Stretching Your LIMSUtilizing LIMS beyond typical applications delivers additional benefits in lab productivity.by Erin P. T. Canning
David Struve
Director, Water Quality Analysis Division, Environmental Resource Assessment Department, South Florida Water Management District | In an attempt to improve productivity, many labs employ LIMS for various applications, such as sample login, data entry and recordkeeping.
The Water Quality Analysis Division of the South Florida Water Management District uses LIMS for logging in samples prior to collection. This creates a sample ID that can be referenced in the field, explains Division Supervisor David Struve.
Pre-login also minimizes the amount of information that staff must enter when samples are received, making them ready for analysis quicker. Staff can also estimate how many samples and tests they will receive in a day. And templates have been created to duplicate pre-logins for samples collected regularly at the same locations, further improving this process.
Surpassing ExpectationsYet according to Dave Sandusky, quality manager/metals supervisor at Forensic Analytical Laboratories, Hayward, Calif., the use of LIMS can be extended beyond its normal applications by using electronic logs and bench sheets to minimize paper handling and storage and by non-standard uses of data acquisition.
"Required quality assurance operations, such as filling out daily instrument setup logs and documenting routine quality control checks, easily lend themselves to using an electronic interface for reporting and archiving," says Sandusky.
For example, Sandusky's lab uses flatbed scanners "to capture an image of the chain of custody and sample-request paperwork that accompanies samples submitted to the lab for analysis." This enables the lab not only to keep easily accessible copies of these documents but also to return the original paperwork to the clients, keeping the hassle of record retention and access to a minimum.
Similarly, the Water Quality Analysis Division electronically maintains preparation records for all standard and quality control solutions in the LIMS.
"This alleviates the need for these records to be kept in notebooks and keeps track of expiration dates, lot numbers, vendor names, etcetera," says Struve. "It also allows the solution IDs to be linked with the analytical data so a given result can be traced to a specific lot of standard solution used to produce the data."
Dave Sandusky, CIH
Quality Manager/Metals Laboratory Supervisor, Forensic Analytical Laboratories | Forensic Analytical Laboratories' optical microscope-based analyses are another example of streamlining by non-standard data acquisition. "Typical protocol, whether for the analysis of asbestos or microbiological constituents, is to document the identification and quantification of analytes by recording results on a bench sheet or in a notebook," says Sandusky.
But this time-consuming step has been eliminated by allowing the staff to enter results directly into an electronic bench sheet within the LIMS.
"In the case of bulk asbestos analysis, the analyst uses a handheld, laser barcode scanner gun to select the various physical and morphological properties of the sample from a chart of barcodes," explains Sandusky. Thus the staff no longer needs to write down or type in the documentation required.
"For identifying and quantifying fungal samples," Sandusky continues, "our microbiologists use touch-typing to enter each genus of fungi identified with one or two keystrokes." Scientists using this "hot-key" short cut are able to record data without taking their eyes away from the microscope, which helps increase productivity.
Struve also uses a LIMS to capture data electronically. In addition to using autosamplers for unattended operation, all instruments are connected to desktop PCs. Electronic versions of instrument reports are uploaded, stored in a database and automatically parsed.
"This is much quicker and avoids mistakes," says Struve. Plus, analysts don't have to submit hard copies of analytical reports to managers. "The supervisor simply checks for completed runs in LIMS and opens the electronic report to review the run prior to approval."
Conclusion Using a LIMS to improve a lab's productivity can lead to various positive results. For Sandusky, improving the analyst's interface with a LIMS saves "time, money and aggravation." If that isn't enough, it also enables him and his associates to better serve clients. Staff can respond to data requests quicker and post reports online for clients to retrieve easily.
And happy customers alone qualify as a positive end result.
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