MipTec Luncheon

On behalf of the initiators of SiLA from the Pharmaceutical and Life Science Instruments Industry, Toolpoint is pleased to invite you to the above-mentioned

 

MipTec Luncheon

 

14 October 2008, 11:00 – 12:30

 

In the course of this luncheon, we will present the SiLA Initiative, its mission and goals, as well the requirements and initial solution concepts for the standardisation of interfaces in drug discovery lab automation. Information about membership and further projects will also be presented.

 

Attendance is limited to 30 persons. Please apply for your personal invitation at info@toolpoint.ch. Registration is in date order.
Admission is free.

 

Yours sincerely

Toolpoint for life science
The Initiative Core Team

 

Erwin Althof, Novartis
Dr. Carsten Etzold, Hamilton
Dr. Christof Fattinger, Roche
Dr. Holger Linnertz, Mettler-Toledo
Detlef Riedel , Xavo
Peter Schleiffer, Toolpoint
Dieter Speidel, Toolpoint/Xeronics
Uli Syré, Infoteam
Stefan Tömö, Tecan

 

 

Program

 

Introduction

Representatives of different pharmaceutical companies as well as manufacturers of laboratory automation systems and software in the field of drug discovery launched a standardisation initiative in June 2008 under the lead of toolpoint, an umbrella organisation for pharmaceutical suppliers.

The aim of the SiLA (Standardisation in Lab Automation) initiative is to define requirements for necessary and possible interface standardisation and to develop suitable concepts and solutions.

SiLA will present these requirements and proposed solutions to interested pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies in the course of a Mip Tec Luncheon and invites them to join the initiative to support laboratory automation standardisation through their active collaboration.

 

Objective

SiLA’s goal is to standardise interfaces for the integration of laboratory automation installations and system components. The initiative focuses on the urgent need of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries to minimise the current high costs for integration and reconfiguration in laboratory automation and more quickly integrate method innovations into existing automation solutions. The introduction of standardised interfaces should allow users to become more flexible in choosing and integrating new equipment and enable them to respond more quickly to new areas of research through plug-and-play integration.

 

SiLA membership and collaboration, advantages for SiLA members

The purpose of the SiLA Luncheon at Mip Tec is to present and discuss the preliminary work of the core team. All participants are cordially invited to apply for SiLA membership during or after Mip Tec.

SiLA members benefit from the possibility of putting forward their own ideas and needs for interface standards and hence being prepared for the requirements of future equipment and software developments.

 

 

Agenda

SiLA standardisation requirements and possible solutions

General requirements

Equipment Classifications, Common Command Set and the corresponding data formats

Preferred interfaces

Significance of this approach for process management software solutions.

 

Discussion

 

Organisation and work groups

 

Summary and next steps
Membership application, terms and conditions
Invitation to work groups
Milestones
Communication

 

 

Mission

Automated laboratory systems have become an integral part of Drug Discovery since more and more lab processes are being automated. To cope with the pace of innovation, users of automated systems within the pharmaceutical industry as well as system integration companies are demanding for more flexibility and easier integration.

 

Modern lab instruments and devices are still providing proprietary command and data interfaces, causing significant efforts for pharma companies and system integrators to integrate or upgrade automated lab systems within reasonable time frames and cost budgets. Instruments from different suppliers incorporating nearly identical functionality show completely different interfaces, making it impossible to replace with or to upgrade to a different model without writing new driver software.

 

Pharma companies are under growing pressure to integrate automated systems for new applications in shorter time and to be able to adopt technological innovations provided by instrument suppliers more easily and rapidly. However, they are restricted in their flexibility of choosing specific instruments to make use of technological innovations provided by instrument suppliers in the extent they would like to. Furthermore, adaptation of hardware and software to new workflow requirements is too time consuming.

 

The new SiLA standard shall allow flexible and easy integration and replacement of instruments in automated lab systems. The SiLA standard is based on the concept of Common Command Sets for instrument control and data exchange. The standard shall define a Common Command Set for each Device Class used in an automated lab system and provide guidelines for Specific Commands provided by the instrument supplier for extended functionality.

 

The SiLA initiative, headed by Toolpoint (a swiss association of life science instrument companies), has been launched in June 2008 by pharma companies and suppliers of lab automation instruments and software for drug discovery to define the requirements for interface standardisation and to suggest feasible solution concepts. SiLA will present these requirements and solution concepts at MipTec in Basel, Switzerland which will take place on October 14, 2008. Interested pharma and supplier companies are invited to visit this event and to join the initiative to support the SiLA standard through active contribution.

 

Motivation


 

Scope