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 integratability.
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 offer 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 presented these requirements and solution concepts at MipTec on Oct 14th, 2008 in Basel.
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