Visual Specimen Manager™ - Human Cell and Tissue Specimen Management

Visual Specimen Manager™ (VSM) by Aptia Systems is a user-friendly tracking software application used to manage human cells and tissue specimens stored in a ultra-low temperature biorepositories.

VSM is customizable and provides total flexibility in creating a specimen management solution that fits any specific need or requirement. To ensure maximum productivity and ease of use, Aptia Systems provides on-site training, ongoing support and regular updates.

Background

Aptia Systems developed VSM in collaboration with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute. The tissue biorepository at M.D. Anderson had outgrown the capabilities of a standard spreadsheet inventory management system. Finding nothing suitable on the market, they turned to Aptia Systems for help.

In developing VSM, our software developers considered several key factors including regulatory compliance and frequent access to samples by multiple personnel with various skill levels. We developed a simple to use, web-based relational database that ensures regulatory compliance with password controls, an audit trail and bar code capability.

VSM meets the technical requirements of a compliant system under FDA's 21CFR Part 11, a regulation that covers any electronic system that manages regulated electronic records or uses electronic signatures.

Features and Benefits

• Easy to learn, user-friendly, and versatile
• Search function locates individual samples among the thousands stored
• Graphical user interface has drop down, pre-filled menus for accuracy
• Freezers, tanks, and virtually any storage media are graphically represented on map with clickable icons
• Information windows on boxes and individual samples open when clicked on
• Set up requires minimal time and resources
• Existing data can be migrated into the new database
• Increased workflow and reduced labor costs puts more lab resources into research that benefits everyone

Learn More

• VSM Fact Sheet
• Whitepaper - The benefits of a relational database design improve tissue core performance by precise organization, ease of use, and funding opportunities.