A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO LABORATORY DATA-COLLECTION

This article considers the problems inherent in implementing direct data capture from laboratory instruments and in communicating with laboratory information management systems in general, taking account of both technical and operational differences between laboratory environments. It briefly describes the theoretical design of the architecture of a software system to perform these functions, discusses an implementation of this architecture in more detail, and includes an example of its application to a large laboratory organisation with multiple sites and a wide range of instruments.