Nexxis Information Integration System: A New Breed of Electronic Laboratory Notebook
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Nexxis Information Integration System: A New Breed of Electronic Laboratory Notebook |
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What is an Electronic Laboratory Notebook?
The Collaborative Electronic Notebook Systems Association (CENSA) describes an Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) as follows:
“An Electronic Notebook is a system to create, store, retrieve, and share fully electronic records in ways that meet all legal, regulatory, technical and scientific requirements.”
This is a very broad definition that can encompass a number of possible options. As a result specifications for an ELN can vary dramatically, making selecting an ELN quite difficult. In evaluating an ELN it is important to consider your specific requirements.
Is a blank page what you really want?
When most people think of an ELN, they visualize an electronic version of a traditional laboratory notebook where a screen displays the notebook, and allows the analyst to do anything that they could do in a paper notebook. The added benefit of an ELN is being able to electronically store and retrieve the pages in the notebook.
In a purely R&D facility, this concept can work well. It is an advantage to have maximum flexibility – a blank page, if you like. As we move closer to a QC environment, the requirement for an ELN begins to change. The freedom that is found in the R&D environment is no longer the norm.
The ELN for a QC lab needs structure. There is a need to control the information that is recorded in order to ensure that it meets requirements and standards. Unlike the R&D environment, it is not acceptable or desirable to record any observation or any data that the analyst feels is appropriate. Instead the requirement is for a much more controlled set of data. For example the data needs to be associated with proper sample ID’s, and tests need to be carried out according to accepted procedures.
The visualization of such an ELN is no longer a blank page, but well-defined forms, with rules applied to control the analysis and the analyst. It is important when considering your ELN requirements to understand the kind of data that is being collected and the purpose for collecting the data.
Leverage Your Existing Data Management Capabilities
The definition for an ELN includes the need to “store, retrieve and share fully”. Everyone certainly requires this functionality, but does it need to be part of the ELN? For many laboratories, the ability to store the data in the ELN would be a duplication of the capabilities they currently have using their existing storage facilities.
If a laboratory already has a LIMS, ERP or DMS (data management system), does it not make sense to use these applications to store the data produced by the ELN? These systems have already been designed and implemented for the purpose of storing and reporting laboratory data. Introducing an ELN with a separate data storage capability could be an unnecessary duplication of functionality. An ELN that can integrate with existing systems, leveraging their capabilities, is going to provide the most effective and productive use of resources.
If these systems do not already exist, it can be very cost effective to add custom databases to store and retrieve the data collected by the ELN. In addition to being cost effective this may also provide a much more flexible system, than what is available as part of an ELN.
Nexxis – A New Breed of ELN
As we have seen the definition of an ELN is very broad and no commercial ELN meets all of the requirements equally well. In selecting an ELN it is important to understand which functionality is most important to your organization.
The Nexxis Information Integration System is a powerful new breed of ELN that meets laboratory requirements in a way that is unmatched by any other solution. Using SOP management as its core component, Nexxis allows the laboratory to create a structured data collection and information management environment that is based on their established practices and procedures and is fully integrated with their existing information management systems.
Structured Data Collection
At the core of Nexxis is the ability to automate and enforce the carrying out of analytical SOPs. A Nexxis method not only guides the analyst through each step of the SOP, it also becomes a single access point for all of the information resources required for monitoring and documenting the SOP.
The Nexxis Method for a specific SOP can be designed to ensure that the proper instrumentation is used, that the instrumentation has been calibrated according to schedule, that only analysts that are fully qualified are performing the analysis, that analysts comments and observations are stored along with the data, and so on. The possibilities are endless because of the flexibility of the Nexxis Method designer.
A Nexxis Method can incorporate and automate every aspect of an analytical SOP.
Integration with laboratory instrumentation
Nexxis collects data directly from laboratory instruments, in real time, using a variety of technologies including PCs, tablets, notebooks, PDAs, wireless systems, etc.
As Nexxis guides the analyst through each step of the SOP, it also manages all communications with the instrument including sending commands to the instrument as well as collecting data.
The Sophistication and Flexibility of Nexxis’ integration with laboratory instruments fully supports the structured data collection environment created within the Nexxis method.
Integration with Information Management Systems
Unlike other Electronic Laboratory Notebooks, Nexxis is designed for maximum flexibility when interfacing with existing data storage applications such as LIMS, ERP and DMS.
This integration can be a two way street. Instead of viewing these systems as simply a place to store data, Nexxis can use them as a source of information that is critical to the SOP. Nexxis can query a LIMS for a worklist of samples that need to be run or automatically look up calibration records for the instrument that is being used or even check results against a limits table for the analysis that is being run.
A unique strength of Nexxis as an ELN is its ability to interact with a wide variety of existing systems and to fully incorporate those systems into the automation of the SOP – at the time of analysis.
A Best of Breed Solution
The Nexxis Information Integratin System combines the most advanced technology for data collection and SOP automation with the ability to integrate with existing LIMS, ERP and DMS applications.
The result is an Electronic Laboratory Notebook solution that integrates instrument data collection and analysts input with laboratory procedures and systems within a controlled and automated environment.
North America • Labtronics Inc. • Tel: (519) 767-1061 • Fax: (519) 836-4431 • E-mail: info@labtronics.com
Europe • Labtronics B.V. • Tel: + 31 (0) 182 551243 • Fax: + 31 (0) 182 551270 • E-mail: EuroInfo@labtronics.com
“Reprinted with permission from Labtronics Connections, March 2004. Labtronics Connections is a monthly email newsletter that provides case studies, articles and application notes related to laboratory instrument interfacing. Published by Labtronics Inc., www.labtronics.com http:]www.labtronics.com[/url]“
