lab2lab is primarily intended to be configured to work with a Buffer and several analytical instruments. However, it can also be configured in other ways:
- A system can operate with one or more instruments but with no Buffer. In this mode it would run much less efficiently (especially during very busy periods) but this may be fine for a small pilot system.
- A system could be configured to have a Buffer but no instruments. In this case any vials submitted to any Sender are automatically directed to the Buffer. This may be desirable if the system is only being used a vial transport system.
- In the simplest case, lab2lab can be configured to have no Buffer AND no instruments. In this case all vials submitted to Senders are automatically sent to the Collection Station. This would form a basic transport system in which the vials do not need to be presented in a rack to an autosampler, because it is being used simply to save scientists' time in delivering samples to analytical labs.