LimsLinkCDS - Vialis

Case Study 112
International Customer Creates Sequences in
LimsLink CDS Instead of ChemStation and
Reduces Setup Time
Challenge
An international pharmaceutical company was
implementing both a new LIMS, Applied Biosystems
SQL*LIMS ® , and a new CDS, ChemStation Plus ® .
They wanted to have an interface between these two
applications that would transfer sample results being
run in a lab at one location to their main LIMS server
which was running at another location, in another
country. A Wide Area Network (WAN) connects the two
locations.
As they were already introducing two new applications
in the lab, they wanted a solution that did not require
the user having to learn and operate another piece of
software. To keep the interface as simple as possible
they wanted to have the analysts build their sequences
in ChemStation Plus.
Solution
IDM-LimsLink CDS from Applied Biosystems was chosen
to create the interface between SQL*LIMS and the
ChemStation Plus Chromatography Data System. An
Application Specialist from Labtronics visited the
customer’s site to review their interface requirements
and to install a prototype interface.
Although the original intention was to continue creating
sequences in ChemStation Plus, as soon as the
customer saw the prototype, they quickly realized that
IDM-LimsLink CDS could easily automate sequence
creation in a way that would save the analysts a lot of
time.
IDM-LimsLink CDS includes a configurable ChemStation
Plus interface that makes automation of sequence
creation easy to set up and easy for the analysts to
use.
To set up the interface, a template with a series of
check boxes and drop down menus is used to
configure the ChemStation Plus parameters such as
DSN Name, Instrument Method, Calibration Method,
Sequence Parameters, etc. that are used to create the
sequence. The template is designed to reflect the look
and feel of ChemStation Plus and to use the same
terminology as the CDS. For anyone who is familiar
with ChemStation Plus, setup of the automated
sequence creation is a very clear and straightforward
process.
At run time, the interface that the analyst uses to
create the sequence also uses the ChemStation Plus
look and feel and terminology, allowing the analyst to
use the interface with minimal training. The automated
process queries SQL*LIMS for a worklist of samples
that are scheduled to be run for a test. The IDM-
LimsLink CDS Expansion Function then takes that
sample worklist, automatically adds in standards, and
the complete sequence is transferred directly to
ChemStation Plus.
Using IDM-LimsLink CDS to automate sequence creation
was clearly going to reduce the amount of time that the
analysts spent manually building sequences in
ChemStation Plus, without making the interface
complex or difficult to work with.
Case Study 112 1

International Customer Creates Sequences in LimsLink CDS Instead of ChemStation and Reduces Setup Time
Using IDM-LimsLink CDS to report ChemStore results to
a LIMS does not require any intervention at all on the
part of the analyst. Working in the background IDM-
LimsLink CDS automatically polls the ChemStore Oracle
database at set time intervals. Any results that have
been approved since the last query are automatically
reported directly to LIMS. The whole process is
automatic. Within minutes of approving results, they
are available in the LIMS.
Through their evaluation of the prototype interface, the
company realized that IDM-LimsLink CDS would be able
to provide them with an interface between
ChemStation Plus and SQL*LIMS that not only met but
exceeded their original expectations.
Not only would they be able to automatically report
results to LIMS without any intervention by the
analysts, they would also benefit from the time saved
by automating sequence creation. Because the
interface incorporates the look and feel of
ChemStation Plus, analysts would be very comfortable
using it with minimal training.
Based on the success of the prototype interface, IDM-
LimsLink CDS interface was put into production.
2
Results
IDM-LimsLink CDS is now automatically creating
sequences and collecting results generated by 15 GCs
that are continually running samples, 8 hours per day.
The approved results are automatically collected and
transferred over the Wide Area Network (WAN) to the
main SQL*LIMS server. Sample results show up in the
LIMS within minutes of being approved in ChemStation
Plus.
Benefits
• Analysts can use the interface with minimal training
• Automated sequence creation saves analysts setup
time
• Sample results are automatically reported to LIMS
within minutes of being approved
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
www.labtronics.com
Case Study 112