The System:

DLS Solutions developed a partnership with a startup company to produce the company's initial product introduction. The company's expertise was in algorithm development and Intellectual Property in the area of Mass Spectrometry data processing. Its patented IP was embodied in MATLAB code algorithms and was tested by post processing on intermediate data formats. The revolutionary algorithms provided for calibration and prediction processing phases that could produce much improved accuracy of mass determinations. DLS helped this company to move its IP into production level components and to provide direct access to vendor data file formats. In parallel, DLS resources were able to specify, design, and implement a platform software application solution to allow for both the initial product offering and for future application development and growth.

The Projects:

DLS' software product development expertise was a key to the rapid success and growth of our client company. Within 6 months, DLS ported the MATLAB algorithms into efficient, rigorously tested, production level components for the Windows platform. In addition, DLS resources developed the company's software application framework for showcasing the algorithms and provided this application with all of the "standard" graphic features necessary to produce a winning product in the Mass Spectrometry market. DLS' insights into UI ease of use, modern look and feel, and software architectural design balanced by market requirements, led the company to introduce its product at the 2006 Pittsburgh Conference. This small company took home the bronze third place for Most Innovative Product at the show! Within 12 months, DLS had helped this client take its ideas and IP from concept and pre-production to a shipping product.

Implementation Details:

Algorithms development was a key component of this project. Porting pre-production MATLAB code to efficient, optimized C++ was an important foundation to the development plan. The Intel Compiler and optimized kernel library were important tools used to accomplish this task in a rapid manner. In addition, DLS' foresight provided flexibility for future growth by developing these key algorithms in a platform-independent manner (to allow porting to other platforms such as Windows CE). The main application code, which built upon the algorithm components, was developed in Visual Studio 2005 C++/MFC. A few third party components were used in this application to provide advanced graphics and spreadsheet features.

General Technology:

• Both Visual Studio 6.0, Visual Studio 2005
• C++, MFC 8.0
• Integration with vendor file access API
• Porting MATLAB algorithms to production
• Dundas Grid, Dundas UI Toolkit
• Gigasoft ProEssential (scientific graphing package)
• Numerous Mass Spectrometry vendor applications