'It's the chromatography, stupid'
15 Jan 2000
That was a typically forthright American response Glaxo Wellcome's Dave Smith gave to LabSystems when asked what was the most important aspect of a chromatography data system. But is it? Exactly what is a CDS?
Simply, it's a software system to automate chromatographic analyses. It collects signals from the chromatograph and detects any peaks in them. Usually it will integrate the peaks to quantify the compounds they represent. More advanced systems can take control of the instruments themselves. And if a lab is linked into a laboratory information management system, then the CDS may automatically take sample information directly from, and return completed chromatographic results to the LIMS.
To take the data even further, LabSystems is now working with Aspen Technology to link LIMS and CDS products into Aspen's InfoPlus process information management system.
