EPICS XL Data Management and Interfacing

From: Gary Durack (durack@uiuc.edu)
Date: Tue Feb 09 1999 - 09:29:19 EST


Given the number of responses I have received on this topic, here is a
little more detail for public consumption about data management on the XL
cytometer.

One of Coulter's best kept secrets is that the XL software was designed to
store and retrieve data in Sybase SQL tables. Patient demographics,
specimen info and hematology data can be loaded into the tables and
accessed by the XL at sample runtime to create reports. Rather than
printing reports, results such as percent, mean, cell number, etc... can
also be written to the SQL tables. ODBC drivers can be obtained from Sybase
which will allow interaction with these tables using any ODBC compliant
application. Examples of such applications are MS Access and MS Excel.

Over the past several years I have developed a number of MS Access
applications to automate management of XL data in a clinical setting. These
applications provide: 1) bi-directional communication (ASTM or HL-7) with
hospital LIS; 2) automatic XL worklist file creation; 3) result review,
flagging and electronic sign out; 4) databasing of specimen and QC data;
5) Custom report generation.

Once in the tables data can be easily moved into a spreadsheet for
analysis. I've also used the SQL system often to manage data from large
research projects.

I'm available to discuss this further with anyone interested in more detail.

gary
Gary Durack
University of Illinois Biotechnology Center
voice (217) 244-0559  fax (217) 244-0466
durack@uiuc.edu
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/biotech



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