Historically, LIMS were developed for traditional laboratories in industries such as biobanking, pharma, diagnostics, oil & gas, food & beverage, quality and manufacturing. These systems are sample-centric – meaning they revolve around the sample.
But sample-centricity is a massive challenge for forensic professionals using a generic LIMS. The nature of the sample determines what tests are to be run, which in turn determines what departments of the laboratory the sample will be sent to. Receipt, storage, data generation, reporting and metrics are all sample-based.
In forensics, however, the case is the hub of all information gathering and investigation. At the case level details such as investigative agency and investigative agency number are tracked as well as priority, case type, investigators, suspects, victims and much more.
Critical forensic quality requirements are also often not met by a traditional LIMS. Forensics investigators must be able to constrain and check on certain steps in the process to ensure requirements are being met to facilitate the lab’s necessary quality certifications.
LIMS vs. FIMS
This case-driven focus is the most fundamental difference behind a Forensic Information Management System (or FIMS) and a more traditional laboratory information management system. While the laboratory is the sweet spot of standard LIMS products, you can’t just take a standard generic LIMS “off the shelf” and bring it into a crime lab.
If the LIMS isn’t built with forensic organizations in mind, the system will likely require a fair amount of customization to work effectively in that environment. And even if customization enables a workable solution today, it can disrupt compliance and inhibit even simple future upgrades — not to mention exposing your investigations to the risk of unscheduled downtime, or worse – potential security vulnerabilities because you can’t readily take advantage of new releases.
Criminal cases have ‘packages.’ Those packages consist of evidence, also referred to as exhibits. The nature of the exhibit does not dictate exactly what tests will be conducted. For example, if a firearm is submitted to the laboratory, it may need DNA or Latent Print services. Even after the firearm is received in the firearms unit, it may need different examinations depending on the type of crime committed, such as a serial number restoration, a distance determination, a trigger pull, or a National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) comparison.
Packages of evidence may be submitted for analysis over a period of time. Whenever a new submission of evidence occurs, the system needs to recognize if the new evidence is part of an already-existing case in the FIMS.
Another key consideration is that evidence used in crime investigations is collected in the field rather than in medical or laboratory settings. The ability to enter evidence remotely through a secure portal is essential to ensure the FIMS delivers value to investigators.
In addition, the interconnected nature of all of the different entities that can handle evidence, and the various paths exhibits can take during the course of an investigation, make it easy to see why it’s beneficial to have a single comprehensive system that manages the case and evidence beyond the laboratory.
What should you expect in a FIMS?
A system built with forensic clients in mind should be able to handle case-centric workflows, from field investigations to central receiving, through work assignments, analysis, reports, review, and evidence disposition — accommodating the various activities required at each step.
The key feature of a case-oriented system is that there is one single place where all case information can be viewed – today’s electronic version of the filing cabinet.
Information entered in the system, whether in the field or at central receiving, would need to include the following details at a minimum:
- Investigative agency
- Case identifier
- Crime committed
- Information about packages and their contents (i.e., exhibits)
- Points of contact for the case
- Suspects and victims involved in the case
In addition, chain of custody authentication is critical to any forensic organization. What is often called chain of custody in a generic LIMS is typically just a check-in/check-out process that doesn’t require electronic signatures.
This approach doesn’t meet the rigorous expectations of how evidence is to be handled in forensic investigations and could be detrimental to the case once it goes to trial. A FIMS must have far more robust evidence management capabilities.
Your FIMS should also be able to handle other unique differences between traditional laboratory analysis and forensic investigation, such as the need for results to be interpreted, and convenient tools for compiling information for courtroom presentations.
Navigating the unique requirements of FIMS
LabVantage Forensic Navigator is designed to manage the full forensic lifecycle, from evidence collection through disposition, including functions that go beyond the laboratory such as Property Management, Crime Scene Management and the Medical Examiner’s Office. Evidence is introduced to the LIMS either via the LabVantage Portal (convenient for use in the field) or by bringing samples directly into the laboratory, where an evidence technician can enter the data.
Every activity is thoroughly documented for full traceability from evidence reception to disposition, and strict chain-of-custody is imposed on all evidence transfers and storage steps. It can be hosted anywhere and accessed from any location, ensuring that the system is accessible to everyone working on a case — whether they’re in the lab, at a crime scene, or in a courtroom. The system can also scale as needed, growing at whatever pace your organization requires.
Contact us today to learn more.
Related Content
Product page: Forensic Navigator
White paper: Forensic Navigator and the LabVantage Portal: Secure Stakeholder Access for Efficient Forensic Investigations
White paper: Moving Beyond LIMS for Forensic Investigation
Press release: New LabVantage Forensic NavigatorTM Seamlessly Manages Vast Data Flows Over the Entire Forensic Life Cycle
Blog: LIMS Aids Forensic DNA Identification
Blog: Creating the Ideal LIMS for Forensic Investigation
Blog: Can You Accelerate Forensic Investigations and Solve Crimes Faster?
Blog: Reasons Forensic Labs Need Task-Specific LIMS Capabilities
