Laboratory information management system
LIMS stands for Laboratory Information and Management System. This category of software systems deals with the data processing in the analytical laboratory.
The tasks of LIMS are derived largely from the manufactures chemometrics. It will be implemented according to different principles to the accompanying process chain. Usually two strands system to be implemented:
- Measurement line ( measuring instruments, recording and storage of the measured values from sensors and Dial ... )
- Control strand (mathematical processing and evaluation of measured data, sample management, billing, etc. )
LIMS thus consist at least the basic modules data acquisition and data evaluation.
Process-based LIMS should be fundamentally aligned with the analytical phases:
- Präanalysephase
- Analysis phase
- Post analysis phase
The process-based characteristics of a system is to be understood here in the information technology context and results for LIMS in specific processes each analytical phase.
LIMS thus have to realize from the registration of the sample input on the control and monitoring of the entire measurement process up to the economic evaluation of the project a complete process chain, which often do not succeed easily. LIMS can also be realized as distributed systems, such as when measuring container be used externally or mobile measurement systems are used.
A Today's LIMS can represent in some cases a lot of parts from a laboratory or production unit. It makes use of the division into static and dynamic data advantage. More not ignore to let systems such as chromatography data systems and the integration of tools in addition to other interfaces are also worth mentioning.
Information Technology
The software basis of all modern, serious LIM systems are relational database systems. On this basis, the actual LIMS applications, according to the layer model these days mostly with object-oriented development tools implemented. It is, with all due striving for a standardized software as possible, the proportion of individual developments, even if only in some areas (interfaces, individual modules ), still quite large. Thanks to object-oriented software development but individual adjustments are no longer connected with the same effort as in the period before the use of appropriate development tools.
The LIMS can be linked to IT systems of other divisions, such as can be connected to ERP systems and laboratory automation systems in the measurement section the hardware. Another useful feature is the inclusion in the backup infrastructure to ensure data security.