Ensuring optimal lab performance is a challenge for today’s laboratories. Shortage of educated staff and an increasing focus on safety, turnaround time and traceability add pressure on busy laboratories to stay competitive.
As a result, industry professionals at this year’s Analytica were looking for fast results, simplified testing and automated processes as the key to secure fast turnaround time and efficient lab flow. We talked to many visitors about the current challenges facing the lab industry today and about the latest technologies and trends that are gaining a lot of interest at the moment. Our team of experts was on the scene discussing how to ensure fast, reliable testing and sustainably responsible operations with innovative technology.
According to FOSS Business Unit Director, Rene Fuhlendorff, who spoke with many visitors throughout the exhibition, the lab industry is looking towards automation as a method to increase turnaround time and get fast results. “Shortage of lab staff and many different tasks calls for automation, more walkaway time and simplified testing,” he explains. “Many visitors were looking for automated solutions that can handle many samples with less staff and without compromising on speed and accuracy,” he continues. “In this context, we experienced a lot of interest in NIR indirect methods and batch handling solutions such as autosamplers that free up staff to do other jobs,” he concludes.
The future lab is all about easy access to data
In addition to the drive for increased turnaround time and throughput, the need to document and secure transparent results is also changing the way we work in the laboratory. Analysis results from traditional chemical analysis methods as well as rapid methods such as NIR need to be registered, matched and backed up, including additional data concerning when and how tests are conducted.
“Data integration to support new industry standards is essential for many labs,” explains René Fuhlendorff. “And many lab industry professionals are focused on getting easy access to insights on instrument performance, maintenance and historical data,” he adds.
Sustainable operations can be a challenge
While sustainable operations have been on everyone’s mind in recent years, for some labs it is not always as straightforward as simply reducing the use of waste such as solvents and water.
Dr. Hendrik Heyenn from Chemisches Labor Dr. Wirts + Partner Sachverständigen GmbH in Germany explains: “In an accredited lab, this is about what you are allowed to do. Because there is always the discussion, are we allowed to reduce the use of solvents? From a scientific point of view, it is often okay, but according to the normative methods, it is something different. So, there might be someone who says, no you can’t, even if you want to. So, sustainability is like, we all put solar panels on our roof to reduce the amount of power we use, we try to use less water to cool them as we need, and from the point of view of saving money, we try to save resources, but at some point, we are limited by regulations.”
Despite these challenges, there are other ways to increase sustainability in the lab according to René Fuhlendorff. With rapid methods such as NIR and LIBS, the use of chemicals is completely eliminated while improving the overall efficiency of your laboratory.
“Solutions based on rapid methods offer a smaller footprint, eliminate the risks and errors associated with manual handling, and provide accurate results in a matter of minutes,” says René Fuhlendorff.
While rapid methods such as NIR are gaining popularity in laboratories across the globe, there is still some work to be done in terms of gaining official recognition explains Adrian Jaspars, a German based FOSS Sales Manager, who was also present at the event. “Our experience is that regulations, particularly in Germany, are a huge obstacle when trying to move to modern and fast devices and methods.”
The road to lab 4.0
In conclusion, when it comes to increasing operational efficiency, there is a strong indication that the laboratory industry is moving very fast towards a future where automation, rapid analytical methods and integrated data management solutions are key. At the same time, efforts to increase sustainability are on the rise. However, in an industry that is protected by industry standards and regulations, there is still work to be done in terms of updating these standards to match modern operational procedures and bring the industry closer to lab 4.0.
