Journal:Development of a smart laboratory information management system: A case study of NM-AIST Arusha of Tanzania

Full article title	Development of a smart laboratory information management system: A case study of NM-AIST Arusha of Tanzania
Journal	International Journal of Advances in Scientific Research and Engineering
Author(s)	Mwambe, Edson; Wangere, Joseph N.; Flavian, Daudi; Sinde, Ramadhani
Author affiliation(s)	Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology
Primary contact	Email: mwambee at nm-aist dot ac dot tz
Year published	2022
Volume and issue	8(4)
Page(s)	1–14
DOI	10.31695/IJASRE.2022.8.4.1
ISSN	2454-8006
Distribution license	Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
Website	https://ijasre.net/index.php/ijasre/article/view/1500
Download	https://ijasre.net/index.php/ijasre/article/view/1500/1921 (PDF)

Abstract

Testing laboratories in higher learning institutions of science, technology, and engineering are used by institutional staff, researchers, and external stakeholders in conducting research experiments, sample analysis, and result dissemination. However, there exists a challenge in the management of laboratory operations and processing of laboratory-based data. Operations carried out in the laboratory at Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), in Arusha, Tanzania—where this case study was carried out—are paper-based. There is no automated way of sample registration and identification, and researchers are prone to making errors when handling sensitive reagents. Users have to physically visit the laboratory to enquire about available equipment or reagents before borrowing or reserving those resources. Additionally, paper-based forms have to be filled out and handed to the laboratory manager for approval. These manual operations make it difficult to keep track of expiry dates of reagents, stock remaining, storage conditions, software licenses, tools, and data regarding borrowed equipment, as these facets lack automated notification mechanisms.

This study, therefore, was carried out to investigate the development of a smart laboratory information management system (LIMS) integrated with internet of things (IoT) devices, a wireless sensor network (WSN), and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for real-time monitoring of sample and reagents storage conditions, as well as digital sample identification and tracking. A web application was developed to allow remote access to laboratory information by users. Based on the performance test, it is concluded that WSNs can be integrated with IoT devices to automate recurring tasks in laboratories, aid in monitoring, and eliminate paper-based record keeping.

Keywords: radio frequency identification, wireless sensor network, internet of things, MQTT, ZigBee protocol, ThingSpeak, laboratory information management system

Introduction

Background

Higher learning institutions of science, technology, and engineering conduct experiments in testing laboratories. According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a laboratory is a building or a part of a building or any other place set aside and equipped for conducting scientific experiments or investigations, in order to develop new products. These testing laboratories are accessible to institutional staff, researchers, and external stakeholders. The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), based in East Africa (Arusha, Tanzania), has one such testing laboratory that is subdivided into three subsections. Each subsection deals with a different thematic research focus area and is led by a section head. The flow of information in testing laboratories is complex, from sample registration to assigning the sample to an analyst, recording the sample results for each parameter tested, and relaying the results back to the client or researcher. Conventional paper-based approaches for recording all this information are not efficient. A lot of time is bound to be wasted following up on paperwork, and crucial details might be missed or lost in the process. There is therefore a need to aggregate laboratory information on a single platform that can be accessed remotely in order to guarantee real-time access of laboratory data, as well as automate manual processes to increase efficiency, speed, and accuracy. This study therefore proposes a web-based smart laboratory information management system (LIMS) integrated with wireless sensor network (WSN) technology, internet of things (IoT) devices, and radio frequency identification (RFID) to streamline laboratory operations and consolidate all data on a single platform for easy accessibility and tracking.

Problem statement

There exists a challenge in the management of most testing laboratories, in that operations are carried out manually. There is no established mechanism of sample identification, and researchers are prone to making errors when handling sensitive reagents. If users need to borrow laboratory equipment, they have to physically visit the laboratory office, enquire about the availability of equipment, and manually fill out a paper-based form before handing it to the laboratory manager for approval. Due to such manual operations, it is difficult to keep track of expiry dates of reagents, remaining stock, software licenses, tools, data regarding borrowed items, and more. It is therefore in light of the aforementioned setbacks that this study was carried out to investigate the development of a smart LIMS to automate processes in testing laboratories, enabling researchers to plan activities.

Objectives and research questions

The main objective of this research was to investigate the development of a smart LIMS. The specific objectives were:

1. Determine and gather requirements for the design and development of a smart LIMS.
2. Design and develop a smart LIMS based on those requirements.
3. Validate the developed system.

A series of research questions tie into those objectives:

1. What are the requirements for developing a smart LIMS?
2. How should the smart LIMS be designed and developed?
3. How will the study ensure the developed system meets the specified user requirements?

Conceptual framework

Figure 1 below represents a conceptual framework model that guided the development of the smart LIMS. A web application links an IoT module and inventory module to different user categories, e.g., researchers and laboratory staff.

