Any time the reproducibility of a biological experiment is called into question, conversation inevitably turns to the quality of the reagents and the possibility that the operator may have deviated from the protocol. Yet numerous other factors are at play, not least the performance of essential laboratory equipment such as freezers and incubators, and environmental conditions within the lab itself. By implementing lab monitoring technologies to identify issues that could influence experimental results, many of these factors can be removed from the equation. Moreover, by connecting lab monitoring systems to the Internet of Things (IoT), data can be accessed remotely to support a more efficient way of working.
Lab monitoring is becoming the norm
Lab monitoring is becoming more commonplace, according to Robert Pemberton, chief commercial officer at Elemental Machines. “Monitoring is an absolute requirement for cold storage as freezers and fridges can hold millions of dollars of assets that may represent many weeks or months of work,” he explains. “We’ve also noticed a lot more monitoring of incubators lately, not just to catch something as simple as a door being left open, but also to track parameters such as humidity, CO2, O2, and temperature over time with the aim of identifying subtler issues that could steer experiments toward a questionable outcome. In addition, there’s a growing need to collect data from equipment that traditionally has not been connected to any sort of lab network—pH meters, balances, blood gas analyzers, and other instrumentation—in efforts to tackle the reproducibility crisis.”
Image: A survey conducted by Elemental Machines found that while 71% of survey respondents had experienced catastrophic equipment failures resulting in loss of critical samples or materials, only 25% monitored all of their equipment. Freezers and fridges are monitored most frequently.
Paulina Kocjan, regional marketing manager for automation, PCR, and digital solutions at Eppendorf, notes that environmental monitoring is also increasingly routine in laboratory settings where ambient conditions such as temperature and humidity can affect the performance of lab equipment. “Take, for instance, automated liquid handlers, which are commonly used for efficient sample processing,” she says. “Using monitoring technologies to provide a stable laboratory environment can eliminate problems such as static that can affect tip loading, and higher humidity that can cause condensation when using cold blocks on deck, thereby ensuring a more reliable run. In turn, this reduces the number of variables that researchers must consider when analyzing experimental results.”
One further, important, application of lab monitoring is to promote safer working practices. Peter Will, market manager at OHAUS Corporation, describes how a recently launched hotplate stirrer, capable of reaching temperatures of 500oC, employs both infrared (IR) and Bluetooth technologies to automatically shut off the heater if the presence of the end user is not detected after a set time. “Damage to the lab or to the sample most typically occurs when people are not around and, despite best intentions, accidents still happen,” he says. “To mitigate this risk, our latest hotplate stirrer uses IR for short distance monitoring and Bluetooth for monitoring over longer distances. By pairing the device with a smartphone app, heating of the hotplate stirrer is automatically switched off when the user walks away and breaks the connection.”
Spotting trends and ensuring compliance
In addition to protecting valuable assets, enhancing experimental reproducibility, and improving safety, a further benefit of lab monitoring is that it provides a continuous data record. This supports the application of machine learning or AI algorithms to identify trends that might otherwise have been missed, as well as being useful for quality and compliance. “We’ve helped several customers find anomalies in their cold storage that allowed them to carry out preventative maintenance before things failed,” notes Pemberton. “Also, because our systems allow users to run CFR Part 11 compliant reports, we help companies using electronic systems for document and signature control to authenticate electronic records.”
Connecting lab monitoring technologies to the IoT
Traditional approaches to perform lab monitoring have required end users to manually fill out paper records and have often relied on hard-wired sensors that are connected to a central wired hub. However, IoT—a system allowing the billions of physical devices that are connected to the internet to transfer data across different networks without the need for human interaction—represents a far more efficient way of doing things.
“There are multiple advantages to wireless, battery-powered IoT,” reports Pemberton. “Systems are easily expandable, since dozens of IoT sensors can connect via Bluetooth to a Gateway (a benchtop computer) that uploads data to the Cloud every few seconds. Also, there are no wires, making installation incredibly easy. Our Element-A and Element-T sensors are each about the size of a deck of playing cards and they magnetically attach to equipment or facilities, automatically connecting to the Gateway when the battery tab is removed. The automatic connection feature is particularly useful now when it’s difficult for outsiders to get into a lab. Finally, battery-powered sensors continue to operate if you lose power, while the Gateway typically works on WiFi but has cellular back-up, meaning that if the WiFi or the power goes down, you’re still running.”
“Most laboratory monitoring systems will be connected to the loT so that scientists can access their data as needed from their office, home, or another lab,” adds Kocjan. “Being connected increases productivity by allowing researchers to focus on their work and not on device maintenance or control. They can also be notified if there is a potential issue and can monitor their devices with reliable technology. Like most modern devices such as cell phones, implementing lab monitoring with loT connectivity can make us rely too heavily on technology, but the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks.”
Labs are becoming more connected
With the advantages of lab monitoring technologies and IoT devices so apparent, it seems inevitable that labs will become more connected. OHAUS continues to investigate ways of incorporating smart technologies into everyday equipment such as overhead mixers, thermal shakers, and pH meters, while Eppendorf supports researchers with digital platforms to monitor freezers, incubators, and other devices, and software for simple management of up to 50 MasterCycler X50 thermal cyclers. “We envision a lab of the future in which we measure everything,” sums up Pemberton. “Not only will this allow people to track changes to see what may have gone wrong, but, better still, to track changes to avoid problems occurring in the first place.”