Systems and Methods to Integrate Environmental Information into Measurement Metadata in an Electronic Laboratory Notebook Environment

An empirical data management system (EDMS) comprising:

• a server;
• a server application comprising an aggregated data file creation module and a correlation module, the server application running on the server;
• a measurement instrument in communication with the server, wherein the measurement instrument is a laboratory instrument or a manufacturing facility instrument and is configured to transfer the measurement data to the server;
• an environmental sensor in communication with the server, wherein the environmental sensor is configured to determine environmental data about the measurement instrument and transfer the environmental data to the server;
• wherein the environmental sensor is configured to determine environmental data about the measurement instrument selected from the group consisting of:
• temperature, humidity, light intensity, light wavelengths, vibration, gas concentration, air pressure, volatile organic compounds (VOC) concentration, particulate level, and air pollution level;
• a data storage system in communication with the server;
• and
• an aggregated data file stored in the data storage system, the aggregated data file comprising the measurement data received by the server from the measurement instrument and metadata comprising the environmental data received by the server from the environmental sensor unit, wherein the metadata is appended to and stored with the measurement data in the aggregated data file by the aggregated data file creation module, and wherein the metadata describes the environmental data about the measurement instrument at the time measurement data is measured by the measurement instrument;
• wherein:
• the aggregated data file creation module is programmed with logic and instructions:
• to receive measurement data from the measurement instrument and to receive environmental data from the environmental sensor;
• to create the aggregated data file by appending the environmental data received from the environmental sensor as metadata to the measurement data received from the measurement instrument;
• and to store the aggregated data file in the data storage system;
• and
• the correlation module is programmed with logic and instructions:
• to receive the aggregated data file created and stored in the data storage system by the aggregated data file creation module;
• to determine if a correlation exists between the measurement data and the environmental data stored as metadata within the aggregated data file;
• and when a correlation is determined to exists to perform or suggest performance of a step selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) modifying the measurement data stored in the aggregated data file;
• (ii) calculating a correction or offset factor for the measurement data stored in the aggregated data file;
• (iii) modifying a result;
• (iv) generating a display message, an error message, and/or warning message to send to or display to a user;
• (v) modifying a process step, process run, or process protocol;
• (vi) mathematically modeling the identified correlation;
• (vii) terminating a process step, process run, or process protocol;
• and (viii) saving in the EDMS or an aggregated data file OR displaying on a display information related to any of (i) to (vii) in the data storage system or on a display.