Talk to us about your laboratory software.
A half-hour introductory conversation, without obligation. We listen to your analyser fleet, your LIMS situation and the accreditation you operate under, and we give you direction on how to proceed.
Service · Web development
Custom laboratory software development.
Custom LIMS, lab middleware and instrument integrations for medical, veterinary, research and QC laboratories. We build extensions or replacements for your existing lab system, tailored to your workflow, your accreditation and your analyser fleet.
We don't replace STARLIMS, LabWare or SampleManager — we extend them.
The major LIMS packages — STARLIMS, LabWare, Thermo SampleManager, Abbott AlinIQ, Roche IT solutions, Clinisys/Glims, BioMerieux MyLA and, in the Netherlands, NEXUS — do what they were built for: covering the breadth of a production lab with a configured template. But every lab has quirks that will never fit a standard package. A new analyser that only speaks ASTM over RS-232. A research line whose workflow model doesn't match the LIMS. An EHR integration the package has kept "in development" since last year. New regulation (CE-IVDR, NEN 7510) for which the vendor has no module yet.
We close those gaps. Lab middleware between your analysers and the LIMS. A patient or clinician portal for viewing results. Custom workflows for one specific type of test. Additions to the standard reporting that insurers or government bodies, for example, ask for. For smaller R&D, food or environmental labs where STARLIMS is overkill, we build the complete LIMS to your needs: lighter, quicker to set up and without a licence stack that adds nothing at your scale.
The target audience is broad: medical laboratories (GP labs, hospital labs for clinical chemistry, haematology, microbiology, pathology and genetics), veterinary labs, research laboratories (academic, R&D, pharma), food and environmental labs (water, food, air), forensic labs, production QC labs in manufacturing, food and pharma, and independent diagnostic chains such as those found in the Dutch market. What they share is that the standard-package route gets stuck somewhere on the specific combination of workflow, analyser fleet and accreditation.
Three typical custom projects.
Most of the questions we get about web development for laboratories fall into one of these three categories. In an initial conversation we determine which route suits your situation.
Lab middleware & instrument integrations
The question that comes up most often in Dutch laboratories: who supplies serious middleware for lab instruments? We build middleware layers between analysers (haematology, chemistry, immunoassay, molecular biology, microbiology) and your LIMS. HL7, ASTM, MLLP, POCT1A — protocol translation, queuing, retry logic and monitoring included. Works with Sysmex, Roche, Abbott, BioMerieux, Beckman Coulter and Siemens analysers, plus in-house developed or niche devices. Bidirectional: orders to the device, results plus QC data back to the LIMS. With alerting on dropped connections, delayed queues and mapping errors.
HL7 v2.5ASTM E1394MLLPPOCT1ABidirectionalQueue monitoring
Extensions to your existing LIMS
A patient portal for viewing results, a clinician portal for requesters, custom workflows for research lines that don't fit the standard LIMS, or a report generator that produces the structured PDFs your insurers ask for. Multi-site consolidation where your lab network is growing and the core system can't provide a single cross-site view. We integrate via the API or database layer of your LIMS and keep the master data there — no second source of truth, no sync nightmare to maintain. That way your existing validation file stays intact and only the custom component needs separate validation.
Patient portalClinician portalCustom workflowsReport generationAPI integrationMulti-site
Custom LIMS for research and niche laboratories
For R&D, food, environmental or forensic labs where the large packages are overkill, or where the workflow is so specific that configuring a standard package costs more than a custom build. Sample management, test workflows, QC, validation and result release in one enterprise-grade application that grows with your research. Including ELN integration for the research workflow upstream, export to statistical packages for analysis downstream, and compliance features tailored to your specific accreditation (ISO 17025 for testing and calibration labs, ISO 15189 for medical labs, GMP for pharma QC).
Sample managementQC chartsValidation workflowMulti-siteELN integrationISO 17025
What we typically build in a laboratory application.
Modules that come up in almost every laboratory project, in varying combinations. Not every module needs to be built on day one — we usually start with the pain points and build around your existing system.
- Order flowRequest from clinician or EHR → sample receipt → routing to workstation → analysis → result release. Fully auditable.
- Sample managementBarcode tracking, location, status, chain of custody and lifecycle (disposal/archive) per sample type.
