In the modern laboratory, it is not uncommon to have instruments from multiple vendors, or multiple instruments utilizing different data systems even from the same vendor.  This requires the analyst to be conversant in each of these systems, and results in inconsistent printed output for chromatograms and spectra, etc.  Avalon gets around this by being a generic data system, capable of handling the raw data from a number of manufacturers data systems.  This leads to improved analyst throughput, and consistency across results output; and because Avalon is based on a Windows 32 platform, it is often faster, more efficient and more powerful than many of the native data systems.

In developing Avalon, we have tried to take the best features from each of the different manufacturers data systems, and combined these with some fresh new ideas that we've developed ourselves.  The aim is to produce a powerful, flexible data system for visualizing, processing and reporting data from different native data systems.  Additionally, in contrast to other data systems on the market, Avalon handles most of these different data files in their native format - we don't convert the raw data into our own format before processing it, we work on the original raw data file.  This is not true in all cases, due to platform differences, but is true is most cases.

In addition to the data visualization features, a powerful quantitation engine is included which handles all standard sample types (field samples, blanks, CCal, Ical, etc.), and all standard quantitation and QC processing (amounts, concentration, EDL, MDL, EMPC, %D, RSD, etc.)  As well as the generic processing routines, optional plug in packages will be available for standard methods.  These packages will be configured with all of the correct analytes, QC limits, and printed and electronic report generators, providing turnkey solutions to standard methods.  We can also create customized packages based on your own methods, and report output requirements.

Consider the following true scenario - a large dioxin lab has a number of magnetic sector and quadrupole instruments analyzing for dioxins and furans.  The sector instruments run a combination of VG DS-250 (PDP-11 based), VG Opus (DEC VAX based), and Micromass MassLynx (PC Based).  The quadrupoles are all running HP ChemStation (PC based).  Prior to Avalon, this lab had to process its data using all of the very different data systems.  If samples were analyzed on multiple instruments, there would be different printed output styles for the reports.  All of the results then needed to be hand entered into a spreadsheet for results table generation.  Creating Electronic Disc Deliverables (EDDs) was to say the least, very very difficult.  In the months that they have been using the Avalon beta, they are now able to report samples in minutes, rather than hours, and the generated reports are consistent and very professional looking.  Data reporting has gone from being the bottleneck, and now the instrument throughput is the bottleneck (with each sample taking almost one hour to analyze on the instrument). 

Key Benefits

• Analyst need only learn a single system to enable him to process data from multiple sources.
• Contains the best features from various OEM and third party systems.
• Powerful quantitation and report engine.
• Consistent raw data report output across multiple data sources.
• In most cases, raw data files can be accessed in their native format.
• System can be used on the desktop, or over a network, with all analysts seeing the same data and results.