“It’s all part of the routine,” mutters the weary technician, seated in a corner of the bustling research lab, as he jots down yet another sequence of numbers from the analytical balance. Record the numbers by hand, type them into the spreadsheets, and double-check. Rinse, lather, repeat. It was tiring, but there was no margin for error in a world where precision was paramount. And yet, it should not have come to this again. Not after the digital overhaul their team had made with a brand-new laboratory information management system (LIMS).
But the challenges lingered. Endless paper trails, fragmented data, and the inability to connect the older instruments in the lab with the modern data integration infrastructure. The LIMS and electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) worked well for certain types of data, but not all. The manual work wasn’t completely gone, and inconsistencies in data formatting and traceability reared their ugly heads persistently, especially when it came to working with multiple lab equipment. With the possibility of a failed audit looming (along with its associated time and financial ramifications), lab managers and technicians alike knew what the problem was.
But it's all part of the routine. The technician let out a sigh of defeat as he started a new sample run. Was there any way to truly connect it all?
Data, instruments, and communication
The transformation from manual to digital data management is an ongoing narrative between lab techs, scientists, managers, and the enormous volumes of data they have to work with. It is a story that is not lost on Gal Haase, VP Product at Labguru, “The average lab today adopts way too many applications, spreading data across multiple platforms, and making it less efficient and more difficult to get proper insights.” The challenge here, as identified by Haase, is to consolidate data into a single, cohesive workflow while reducing human error and ensuring traceability.
The advent of LIMS and ELNs was a turning point, and while revolutionary, also came with its fair share of challenges. LIMS and ELNs certainly offered a framework away from manual data management, and a centralized framework, but what was lacking was true operational connectivity. Labs feature various types of instruments, from legacy to modern devices, each with its unique data output. These devices don’t often communicate the same language as modern software, resulting in data silos that prevent labs from achieving the highest level of operational connectivity.
Labguru faced the same bottleneck, as Haase relates. “Our goal with Labguru was to find a holistic solution for data management and data acquisition for labs. That essentially means we want to cover everything in a lab, from the most advanced of instruments to the most basic and routine. But unfortunately, the trend has focused on the former, as opposed to the latter.” By the latter, Haase largely refers to legacy instruments, such as analytical balances, and pH meters, to name a few. A holistic solution would not throw these instruments aside but incorporate them to streamline data process flows in a laboratory.
Bridging the gap: Labguru and LabBox
The search for a solution led to an unexpected collaboration between Labguru and Martel Instruments. Founded in 1982, Martel Instruments has delivered high-quality printable and electronic data output solutions across various industries. Speaking on the needs of laboratories in an era of increased data demands, Joanne Hockaday, Commercial Manager at Martel Instruments says, “The key is connectivity. Providing an automated data transfer interface that can connect legacy and modern lab equipment alike with existing LIMS or ELNSs can enable labs to work at full capacity. This means researchers can focus on what they do best, innovation, as opposed to logging in hours on data entry.”
Martel Instrument’s newest product LabBox, is emblematic of this goal. LabBox enables streamlined data capture by serving as an interface between existing lab equipment and any LIMS or ELN. It comes as no surprise that Labguru had found an ideal partner in Martel Instruments. Integrating LabBox into Labguru opened new possibilities for Labguru. “One of our clients, a high-regulation service lab, had a tedious process for recording basic and routine measurements like weight and pH,” Haase explains. “The status quo in this lab was for each measurement to be manually printed and logged. Now, with LabBox, data can be automatically recorded and be made available immediately in Lab Guru.”
LabBox’s configurability also allows it to adapt to specific lab protocols. At setup, labs can configure the system to capture various data variables, such as technician ID or timestamp, through RFID cards or keycards. These customized controls allow labs to meet compliance needs and ensure that each data entry can be traced to a specific action and user. This combination of configurability, adaptability, and connectivity sets the stage for a paperless, streamlined workflow that saves labs time while greatly enhancing their data integrity. How exactly is this achieved?
LabBox—enabling connectivity
Lab data management is not only about handling information but also about connecting three essential components: instruments, personnel, and the data itself. Here’s how LabBox brings it all together.
1. Instruments: Bridging gaps between legacy and modern systems
LabBox connects older, standalone instruments directly to digital systems. Using a network interface, LabBox collects raw data in real-time, feeding it into a LIMS or ELN without the need for additional manual input.
2. Personnel: Tailoring data for different roles
Laboratory personnel have different data needs. A technician requires quick, seamless data entry and retrieval. A manager requires a comprehensive data view for quality control or compliance purposes. Last, but not least, researchers need real-time data to make critical decisions surrounding experiments.
LabBox’s customizability allows personnel such as techs to access only the data relevant to them, while a manager can have access to a broader view across multiple datasets. “Every time we integrate LabBox,” Haase explains, “these improvements save time and reduce errors. It allows lab techs and managers to spend less time on data management and more time on their actual work.”
3. Data: ensuring accuracy, security, and traceability
Data is the crux of a lab’s operations. Manual data entry, particularly from legacy equipment, is prone to errors that can compromise the integrity of lab results. This is a legitimate issue in highly regulated industries that require stringent data tracking to comply with regulatory standards like the FDA’s 21 CFR Part 11, which governs electronic records in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
LabBox addresses these data integrity concerns through automated data logging that eliminates the risk of human error. By capturing and timestamping data from each instrument, LabBox improves data accuracy but also enables traceability through a log. With great storage capacity, LabBox also allows labs to maintain extensive records that are ID-matched and fully compliant with industry standards.
A future with fully connected labs
LabBox is a solution that caters to the reality of a fully connected lab ecosystem. In such an environment, data flows seamlessly between devices, personnel, and systems. LIMS and ELNs have certainly evolved to meet the rising data demands of research, but LabBox adds another dimension to this transformation with its ability to connect legacy instruments with modern data management needs.
Reflecting on Labguru’s collaboration with Martel Instruments, Haase cheerfully remarks, “It is a collaboration that our team has enjoyed. It is an intuitive one as well. We have the same goal when it comes to establishing holistic data connectivity in the lab. LabBox operates very well with Labguru in that aspect.”
The story of data, connectivity, and integration as seen through the lens of the collaboration between Martel Instruments and Labguru is one that resonates with labs worldwide. LabBox’s connectivity inspires a new vision for lab data management. It is not just about reducing manual workflows but rather to transform the lab environment where the user has control of the data, not the other way around, in a fully integrated ecosystem.
To learn more, visit martelinstruments.com/labbox/
