What's New in LEC
Feature updates, improvements, and new integrations for the Laboratory Equipment Consulter.
What has changed in the Laboratory Equipment Consulter?
Latest
v3.0.0
October 2026All Six Laboratory Segments, 664 Instruments & Transparent Scoring
All six laboratory segments available
- Oil & Gas, Chemical and Forensic join Clinical Diagnostics, Pharmaceutical and Food Safety
- Own base equipment plan per segment; instruments are added only when an answer calls for them
- Forensic DNA laboratories get separate pre-PCR and post-PCR workplaces
- Memorandum texts, staffing, waste, risks and budget fields written for each segment
Equipment database: 664 instruments
- 291 current models added, only from manufacturers headquartered in the EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway, the USA, Canada or Japan
- Every new model checked against the manufacturer's product page
- 155 equipment categories with CAPEX and OPEX planning ranges
- Duplicate models and imaging equipment removed from laboratory recommendations
Transparent scoring
- Every recommendation shows a match score out of 100: 40 % throughput fit, 25 % automation fit, 20 % recency, 15 % service network
- Device size matched to the monthly sample volume; a manual or semi-automatic preference is respected
- Up to four alternatives per category; swapping keeps the category
Questionnaire
- Every answer is saved as you go; continue after a lost connection, a closed browser or a power cut
- The current step stays visible at the left of the step bar
- Abbreviations such as BSL-2, LIMS or FTE explained on hover in English, German and Russian
- Budget amounts accepted in any common notation (5.000.000, 7,000,000, 2,5 Mio, 250k) and checked for plausibility
- Version choice after the access code: RC1 (this release) or BETA (the previous version, unchanged, for comparison)
v2.4.0
June 2026External Quality Control (EQC) Integration & Equipment Catalog Expansion
Equipment Catalog Expansion
- 178 new instruments added to the equipment database
- 77+ new manufacturer brands added (199+ verified brands total)
- Equipment catalogue restructured into 13 sections
- New categories: Digital PCR Systems, Real-Time PCR / qPCR Systems, Spectrophotometers, Mass Spectrometry, Chromatography (HPLC/GC/IC), Water Analysis, Histology & Pathology equipment
- Enhanced category mapping with both English and Russian slug support
- Full lab_type_applicability coverage for Clinical Diagnostics, Pharmaceutical, Food Safety, and Research lab types
External Quality Control (EQC / ВОК)
- 8 EQC providers integrated: CAP, Randox RIQAS, Bio-Rad EQAS, INSTAND, UK NEQAS, Labquality, QCMD, NordiQC
- 9 EQC disciplines mapped: Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Microbiology, Immunochemistry, Coagulation, Molecular Diagnostics, Histopathology, POCT, Food Safety
- CAP highlighted as ★ Official KombiMED Distributor throughout the platform
- Discipline-provider recommendation table with analyte coverage
- Annual cost estimation by tier: Basic (€2–5K), Standard (€5–15K), Comprehensive (€15–40K)
- Initial setup cost breakdown: gap analysis, LIS adaptation, coordinator designation
EQC Recommendation Engine
- Automatic mapping of laboratory test categories to EQC disciplines
- Intelligent provider recommendations based on lab type and test menu
- Integration into the consultation recommendations API (/api/recommendations)
- Purple-themed collapsible EQC panel in Equipment Recommendations UI
- Provider badges with "Official Distributor" designation for CAP
Investment Memorandum PDF: New EQC Section
- New section: "External Quality Control (EQC / Externe Qualitätskontrolle)" added to PDF
- Sub-section A: Recommended EQC Disciplines & Providers table
- Sub-section B: Annual EQC Cost Estimation with tier breakdown
- Sub-section C: EQC Implementation Roadmap (5 phases: Assessment → Provider Selection → Enrollment → First Cycle → Continuous Improvement)
- CAP Official Distributor callout with contact information
- Lab-type-specific regulatory notes: RiliBÄK (Clinical), GMP (Pharmaceutical), ISO 17025 (General)
- Dynamic section numbering automatically adjusts when Clean Room section is present
Landing Page Updates
- Updated the hero statistics on the landing page
- New Authority Proof Bar metrics: 8 EQC Providers, 9 EQC Disciplines
- New dedicated EQC section on landing page with provider cards and cost tiers
- CAP Official Distributor card with discipline badges
- EQC features checklist included in landing page
- Updated Investment Memorandum sections count: 14 → 15
v2.3.0
June 2026SEO Optimization & Performance
SEO Improvements
- Comprehensive meta tags: title templates, description, keywords, authors, publisher
- 10 JSON-LD structured data schemas: Organization, WebSite, LocalBusiness, WebApplication, BreadcrumbList, FAQPage, MedicalWebPage, and 3 Product schemas
- Dynamic sitemap.xml and robots.txt generation
- OpenGraph and Twitter card metadata with image dimensions
- Hreflang alternates for en, de, and x-default
- Google verification meta tag support
- Canonical URL configuration
v2.2.0
June 2026Clean Room Planning & Waste Management
Clean Room Validation & Planning
- Full clean room section in Investment Memorandum (Grades A–D)
- Classification summary, validation protocol matrix, environmental monitoring profile
- Equipment categories and calibration schedules per grade
- Dynamic section numbering when clean room is active
Waste Treatment Section
- Waste classification (Categories A–G) per German/EU regulations
- Reagent waste management guidelines
- Biomedical / clinical waste handling protocols
- Canalization-safe discharge guidance
- Lab-type-specific regulatory notes
v2.1.0
May 2026Multilingual Support & Consulting Services
i18n / Multilingual
- Questionnaire form available in English, German, and Russian
- Dynamic translations API (/api/translations)
- Localized Investment Memorandum PDF dates and labels
Consulting Services Page
- New /consulting page with equipment categories, training matrix, and consulting overview
- Navigation link added to header and footer
v2.0.0
April 2026PCR Workflow, Workplaces & Forensic Lab Type
PCR Workflow & Contamination Zones
- Three contamination-controlled PCR zones: Pre-PCR Zone 1 (NA Extraction), Pre-PCR Zone 2 (Mix Preparation), Post-PCR Zone 3 (Amplification & Detection)
- Automatic equipment assignment to PCR zones based on category patterns
- Minimum quantity rules: 2× Biological Safety Cabinets, 3× Pipette sets for PCR workflows
- Shared equipment distribution across Pre-PCR zones
Workplaces & Stations
- Dynamic workplace generation based on lab type and selected equipment
- Color-coded zone visualization in Equipment Recommendations UI
- Additional Support Area for unassigned equipment
Forensic Science Lab Type
- New lab type: Forensic Science (Coming Soon status)
- 39 specialized questions covering DNA analysis, toxicology, trace evidence, ballistics
- 10 sections: Case Types, Infrastructure, IT/LIMS, Budget, Workflow, Real Estate
v1.0.0
March 2026Initial Release of the Laboratory Equipment Consulter
Core Features
- 200 laboratory instruments across 4 lab types: Clinical Diagnostics, Pharmaceutical, Food Safety, Research
- Multi-step consultation flow: Lab Type → Questionnaire → Equipment Recommendations → Investment Memorandum
- 14-section Investment Memorandum PDF with CAPEX/OPEX, staffing, real estate, risk assessment
- Access-gated consultation with secure token verification
- Consultation history with resume, rework, and PDF download capabilities
- Responsive design optimized for desktop and mobile