- Instrument interfacesBidirectional integrations with 50+ analyser types, with queue management for robustness during network issues.
- Test workflows by disciplineHaematology, clinical chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology and pathology each have their own flows — no one-size-fits-all interface.
- Quality controlWestgard rules, Levey-Jennings charts, QC alarms, peer-group comparison and periodic EQA reporting.
- Validation & releaseAutomatic validation within rules, manual validation outside rules, clinician sign-off and notification of critical values.
- Report generationStructured result PDFs, electronic dispatch (ZorgMail, Edifact), and resend functionality for corrections.
- Patient and clinician portalSecure result access for patients or requesting physicians, with SSO, DigiD or magic link for referrers.
- IntegrationsEHRs (Epic, ChipSoft HiX, Promedico, MicroHIS), billing, inventory, ZorgMail, LSP and OZIS via smart API integrations.
Which laboratories we typically work with.
The target group is broad — what they share is a workflow with more specificity than a standard package comfortably supports.
Healthcare
Medical and hospital laboratories
Clinical chemistry, haematology, microbiology, pathology, genetics, immunology. Often alongside a core system such as Glims or NEXUS. We build the portals, the middleware and the niche modules that the core system doesn't offer. Combines directly with our experience in healthcare software, EHR integration and NEN 7510 compliance.
Research
R&D, academic and pharma
Research labs with sample volumes where STARLIMS or LabWare is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. ELN integration, custom assay flows, plate management for 96- and 384-well plates, and data export to statistical packages (R, SAS, Python notebooks) are central. Often combined with in-house research data infrastructure.
Food & environment
Food, water and environmental laboratories
ISO 17025 accreditation, external reporting streams to government bodies (NVWA, RIVM, water boards) or clients with very different output formats. Plenty of client-specific report templates, product specifications that vary by client, and sample submission portals for clients who deliver their own samples.
QC & veterinary
Production QC, veterinary and forensic
Production QC in manufacturing, food and pharma (we combine this with our manufacturing software experience around batch traceability). Veterinary laboratories with their own request flows from vets and specialist practices. Forensic laboratories with strict chain of custody, dual control on release and signed audit trails.
Not yet sure about a large project?
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →How a laboratory project works with us.
1
Workflow and systems review
We map out which analysers are in place, which LIMS is running (if any), which EHRs are connected, and how work physically moves through the lab. A sample-type matrix with volumes immediately shows where the focus should lie.
2
Scope, accreditation and compliance check
Which accreditation applies (CCKL, ISO 15189, ISO 17025, GMP, CE-IVDR)? What validation documentation will your quality manager expect? We draft the scope document so the build doesn't produce compliance surprises later on.
3
Iterative build with laboratory validation
Each sprint delivers a working addition, initially for one analyser or one type of test. A biomedical analyst or validation officer tests along the way: no separate UAT phase at the end, but continuous involvement.
4
Validation dossier, IQ/OQ and go-live
Installation Qualification and Operational Qualification on the production environment, with a document set your quality department can archive straight away. Phased go-live per discipline or per site, with fallback to the old process for the first sprints.
5
Operations and ongoing development
Monitoring of middleware queues, alerting on analyser outages, security patches and ongoing development. The validation impact of every change is explicitly assessed before deployment.
Compliance, accreditation and the frameworks we work within.
A laboratory application stands or falls by the accreditation and standards it is assessed against. A brief orientation on the field we work in.
Accreditation
ISO 15189, ISO 17025, CCKL and RvA
For medical diagnostic laboratories we follow ISO 15189; for testing and calibration laboratories, ISO 17025. CCKL guidelines and RvA audits are built into the design of the validation flow, audit log and document management, not bolted on afterwards.
Pharma & IVD
GMP, GAMP 5, CE-IVDR
For pharmaceutical QC laboratories we work to Annex 11 (computerised systems) and GAMP 5 with the appropriate categorisation. For in vitro diagnostic software we take into account CE-IVDR (Regulation 2017/746) and the risk classification that your role as manufacturer or user entails.
Privacy & information security
GDPR, NEN 7510, NTA 7516
NEN 7510 for information security in healthcare, NTA 7516 for secure email in results communication, and GDPR for patient data and data subject rights. A DPIA for every major project, a penetration test in a late sprint, and role-based access to whatever level your policy requires.
