plot, manipulation, or graphical method development (GMD) modes.
Client/Server architecture permits all PeakPro C/S graphic tools to be utilized
simultaneously by multiple users. Moreover, operators can view plot tools
as well as method editing tools within the same screen. For additional information,
contact Beckman Instruments at (201) 818-8900.
Software Interfaces Announces New Report
Writing Capability
Software Interfaces' new SQLASSIST ProReports software product for Windows
and X/Motif now allows reports to be created on a client and run on any
client or server while retaining the identical formatting attributes. This
report writer incorporates all of the features of both ad hoc and production
report writers, and allows access and reporting on both heterogeneous database
data and other data in the same report. SQLAASSIST ProReports combines true
host-based batch reporting capabilities necessary for production systems
with the ease-of-use and full graphical and font support. For additional
information, contact Software Interfaces at (713) 492-0707.