Envisioning the lab of the future is the blank canvas for initiating any digital transformation plan in the scientific laboratory. There are numerous paths of standardized approaches that one could embark upon in navigating their digital journey but few have the foresight to fully embrace new cutting edge technology that can truly revolutionize the way you work.

Augmented reality (AR) is the next generation digital interface to transform the laboratory environment into the virtual workplace of the future. While AR enables the ability to overlay virtual objects on top of the real world environment, mixed reality combines AR virtual and real world objects to allow them to interact in real time. By uniting the advantages of mixed reality and data integration into your LIMS, ELN or other laboratory systems, scientists can now perform a wide array of tasks in a hands-free, remote environment with automated data capture and processing.

Creating the Lab of the Future – Today!

Holo4Labs offers a mixed reality solution that is changing the way labs work. It brings together the possibilities of Microsoft HoloLens 2 and advantages of real time data interaction from your proprietary systems (such as LIMS Thermo Scientific™ SampleManager LIMS™ software, ELN’s, etc.) delivered in the right task context. This state of the art technology is an easy to use solution for everyday work in the laboratory to transform your lab into an efficient and work-friendly space.

The Holo4Labs mixed reality solution enables:

• The ability to visualize and interact with digital data on an expansive holographic screen
• Integration with LIMS to automate and augment your laboratory workflow
• Intuitive Data Entry for the seamless, hands-free management of data
• Voice commands to dictate experiment results or navigate processes
• The capability to scan and track samples and devices with ease
• Complete tasks while having actions and data recorded real time directly into SampleManager LIMS
• Efficient management of instrumentation life-cycle, maintenance, and calibration

Virtual Platform for Streamlining Operations and Collaboration

Digital transformation often addresses the digitization of the manual transcription of data.  Mixed reality technology allows you to take the elimination of manual process to a whole other realm, the virtual laboratory protocol. Holo4Labs assists lab technicians in their daily work, with virtual step-by-step guidance through a task list, the management of samples, as well as assigning suitable methods and procedures.

Scientists will no longer have to remember or print procedures. The protocol and all of the associated information is delivered ‘step by step’ virtually in front of their eyes at precisely the right moment and context.

Mixed reality laboratory solutions allow analysts to keep their hands free to continue lab work instead of switching between lab work and the LIMS, driving organizational efficiency. Samples can be virtually scanned to get the information that is needed and upload the data, all while following a visual step-by-step process to ensure the highest quality of research.

Sharing Holo4Lab mixed reality interactions allows teams to virtually interact or train through the ability to exchange files, share holograms, draw notes and diagrams in your virtual space, as well as take snapshots or record videos of the field of view so that everyone can view them from same exact perspective, regardless of their current location.

Next Generation Instrument Calibration and Maintenance

No matter how many instruments play a role in your laboratory, the effective management of them throughout their life-cycle is always something that you should strive to automate within your digital transformation strategy. Routine calibration and maintenance is crucial to keeping your instruments in optimal condition.

Holo4Labs provides on-board tools to make it easier and more efficient to take care of your instruments. Scanning the instrument’s QR code or barcode provides a view of the calibration procedure information along with step-by-step instructions, eliminating the need to referring to physical manuals. The virtual dashboard allows you to plan calibration and maintenance work, set notifications for future calibrations and monitor the status of your devices so that your data always remains accurate.

Conclusion

Digital transformation within the laboratory removes manual processes and non-digital technology throughout the entire workflow. This is an opportunity not to simply replace legacy technology but to enable the next level of innovation to truly transform the way you work. Holo4Labs mixed reality solutions provide state-of-art tools to enable a hands free, virtual laboratory of the future, today.

Why it Matters for You

Digital transformation drives a constant change throughout the work environment. We live in a world of data and technology that surrounds us and grows exponentially. Mixed reality solutions embrace these technological advances, offering a game changing approach to the way scientific laboratories work:

• Uniting the advantages of mixed reality and data integration into your LIMS, ELN or other laboratory systems allows scientists to perform a wide array of tasks in a hands-free, remote environment with automated data capture and processing.
• Integrating Holo4Labs with Thermo Scientific™ SampleManager LIMS™ LES provides analysts with a virtual guide through each step of a chosen method to ensure SOP compliance as well as capture the complete process history to maximize laboratory efficiency.
• Adopting mixed reality technology will change the way your teams work by enabling live collaboration and virtual training remotely by screencasting your mixed reality view.
• Voice navigation and notes dictation will let you work easily and effectively, even in a clean-room.
• OCR functions that enable reading data from any non-IoT connected LCD screen will decrease the cost of your digitalization.
• Avoid the mistake of working with uncalibrated devices by utilizing the Holo4Labs virtual interface to notify you whenever any of your instruments need calibration and guide you through the correct procedure.

About Astrix

Astrix has been helping scientific organizations implement and integrate new informatics systems in the laboratory since 1995. Our experienced team of expert informatics consultants bring together technical, strategic, regulatory and content knowledge to provide the most effective solutions to problems faced by scientific organizations. Astrix partners with many of the industry leaders in the informatics space to offer state of the art solutions for all of your laboratory informatics needs. Our domain experts have helped hundreds of companies globally effectively navigate their digital transformation journey.