title: Flexible software architecture for user-interface and machine control in laboratory automation.
abstract: We describe a modular, layered software architecture for automated laboratory instruments. The design consists of a sophisticated user interface, a machine controller and multiple individual hardware subsystems, each interacting through a client-server architecture built entirely on top of open Internet standards. In our implementation, the user-interface components are built as Java applets that are downloaded from a server integrated into the machine controller. The user-interface client can thereby provide laboratory personnel with a familiar environment for experiment design through a standard World Wide Web browser. Data management and security are seamlessly integrated at the machine-controller layer using QNX, a real-time operating system. This layer also controls hardware subsystems through a second client-server interface. This architecture has proven flexible and relatively easy to implement and allows users to operate laboratory automation instruments remotely through an Internet connection. The software architecture was implemented and demonstrated on the Acapella, an automated fluid-sample-processing system that is under development at the University of Washington.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Arutunian
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Meldrum
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Moody
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016494:Computer Security; D003201:Computers; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D014584:User-Computer Interface