Automate analysis with workflows

Significance of the topic

OMNIC Paradigm is a software solution designed to simplify and automate routine FTIR spectral analyses through visual, user-guided workflows. Automation of measurement sequences and standardized reporting reduces operator variability, improves throughput, and supports compliance with standard operating procedures in research, QA/QC and industrial laboratories. Clear on-screen instructions and configurable workflow steps make the tool particularly valuable where non-expert users perform routine measurements or when consistent processing is required across many samples.

Objectives and overview of the product

The primary objective presented is to enable straightforward creation and execution of automated analysis workflows that guide users through sample preparation, acquisition and reporting. OMNIC Paradigm achieves this with a drag-and-drop canvas of modular tiles that represent actions (instructions, background acquisition, sample acquisition, processing, reporting). The software also offers an automatic workflow-generation feature derived from a recorded history of actions, further lowering the barrier to standardizing methods.

Methodology and workflow

• Workflow construction: Users assemble methods by dragging tiles from a left sidebar onto a central canvas; tiles are edited by double-clicking.
• Typical workflow sequence: show instructional prompt → measure background → measure sample → process spectrum (baseline, ATR correction, etc.) → run correlation/library search → generate and archive standardized report.
• User interaction: Instruction tiles can contain editable text and images to show sample loading and handling procedures; spectra may be shown live during scanning or hidden from the operator.
• Automation features: The software supports a set of predefined tiles (eighteen mentioned) enabling common method steps and can auto-create a workflow from a user’s recorded processing history (Create Workflow from History).

Used instrumentation

• Primary software: Thermo Scientific OMNIC Paradigm Software (product note TN53161).
• Intended integration: Designed to operate with Thermo Fisher Scientific FTIR spectrometers and common sampling accessories (for example ATR), enabling background measurement and sample scanning routines and processing such as ATR correction.
• Processing and analysis features: Baseline correction, advanced ATR correction, correlation (library) search, report generation and automated archiving.

Main results and discussion

• User experience: The GUI and tile-based workflow paradigm make method building intuitive—comparable to rearranging apps on a smartphone—reducing training time for routine users.
• Operational efficiency: Automation of repetitive steps (background, acquisition, processing, reporting) streamlines daily work and minimizes manual intervention and transcription errors.
• Flexibility: Editable instructional content and optional live spectral display allow tailoring workflows for different user skill levels and applications, from research to regulated QC environments.
• Reproducibility and traceability: Automatic report generation and archiving provide consistent documentation of results and support laboratory recordkeeping.

Benefits and practical applications

• Standardization: Easily enforce SOPs across operators and sites by distributing fixed workflows.
• Training and accessibility: Visual instructions and embedded images reduce the expertise needed for routine FTIR analyses.
• Throughput and compliance: Automated acquisition and reporting increase sample throughput and simplify compliance with documentation requirements.
• Method portability: Saved workflows can be reused and shared, supporting method transfer between instruments or labs.

Future trends and possibilities

• Expanded automation: Deeper integration with laboratory information systems (LIMS) and instrument control could enable full sample-to-report automation and electronic audit trails.
• AI-assisted workflows: Incorporation of machine learning for automated spectrum interpretation, anomaly detection, or adaptive acquisition strategies could further reduce operator decision-making.
• Cloud and collaboration: Cloud-based workflow sharing, centralized archive access, and remote monitoring would facilitate multi-site standardization and data harmonization.
• Broader accessory support: Automated control and method templates for a wider range of sampling accessories (gases, ATR variants, microscopy) would expand applicability.

Conclusion

OMNIC Paradigm focuses on simplifying FTIR analysis by converting laboratory procedures into modular, executable workflows. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, editable instructional content, and automated reporting features help laboratories increase reproducibility, reduce training burden, and accelerate routine analyses. The ability to auto-generate workflows from recorded histories further lowers the barrier to implementing standardized methods. These capabilities make OMNIC Paradigm particularly useful for environments requiring consistent, high-throughput FTIR measurements and clear documentation.

References

• Thermo Fisher Scientific. OMNIC Paradigm Software. Product technical note TN53161. 2019.