Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
contain mostly unstructured data, that is, practices and observation, whereas
an analytical or clinical experiment will contain mostly structured data, in
this case analytical results. Laboratory information systems (LIMSs) are
designed to handle large quantities of structured data, and ELNs have evolved
to handle a mix of unstructured and structured data with unstructured data
predominating.
Laboratory information systems have been in use for over 30 years and
predate ELNs. Superfi cially they do the same things as an ELN. They record
the details of an experiment, record details of the reagents used and their
source, allocate necessary equipment, and then record the data for the experi-
ment. Finally a report is generated. LIMSs are most commonly found in high-
throughput analytical laboratories, for example, a QA (quality assurance)
laboratory, or a laboratory servicing clinical trials. This means that they need
to operate in environments regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) under GLPs (good laboratory practices) or GMPs (good manufactur-
ing practices).
The major difference between an ELN and a LIMS can be characterized
on the basis that a LIMS handles structured data, whereas an ELN handles
mostly unstructured data. Although there has been a move to simplify the
vocabulary used to describe the experiment through the use of predefi ned
terms, the record is much more variable than a LIMS record. A LIMS is focused
on capturing a limited number of data types from a large collection of similar
samples, whereas an ELN is designed to capture data from a diverse range of
experiments with a limited number of samples but a diverse range of tests for
each sample. In the extremes ELNs and LIMSs can be differentiated. A dis-
covery chemistry laboratory running three of four syntheses a week with the
need to run confi rmatory analyses from a range of techniques is best served
by an ELN. An analytical chemist receiving 10 samples a day from a 1000
patients and running one or two tests on each sample is best served by a LIMS.
But ELNs and LIMSs meet in a gray area where both are equally as appropri-
ate. The automation experience that has been developed by LIMS vendors
means that they can make inroads into the evolving ELN market where the
ELN is the hub application, but they lack the domain expertise of vendors that
have developed ELNs based on their knowledge of the scientifi c research area.
LIMS vendors recognize the overlap between ELNs and LIMSs. Most have
responded by providing ELN functionality in their LIMS offerings. Waters [18]
has released a stand-alone LIMS product, Agilent acquired an ELN [19], and
Thermo [20] chose to provide ELN capabilities by partnering with Symyx
Software (now Accelrys) [21] .
19.13
ELECTRONIC LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT
The future of ELNs is as the central component of the electronic laboratory
environment (ELE). This concept envisages all information fl ows being elec-
tronic: to seek fi rst information to assist with its design, then resourcing of
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