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  • 1.  iLab API integration and charge upload tool

    Posted 02-13-2025 10:32

    Hello!

    First time poster here!  My name is Lauren Alfant and I am with Columbia University.  I was wondering if anyone has tried to use iLab API to integrate for HPC and if anyone has used the charge upload tool for high volume billing.

    Any information is appreciated.  

    Thank you and have a great day,
    Lauren Alfant



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    Lauren Alfant
    Columbia University
    Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
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  • 2.  RE: iLab API integration and charge upload tool

    Posted 02-14-2025 09:44

    Hi Lauren,

    I'm not sure what HPC means in your context (to me, it means High Performance Computing). But the UMich Genomics Core has integrated the iLab API to our custom LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System). In a nutshell, we poll the iLab API to find new requests created there, then import that data into our system, and then (where possible) use the iLab API to assign charges for that request. The magic is not so much in the API as it is in a lot of code that can create the list of charges from the request information. 

    I'm not sure what high volume billing is for you. We upload dozens of charges per day. The API seems pretty stable on the Agilent side.

    About a million years ago (2018?) we did try to integrate iLab into our old LIMS (since abandoned) that tried to upload the charges for our Sanger sequencing business, which was probably in the 100,000 unique charges-per-year category.  I was just a young pup back then, but I recall that the API kept failing - the Agilent system just couldn't handle that volume of traffic. I'm guessing that they've improved the system in the past 7 years. Right?  RIGHT?????  (I have my doubts!)

    If you can tell us more, we may be able to give you more insight.

    Best,

    -Joe Gregoria
     UM AGC Dry Lab Manager



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    Joe Gregoria
    Software Developer Lead
    Michigan Medicine OoR BRCF AGC
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: iLab API integration and charge upload tool

    Posted 02-17-2025 08:33
    I upload thousands of charges a month using the charge upload feature. We have a tool called Bali (iLab backwards), that takes any sort of delimited file and turns it into an iLab compliant .csv file. It concatenates fields from the input file into the iLab notes field so that a detailed record of what exactly is being charged is maintained.


    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: iLab API integration and charge upload tool

    Posted 02-14-2025 10:38

    Lauren,

     

    I use the bulk charge upload feature monthly.  It is generally easy to use with a few challenges I've run into here and there.  Happy to chat about it more.

     

    Best,

    Mary

     




    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: iLab API integration and charge upload tool

    Posted 02-14-2025 10:48

    Hi Lauren,

      Our Genomics core also uses the iLab API similarly to what Joe's core does. Essentially we connect new requests into our LIMS system. There is also a link inserted into the iLab request so researchers can go to their request and link to the LIMS system to upload specific info about their samples, look at data, etc. 

    Our Metabolomics core uses the charge upload. They do it monthly, and we have code which allows the staff to pull information off the instruments, connect it to an iLab project number, and lets them modify or add charges as needed. Once they're done, it's a single click to create the CSV file that iLab demands for the upload. It works well, and saves them a great deal of time.



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    Natasha Nikolaidis
    Associate Director of Operations
    Purdue University
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    Original Message


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