Remote Instrument Access and Control Software Collaboration

Agilent Technologies Inc. (USA) and Healex Systems Ltd. recently announced that Healex’s ChemLaunch remote instrument access and control software now operates with Agilent’s OpenLAB CDS ChemStation Edition chromatography data system software. ChemLaunch, in combination with OpenLAB CDS, provides an integrated software environment for large-scale, distributed analytical labs.

“Customers who have ChemLaunch on their older ChemStation systems can now enjoy all they had before, plus the new benefits of OpenLAB,” said Agilent’s Dan Holmes, director of Marketing, Software and Informatics Division. “We are delighted to be able to offer this upgrade path for our customers.”

“We developed ChemLaunch to help laboratories improve productivity, reduce costs for installations and upgrades, and better use large numbers of instruments distributed among widespread locations,” said Nicholas Place, president and CEO, Healex. “This new agreement delivers even more value for users. They can combine the benefits of ChemLaunch with the strengths of OpenLAB CDS ChemStation Edition software, as well as have an upgrade path and single point of contact for the Healex/Agilent solution.”

ChemLaunch for OpenLAB CDS is a secure Internet/intranet-based system that enables laboratories to remotely set up, monitor and control a wide range of analytical instruments in a Citrix terminal server environment. These instruments include gas chromatographs, liquid chromatographs and liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometers running OpenLAB CD ChemStation Edition software. Incremental “remoting” capability allows other data systems and instrument techniques to be similarly integrated. ChemLaunch’s zero-footprint capability allows users to access their OpenLAB CDS anywhere, anytime without installing software on a client PC, thus reducing validation costs.

Software maintenance and upgrades can be implemented centrally through the Citrix server. In addition to helping lab managers run more samples without increasing costs, ChemLaunch eliminates the need for a computer at every instrument, further reducing costs and bench space requirements.

Agilent OpenLAB CDS ChemStation Edition’s modular software for instrument control, data acquisition and data management provides flexibility to meet a laboratory’s changing needs. The software can be augmented with add-on modules that include data management, data storage, regulatory compliance functions, method validation and control of specific applications.

OpenLAB ChemStation Edition is part of an industry-leading suite of software products designed to integrate and manage scientific information throughout its lifecycle, across the laboratory and enterprise. The suite includes the OpenLAB Chromatography Data System, OpenLAB Electronic Lab Notebook, OpenLAB Data Store and the OpenLAB ECM scientific data management system. The OpenLAB portfolio provides an Open Systems architecture that enables the user to capture, analyze and share information more easily, meet regulatory guidelines, and increase overall laboratory productivity, while providing one of the lowest total costs of ownership in the industry.