Results stuck on an instrument computer
Output files sit on a machine in the lab, and getting them out depends on someone remembering to do it.
Instrument data
Instrument results that land on
the right study record
Many labs still carry instrument output to the study team on a USB stick or a shared drive. We build the link between the files your instruments produce and the participant or sample records your team works in.
At a glance
- 1
- Instrument to start with
- 1
- Record linking each file to a participant or sample
- 30min
- Free architecture review
- NDA
- Before the first technical conversation
Whether an instrument can be connected depends on what it exports.
How can a lab connect instrument data to its study records?
A lab can connect instrument data by collecting the files each instrument already produces and linking every file to the participant or sample ID it belongs to. Files are checked when they arrive, so a missing ID or a duplicate is caught straight away, and results then appear on the study record. What is possible depends on what the instrument exports, so Andolasoft starts with one instrument and one file format.
What we hear
Three problems with instrument files
File names carry the meaning
The only link between a file and its participant or sample is how someone typed the name.
Errors surface late
A missing ID or a duplicate is found when an analysis fails, not when the file arrives.
What changes
Files by hand versus connected to the record
| Task | Files by hand | Connected to the study record |
|---|---|---|
| Getting results off the instrument | Copied to a USB stick or a shared drive, by whoever ran the sample. | Collected from the instrument’s output files, without manual copying. |
| Knowing which participant or sample it is | Found from the file name, if everyone named it the same way. | Linked to a participant or sample ID, and checked on the way in. |
| Spotting a mistake | Discovered later, when the numbers do not add up. | Flagged on import: a missing ID, a duplicate file, an unexpected format. |
| Finding a result months later | A search through folders. | Opened from the participant or sample record. |
How we build it
Four steps from an instrument folder to a study record
- 1
Pick one instrument
We start with a single instrument and the files it produces. What is possible depends on what the instrument exports.
- 2
Agree how a file maps to a record
We write down how a file name or its contents point to a participant or sample ID, and what to do when they do not.
- 3
Collect and check the files
Files are collected from the instrument or a shared folder, and checked on arrival: ID present, no duplicate, format as expected.
- 4
Show results on the record
Results appear on the participant or sample record your team already works in. Dashboards can be added when they help.
Questions about instrument data
It depends on what the instrument produces. Many save files to a folder, and that is usually enough to start. Others only work through the vendor’s own software. We look at one instrument and its output in the first review and tell you what is possible before promising anything.
No. We work with the files the instrument already produces and do not change the instrument or its software.
By an ID that appears in the file name or in the file. We agree the rule with your team, and the system flags any file that does not match, instead of guessing.
Yes, when that is useful. We use Apache Superset for dashboards on top of the records.
Access is by role and changes are logged. Where the data lives is agreed before anything is built. See our security and data handling page for what we do and what we do not claim.
Request a free 30-minute review and tell us which instrument and file type to look at first. A solutions architect replies within one business day. We can sign an NDA first.
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Read articleTell us which instrument to look at first
We will look at what it produces and how your team uses the results, and tell you what can be connected. You will hear back from a solutions architect within one business day.
We can sign an NDA before the first technical conversation.