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News
National Bureau of Investigation
Crime investigation in LIMS – Enhanced forensic LIMS from Software Point
The Forensic Laboratory of the National Bureau of Investigations in Finland (NBI) has upgraded and expanded its information management system to cover all of its over twenty forensic disciplines. The implementation of the system is the largest separate development project in the laboratory’s history. “The project is now completed and the new information management system is amongst the very best in its class in the world.” tells Erkki Sippola the Deputy director of the Finnish National Forensic Laboratory.
Tapani Reinikainen, the Director of R & D at NBI has planned and implemented the project and is responsible for laboratory information management at NBI. Reinikainen describes, that the Forensic Laboratory offers a wide range of laboratory services for crime investigation. These include fingerprints, DNA analysis, physical sciences (e.g. firearms, tool marks, questioned documents and impression evidence) and drug investigations, as well as other chemical-based research methods. Over the past ten years, the number of requests processed by the Laboratory has almost doubled. In addition to investigations, the Laboratory maintains DNA and fingerprint registers.
The Forensic Laboratory handles an enormous stream of information daily in its investigation areas. Only the chemistry department and DNA sectors previously have had a Laboratory Information Management System. WiLab LIMS (LimsBOSS) system used since 1997 in the chemistry department is now replaced and the Sapphire LIMS used for DNA tests since 2002 have now been merged into the new Sapphire system. The new system can process and manage data considerably more efficiently. It will consolidate data from all of the laboratory’s investigation areas into one database. The centralized system has an intuitive, web-based user interface which can be accessed from any workstation via a web browser, thus needing no additional software installations.
The biggest advantage of the new system is the electronic communication with the Finnish police's IT-systems. The forensic laboratory receives a request from the investigation and sends back statements after all analyses required have been carried out. Saving all these data into LIMS opens new possibilities and gives real-time information about the progress of the investigation.
The internationalization of crime sets new demands on national crime investigation and new enhanced LIMS optimizes and speeds up the sharing of information at international level. Sapphire LIMS also provides tools for developing internal processes, for example in evaluating resources needed and following delivery times. The new LIMS is also an excellent tool for quality control in the laboratory.
The Estonian Forensic Laboratory has also, in December 2009, chosen Sapphire LIMS from Software Point to be used in all their laboratory disciplines for crime investigation. The implementation work begins in January 2010 and the first laboratory shall be in operation by the end of the year.
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