Expediting Veterinary Laboratory Testing

Mention the phrase "contract testing laboratories" and many people would think of testing in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. However, there is a very large number of veterinary laboratories that carry out contract testing. While the testing regimes may be very different from other industries, the basic laboratory processes are very similar and the use of LIMS can help improve service levels and keep costs down. Veterinary contract laboratories must offer a high-quality service with a fast turnaround and competitive prices. There is also an increasing requirement to check if testing has been completed and to be able to access those test results remotely as soon as they are available.

Matrix Gemini in the veterinary laboratory

Veterinary contract laboratory services can cover a wide range of disciplines, including biochemistry, haematology, microbiology, endocrinology, immunology, molecular biology, histology, cytology, serology, semen analysis, post mortem and allergy testing. Matrix Gemini LIMS can help to control, manage, organize and document the receiving of samples into the laboratory, allocation of resources, scheduling and performing of tests, entering raw results, calculation of final values and comparing to expected values, and issuing of reports. Of course, no two veterinary laboratories will operate in an identical way, so the powerful and easy to use configuration tools provided by Matrix Gemini provide the flexibility to meet the requirements of any laboratory. These tools allow the setup and modification of workflows, screen designs, menu designs, terminology, numbering schemes, report designs and much more without the need for programming or esoteric scripting languages. Features such as rapid barcode scanning, automated invoicing and the capability to integrate with Microchip, Vet XML and VeNOM codes simplify and speed up laboratory processes.

Accessing results quickly and easily

There is an increasing need for veterinary practitioners, farmers and similar to be able to quickly access test results carried out in the Veterinary contract laboratory. Matrix Gemini makes this very straightforward through the Matrix Gemini Web. The web-based implementation means that system access is not restricted to the actual laboratory sites - it is available from any location that has web connectivity. This provides access to sample/batch status, results, reports etc. For customer service staff or personnel who handle customer inquiries, a custom search screen allows the current status of any sample to be determined. When customers phone asking about the progress of a particular sample or samples, it is quick and easy to give them up to date information.

Find out more

We have published a number of case studies on the use of Matrix Gemini in veterinary laboratories. Simply click here: /case-studies and use the ‘veterinary’ filter to access them.