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Connect your lab analyzers to your EHR, orders included
Quick answer
Yes, a small lab can connect its benchtop analyzers to a cloud EHR without buying a full LIS. Catenix runs a small gateway next to the analyzer that speaks the analyzer's own interface (ASTM, HL7 v2 or POCT1-A2), sends the EHR's orders down so the analyzer already knows which tests to run when a barcoded tube is loaded, matches every result back to its order, holds patient results if quality control fails, and delivers them to the EHR. Setup is done remotely.
Most small labs start in the same place. Orders arrive in the EHR, someone types the tests into the analyzer, the analyzer prints a result, and someone types the result back. Or an older connector moves the result into the chart but leaves test selection, QC and records to paper. Each manual step costs time and adds risk.
This page is for independent and physician-office labs, occupational health labs, specialty clinics and outreach labs that run one to a handful of benchtop analyzers and want the analyzer and the EHR to work as one system.
| What | How Catenix handles it |
|---|---|
| Analyzers | Benchtop chemistry, immunoassay, hematology, coagulation and point-of-care analyzers |
| Analyzer interfaces | ASTM E1381/E1394, HL7 v2, POCT1-A2, over serial (via a serial device server) or network |
| Orders to the analyzer | Host query and order download: scan the tube and the tests are already selected |
| Results to the EHR | Matched to the order by accession number, sent automatically through the EHR's interface or API |
| Quality control | Controls filed as QC, graded with Westgard rules; a failed QC holds patient results |
| Records | Audit trail per result: operator, analyzer, lot, QC status, time sent |
| Backup report | One-page lab report by accession number, with your lab's details |
| Setup | Remote; no site visit needed for most labs |
How orders reach the analyzer
Many benchtop analyzers can ask a host system for work: when a barcoded tube is loaded, the analyzer sends a query and the host answers with the tests ordered for that barcode. This is called host query or bidirectional ordering. Catenix answers those queries with the orders it has received from your EHR, and can also send new orders to the analyzer as they arrive.
The analyzer must be set to query the host, and staff load tubes in the analyzer's barcode order mode. Test codes on most immunoassay analyzers are set per site, so we map your analyzer's test file to the EHR's test codes during setup.
How results get back to the EHR
Each result is matched to its order by accession number. Matched results go to the EHR automatically, either over HL7 v2 or through the EHR's own API for cloud systems. Unmatched results wait for review instead of guessing a patient.
If the analyzer reports a result it has not yet finalized, Catenix can hold it or send it, depending on the lab's policy.
Quality control that controls release
Control runs are recognized as QC, never filed as patient results, and graded against your targets with Westgard rules as they arrive. If a run fails, patient results for that test are held until the problem is resolved, so a failed QC cannot quietly reach a clinician.
QC history, Levey-Jennings charts, lot changes and corrective actions sit in the same record, which is what an inspector asks to see. Read more about quality control.
Who does what
We configure the gateway, the analyzer mapping and the EHR connection remotely with your team. Your lab keeps its own procedures, reference intervals and sign-off. Catenix moves and records data; it does not interpret results.
Questions people ask
Do we need a LIS to connect our analyzers to our EHR?
No. Catenix sits between the analyzer and the EHR and handles orders, results, QC and the audit trail. Many small labs use it instead of a full LIS. If you already have a LIS, Catenix can feed it instead.
Can the analyzer pick tests from the EHR order?
Yes, on analyzers that support host query or order download. When a barcoded tube is loaded, the analyzer asks for the work and Catenix answers with the tests ordered in the EHR.
Which EHRs can receive results?
Any EHR that accepts HL7 v2 or FHIR, and cloud EHRs with a results API. See integrations for named systems.
What happens if QC fails?
Patient results for the affected test are held instead of being sent, and the failure is recorded with the run, the rule broken and the corrective action.
Does setup need a site visit?
Usually not. The gateway is installed on a PC on your network and configured remotely with your team.
Is Catenix a medical device?
No. Catenix moves, stores and displays results with full traceability. It does not interpret results or give clinical advice.
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Product and company names are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only. Catenix moves, stores and displays results with traceability; it does not interpret results or give clinical advice. Reviewed October 2026.
Tell us your setup
Send us your analyser and the system you want results in, and we will confirm how it connects, usually within one working day. Ask about your setup.