Data acquisition in the viral serology laboratory for clinical decision support in AIDS research

Research on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and opportunistic infections (OIs) that accompany acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) requires various resources, including biomedical instrumentation, data acquisition programs using high- or low-level languages and database technology. The viral serology laboratory uses various testing methodologies to study the interrelationships of HIV with cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the protein β₂-microglobulin (β₂-M) for various research and clinical protocols. Among other instrumentation, this laboratory uses Abbott´s IMx system to detect the concentration or presence of analytes in patient specimens. The IMx system software and hardware provide facilities for data acquisition. This study focuses on the automation of data capture and storage mechanisms following specimen testing involving CMV and β₂-M immunoassays using Abbott´s IMx system