Laboratory information management methods

Every analytical laboratory, governmental, private, or university, has a standard set of procedures that provide both general and specific information to laboratory members. These fall into certain categories, including the laboratory s standard operating procedures (SOPs), quality assurance/quality control manuals (QA/QC manuals), procedural manuals, analytical method files, and laboratory information management systems... 

RGURE 33-1 Steps in the analyticat process showing possible automation methods. LiMS = laboratory information management system. 

The quality of an analytical result also depends on the vaUdity of the sample utilized and the method chosen for data analysis. There are articles describiag Sampling and automated sample preparation (see Automated instrumentation) as well as articles emphasizing data treatment (see Chemometrics Computer technology), data iaterpretation (see Databases Imaging technology), and the communication of data within the laboratory or process system (see Expert systems Laboratory information management systems). 

This method is used for stability, research development, and for production quality control. Hardness testers are available from many vendors and today, many labs are using bench top models that can directly be interfaced to a laboratory information management system (LIMS). Figure 10.4 shows a typical hardness tester. 

The sample in this method is a semiliquid and therefore it is easier to automate and to combine both the sample preparation and analysis into one operation. Furthermore, the cost of this system is little more than the additional switching values over the chromatograph needed for a manual method. If the data system is combined with a laboratory information managing system (LIMS) virtually the whole of the analytical method can be automated. 

See also Biofluids Studied By NMR Calibration and Reference Systems (Regulatory Authorities) Computational Methods and Chemometrics in Near-IR Spectroscopy Fourier Transformation and Sampling Theory Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). 

See also Atmospheric Pressure Ionization in Mass Spectrometry Biochemical Applications of Mass Spectrometry Chromatography-MS, Methods Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Nucleic Acids and Nucleotides Studied Using Mass Spectrometry Proteins Studied Using NMR Spectroscopy Time of Flight Mass Spectrometers. 

See also Chromatography-MS, Methods Forensic Science, Applications of Mass Spectrometry Fragmentation in Mass Spectrometry Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Medical Applications of Mass Spectrometry Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry, Methods. 

Mechanistic Approaches. Adequate and appropriate river-quality assessment must provide predictive information on the possible consequences of water and land development. This requires an understanding of the relevant cause and effect relationships and suitable data to develop predictive models for basin management. This understanding may be achieved through qualitative, semi-quantitative or quantitative approaches. When quantitative or semi-quantitative methods are not available the qualitative approach must be applied. Qualitative assessments involve knowledge of how basin activities may affect river quality. This requires the use of various descriptive methods. An example of this kind of assessment is laboratory evaluation of the extent to which increases in plant nutrients, temperature or flow may lead to accelerated eutrophication with consequent reduction of water quality. 

The management of an analytical chemistry laboratory involves a number of different but related operations. Analysts will be concerned with the development and routine application of analytical methods under optimum conditions. Instruments have to be set up to operate efficiently, reproducibly and reliably, sometimes over long periods and for a variety of analyses. Results will need to be recorded and presented so that the maximum information may be extracted from them. Repetitive analysis under identical conditions is often required, for instance, in quality assurance programmes. Hence a large number of results will need to be collated and interpreted so that conclusions may be drawn from their overall pattern. The progress of samples through a laboratory needs to be logged and results presented, stored, transmitted and retrieved in an ordered manner. Computers and microprocessors can contribute to these operations in a variety of ways. 

---