Standard LIMS
The ecosystem we fit into
We work alongside STARLIMS, LabWare, Thermo SampleManager, Clinisys/Glims, NEXUS, Abbott AlinIQ, BioMerieux MyLA, Sysmex DML and Roche IT solutions. The integration strategy depends on what the package makes available: a clean REST API, a SOAP layer, a published database view or a file-based interface.
Frequently asked questions.
What lab managers and IT coordinators usually ask us before we start.
What is the difference between a LIMS and laboratory middleware?
A LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) is the central workflow and data system of the lab: orders, samples, results, reporting, inventory. Lab middleware is the layer that handles the practical connectivity between analysers and the LIMS: protocol translation (HL7, ASTM, POCT1A), queueing, retry logic, test code mapping. In a small lab, both can sit in a single application; in a large lab they are always separate components.
Do you replace STARLIMS, LabWare or Clinisys/Glims?
For large production labs, no. Those packages cover such a broad, configured scope that replacing them is rarely worthwhile. We build custom software alongside them instead: middleware, portals, niche workflows, EHR integrations. For smaller R&D labs, food labs or niche research lines, we do build complete custom LIMS applications, because a standard package is overkill there and costs more than a custom build.
Which instrument protocols do you support?
HL7 v2.x (the standard for healthcare laboratories, with the usual ORM/ORU/OUL message types), ASTM E1394 (the classic protocol for analysers from Sysmex, Roche, Abbott and BioMerieux), MLLP as the transport for HL7, and POCT1A for point-of-care devices. FHIR resources where modern EHR vendors and the Dutch healthcare infrastructure support them. In addition, bidirectional integrations (orders out, results plus QC data back) and alerting on queue delays or disconnects. For exotic devices with their own file drops, serial protocols or vendor-specific APIs, we build an adapter.
How do you handle accreditation (ISO 15189, CCKL, GMP)?
We work with validation templates that match what your quality manager expects: User Requirements Specification, Functional Specification, Installation Qualification, Operational Qualification and, where relevant, Performance Qualification. Every release receives an impact assessment for validation and a traceability matrix linking requirements, code and tests. For GMP labs we work in line with Annex 11 (computerised systems) and GAMP 5 categories; for medical labs we align with the NEN 7510 baseline.
Do you work with our EHR vendor?
Often. We build integrations with Epic, ChipSoft HiX, Promedico and MicroHIS via HL7 feeds or FHIR resources, plus standard Dutch healthcare infrastructure (ZorgMail, LSP, OZIS, Edifact streams for insurer billing). The form of the integration depends on what your EHR makes available: sometimes a direct HL7 feed, sometimes via the hospital's integration engine (Mirth Connect, Rhapsody, Cloverleaf). We keep close contact with the EHR IT team during the build and position ourselves as an equal technical partner in that conversation.
What determines the cost of a laboratory application?
The number of analyser integrations (and their protocol quality: a clean HL7 feed is quicker than a serial ASTM stream with its own dialect), the number of sample types and associated workflows, integrations with EHRs, invoicing, stock and the patient portal, and the weight of the validation process your accreditation requires. A GMP pharma QC process sits at a different documentation level than a research lab that works without accreditation. After an initial session, we provide a sprint budget estimate and then work in fixed sprints: no open-ended budget, no surprises at the end.
How much experience do you have with software specifically for medical laboratories?
Our team builds systems for hospital and independent diagnostic labs. We know the practice of clinical chemistry, haematology, immunohaematology, microbiology and molecular diagnostics, with HL7 and ASTM integrations to the common analyser brands, and with the validation approach used by RvA-accredited Dutch labs. For hospital laboratories we also work with the Dutch standards for result reporting (NHG tables, units in line with NVKC). For highly specialised questions, for example in genetics or pathology, we bring in laboratory domain experts for the right workflow modelling.
What if we later want to move to a standard LIMS after all?
Then we export the data and stop. We don't build lock-in. Standard formats for sample data, test results and audit logs make a later migration to STARLIMS, LabWare or SampleManager possible. We'll tell you openly when a standard package has become the more logical choice than continuing to build on the custom software.