Figure 1. Conceptual framework for a smart laboratory information management system

Significance of the study

The implementation of the system is significant in the following outlined aspects:

• Reduction of overhead in the reporting and management processes within laboratories
• Enabling of a central database of all laboratory data in order to digitize operations
• Minimizing operational costs of the laboratory
• Facilitating enforcement of laboratory policies, rules, and standard operating procedures
• Facilitating appropriate and timely calibration of laboratory instruments
• Easy monitoring of inventory, including equipment, samples, supplies, and reagents

Literature survey

A LIMS is a database software application used to acquire, store, analyze, manage, and monitor data in a testing laboratory. The LIMS improves laboratory workflow and productivity by managing the data of samples, reagents, laboratory equipment, analyses, and other activities and stakeholders. A LIMS can act as a single repository of all laboratory information and reduce the communication gaps among the laboratory manager, quality assurance manager, and other stakeholders. [1]

Different researchers have previously attempted to address the automation and digitization of laboratories. We critically analyzed different research to identify gaps and inconsistencies. For example, an RFID-based functioning model for managing laboratory inventory was developed by Hazura et al. [2] RFID is a wireless, contactless identification technology that does not require line of sight. The technology operates in both the low-frequency and ultra-high-frequency RFID standards. However, in their proposed model, a control unit was used to relay data between a 13.56-megahertz (MHz) micro RFID reader and a programmable integrated circuit (PIC), before then sending the data to a computer. The drawback of their proposed solution was a lack of a mechanism for remote or wireless accessibility to the system.

In another study, Hsieh et al. [3] developed an IoT-based smart laboratory administrator system for intrusion and sound detection, as well as monitoring temperature and controlling laboratory access. The system employed OpenCV technology to detect invasion of objects and an Arduino microcontroller with IoT sensors to collect environmental sounds and temperature. The system detected movement, temperature, and voice in real-time and sent immediate messages through an application or email. The limitation of the study, however, was the use of a quick response (QR) code to manage the inventory through a mobile application. The QR code requires line of sight, needs objects to be scanned one by one, and are read-only with a short scanning range.

A system to manage laboratory information and track large amounts of DNA sequencing data was developed by Vu et al. [4] The system employed barcode technology to label the sequenced samples and track experimental procedures. However, sample parameters were still manually fed into the system, which could be prone to error and result in lack of validated data.

Another laboratory equipment management system based on RFID technology was developed for colleges and universities by Zhang and Reha. [5] The system was customized to monitor and track laboratory equipment in real time. It was based on RFID technology, which is superior over other identification technologies because it is automatic, contactless, has a strong ability to be adaptable in demanding environments, and possesses a high data capacity, up to 116 bytes of data. However, RFID implementations cost more compared to barcode implementations.

RFID is among the more popular technologies used for identification of assets in a laboratory. Wahab et al. [6] developed a study similar to Zhang and Reha, examining a web-based laboratory equipment monitoring system that used RFID technology. The system architecture consisted of an RFID reader, RFID tag, RS232 cable, personal computer, and a local area network (LAN) hub. RFID was tested to be 100% accurate in terms of real-time data capture of outbound and inbound equipment in the database. However, a passive RFID tag with an operating frequency of 125 kilohertz (kHz) was used. Its limitation is short response distance, and the metal shield in the RFID tag can block and interfere with the electromagnetic field produced by the RFID reader, thus preventing the tag from being read properly.

In a different study, a system to manage the maintenance of equipment was developed based on mobile two-dimensional (2D) barcode and RFID technology. In the study, it was demonstrated that both RFID and barcode systems can be used on the same equipment. Both 2D barcode and RFID technologies store and provide information. However, RFID tags are easier and faster to read compared to 2D barcodes. In terms of cost, 2D barcodes are cheaper than RFID. [7]

Another RFID system was developed by Ma and Wang to manage and track students’ experiments. RFID was selected over other technologies such as magnetic cards due to being contactless, robust, having high data reading speed, being user friendly, and demonstrating an ability to read multiple tags simultaneously. [8]

RFID technology has also been employed in the development of a library system for automating activities related to the borrowing, renewal, and return of books. The system employs GSM technology to alert the users on the return due date. The system is efficient in terms of speeding up the processes of searching, borrowing and returning books. However, users cannot access the system remotely. [9]

More recent studies have focused on RFID technology due to its superior features over other identification technologies in terms of long response distance range, longer lifespan, reusability, and robustness. In the reviewed studies, the systems were implemented to be accessed locally when a client is in the same LAN. Based on functionality, the studies focused primarily on laboratory equipment and not the management of samples, reagents, and analytical data. This study therefore was carried out to bridge the gaps identified in the previous works.

Materials and methods

Study area and scope

This study was carried out in the United Republic of Tanzania, whereby the NM-AIST was used as a case study. The scope entailed the development of a web-based smart LIMS that integrated with RFID technology for scanning and tracking samples, as well as an IoT module for real-time monitoring of sample storage conditions (i.e., humidity and temperature).

Data collection method

Primary data was collected from laboratory staff, management, and researchers using group discussions, observation, and face-to-face interviews. Secondary data was collected from policy documents, journal articles, research reports, articles, websites, and white papers.

System requirements

The system requirements were categorized into both software requirements and hardware requirements. The software requirements were tabulated as represented in Table 1.

Table 1. Software requirements for the smart LIMS Software Purpose STM32 Cube Programmer (STM32CUBEPROG) Flashing bootloader application on STM32F103C8T6 microcontroller Digi XCTU software For configuring the XBee S2C radio modules Draw.IO Modelling the Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagram for the system Visual Paradigm 16.3 Modelling the entity relationship KiCad 5 Printed circuit design and implementation Visual Studio Code source code editor Writing PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code Arduino IDE Writing sketches for the ESP32 microcontroller MySQL Database design and queries Apache HTTP server ThingSpeak Cloud for aggregating and visualizing source data from internet of things hardware devices Twilio Communication API platform for sending SMS notifications

Notes

This presentation is faithful to the original, with only a few minor changes to presentation. Some grammar and punctuation was cleaned up to improve readability. In some cases important information was missing from the references, and that information was added.