The intelligent laboratory through the Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer the lab of the future. It is the norm for laboratories around the world. The demand for connectivity from technologically advanced products in the laboratory continues to increase as fast as the new technology is introduced. By 2022, the International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts that spending on IoT will reach $1.2 trillion.1 Though laboratory influence might be a smaller percentage (20% for healthcare1), the statistics show how IoT is forever moving society and science forward. Whether it is a small botanical laboratory or a large pharmaceutical laboratory, IoT has been and continues to be integrated into laboratories to accelerate workflow efficiency, enhance employee productivity, ensure safety, and meet quality assurance and audit requirements.
IoT can save hours of time in the laboratory or out in the field. With access to IoT, researchers and other types of lab managers can leave their experiments overnight, allowing their pumps and other expensive instruments to run without risk of failure or loss of valuable samples. Technicians no longer need to stand at spectrophotometers to wait for results, manually record data, and then input it into the computer to share for record-keeping. IoT enables access to the cloud, which allows data to be input anywhere, accessed anywhere, and printed/shared anywhere.
A newfound flexibility, IoT improves productivity and job satisfaction for employees. Advances in remote monitoring and control have eliminated the need for a physical presence in the lab, giving researchers the ability to achieve remotely much of the same control and monitoring they need to get their jobs done. Remote monitoring can be beneficial for R&D departments tasked with experiments or pilot testing. For those conducting around-the-clock experiments, the ability to monitor the equipment remotely is a huge advantage. Equipment operators can monitor and adjust critical processes running 24/7 from anywhere. Push notifications, SMS, and e-mail provide alerts for operating conditions and error messages. Access is easy from a PC, tablet, or smartphone.
Cloud-connected equipment also improves safety. Because instruments can be controlled and monitored remotely, hazardous substances can be tested remotely in a restricted area of the laboratory. This ability for remote control can save significant time and cost by eliminating the need for gowning, disinfecting, washing, and decontamination steps associated with entering restricted areas. IoT improves employee health and safety conditions by distancing employees from dangerous chemicals or biologics.
As more and more regulations drive the workday, new IoT products provide easy compliance with those new standards: FDA regulation 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11 compliance, and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) are but a few. Products already meeting those requirements can provide peace of mind and save time and energy, allowing more time for the experiments or other daily tasks.
Products Paving the Way for IoT in the Lab
Cole-Parmer (Vernon Hills, IL) has three systems, Masterflex, Traceable, and Jenway, that utilize a secure cloud connection using proprietary LIVE implementation. This ensures that research and day-to-day work is well protected. While many other manufacturers are also entering the IoT market, not all smart technology is the same. When purchasing any instrument equipped with smart technology, buyers should validate the security features of the system prior to implementation to ensure protection and peace of mind.
Figure 1 – Masterflex L/S cloud-enabled pump with MasterflexLive connectivity.
MasterflexLive is a secure, cloud-based platform that controls and monitors select Masterflex L/S and I/P pumps (see Figure 1). Pump operators can monitor and adjust critical processes running 24/7 from anywhere. This smart technology, a first-of-its-kind for peristaltic pumps, provides real-time control of all pump parameters, including speed, flow rate, and dispense volume. Alerts for operating conditions and error messages are provided via push notifications, SMS, and e-mail. The premium MasterflexLive subscription option adds 21 CFR Part 11 and EU Annex 11 compliance. This provides extra assurance to laboratories working under strict regulations that data in the cloud is secure and that labs meet all standard requirements.
CPLive cloud-enabled Jenway 74 single-beam and 76 split-beam spectrophotometers enable users to access lab results and protocols with a simple touch of a button (see Figure 2). Operators can safely and securely upload and archive data to the cloud; manage multiple devices simultaneously through the CPLive app on their computer, tablet, or smartphone; share data with colleagues; and access unlimited data storage. CPLive data is date- and time-stamped, encrypted, stored, and backed up 24/7.
Figure 2 – Jenway 76 Series UV/visible scanning spectrophotometer with CPLive connectivity.
Workers can constantly monitor temperature, humidity, liquid nitrogen, CO2, and barometric pressure with a variety of TraceableLive wireless technology sensors, loggers, and other cloud-monitoring devices (see Figure 3). This technology is suitable for those who want to monitor critical environments and receive on-time alerts to any changes. TraceableLive securely connects to data via Wi-Fi on a smartphone, tablet, or PC. The cloud-based interface requires no additional software, and connecting is simple and easy with a low-cost TraceableLive subscription; some products have free subscriptions. The TraceableLive subscription adds 21 CFR Part 11 compliance and is appropriate for laboratories working under strict regulations enforced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other recognized worldwide authorities.
Figure 3 – Digi-Sense traceable multiparameter data logger with TraceableLive wireless capability and calibration.
Security is Not an Option
Devices with TraceableLive, in normal operation, are connected to the network in passive mode, which means the device itself cannot be accessed unless it is first reaching out. Once a device with one of these technologies is connected to a Wi-Fi network, it will only communicate with the TraceableLive cloud services using encrypted HTTPS communications. The HTTPS/SSL communication encryption certificate protects the proprietary communication instruction set that is used in these and other secured devices, and protects against an attacker emulating a server without the encryption certificate. To further enhance security, when a TraceableLive device is communicating with the cloud service, the device must authenticate itself using a set of credentials. MasterflexLive and CPLive also have similar security features built into the technology specific to those needs.
Summary
The demand for connectivity from technologically advanced products in the laboratory continues to increase as fast as the new technology is introduced. It will become easier for the scientific community to reach their research goals and objectives using IoT technology as a key enabler. As products continue to evolve, laboratories purchasing and using smart products should be concerned and aware of security risks and other challenges that will arise. They should look to reputable suppliers for their IoT systems. With secure reliable products, any lab can become intelligent and reap the benefits that smart technology has to offer.
References
1.“IDC Forecasts Worldwide Technology Spending on the Internet of Things to Reach $1.2 Trillion in 2022,” June 18, 2018; https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS43994118; accessed June 22, 2019.
Tanya Jamison is Vice President, Test & Measurement, Cole-Parmer, tel.: 800-323-4340; e-mail: [email protected]