A world leader in data acquisition solutions for life scientists and educators

Established in 1988, ADInstruments is a world-leading provider of computer-based data acquisition and analysis systems for Life Science. Our products enable users to record and analyze life science data quickly and efficiently, whether it is to further their academic or private industry research, or to advance understanding of scientific concepts in biomedical classrooms.

ADInstruments' product range is based on the world-renowned PowerLab data acquisition system with LabChart software and LabTutor software. PowerLab holds a leadership position in its market sector, which is achieved by our continual pursuit of excellence in both product quality and support. The PowerLab system (also MacLab) is used in universities, hospitals, research institutes, pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations and other private industry research sectors.

In research, the system has helped to broaden research possibilities and enabled faster and easier data analysis. In education, its functionality and cost effectiveness have helped to revolutionize the methods of recording data and teaching science at the tertiary level.

The most obvious demonstration of proven acceptance of the PowerLab system is ADInstruments’ extensive client list which includes Roche Bioscience, Toyota, Shiseido, Mayo Clinic, Human Genome Project, Pfizer and Lockheed Martin. Education sites include prestigious Universities such as: Oxford, Cambridge, Heidelberg, Harvard, Stanford, Tokyo and Sydney.

Today there’s an installed PowerLab user base of more than 38,000 systems, which is supported by a network of eleven ADInstruments offices and over forty distributors around the world.

Company History

ADInstruments was established in 1988 to deliver high quality, ease-of-use data acquisition systems for life science research and teaching. Since then, the company has experienced rapid growth. Some of the key milestones and achievements for ADInstruments have been outlined below.

1985: The MacLab Masters Project

An early model MacLab with bio & bridge amplifiers.

Our history begins in 1985 when Michael Macknight developed the 'MacLab' recording unit and 'Chart' and 'Scope' software as part of his Masters degree in Computer Science.

The idea for the project came from the Physiology Department at New Zealand's University of Otago, who weren't happy with the performance of their old paper chart recorders and smoke drums. Realizing the potential of early Macintosh computers (featuring a graphical user interface), they asked Michael to develop a computer-based system to replace their paper-based ones.

In 1985 Michael built the first MacLab - an analog to digital converter that connected to a Macintosh computer. He then developed two software packages - Chart (chart-recorder software) and Scope (digital oscilloscope software) - which provided software control of the recording unit as well as a range of display and analysis features.

1988: ADInstruments Begins

Boris and Michael promoting ADInstruments at a
conference in the late 1980s.

In the early days, Michael manufactured MacLab systems for the New Zealand market only. In the late 1980s he met Boris Schlensky, an Australian with an interest in data acquisition and expertise in electronic engineering. Boris saw the potential of the MacLab system and agreed to cofound ADInstruments, and manufacture the products for the world market.

Boris, Michael and their teams set out to develop the premier computer-based data acquisition system in the life science market.

1997: MacLab to PowerLab

Original PowerLab logo.

In 1997, we released our first data acquisition system for Windows computers. The hardware unit was named PowerLab, and was distributed with Chart for Windows 95 software.

In 1998, our entire range of data acquisition units became both Macintosh and Windows compatible. The cross-platform data acquisition systems were named PowerLab.

1998: Celebrating 10 Years by Opening ADInstruments US

By 1998 we had opened a US office to better service our now large customer base. 1998 also saw the opening of our first office in China, as well as the continued success of our established offices in the United Kingdom and Japan.

2005: The LabTutor Revolution Sparks

A page from the Respiratory Air Flow and Volume LabTutor experiment in Japanese.

Although PowerLab systems were already part of many of the world's best life science courses, our software developers were looking for a way to make experiments easier for educators to implement and easier for students to complete.

The result was LabTutor software for PowerLab systems for use in both high school and higher education. LabTutor is used for courses including biology, nursing, health science, physiology, pharmacology and medicine. Since 2005, experiments have been translated into 10 different languages, and are now available in a multitude of different subject areas. In addition, the LabTutor software continues to be developed with new features such as the incorporation of high quality sound and video to experiments.

2008: 20th Anniversary

World Wide Conference VI - Las Vegas

In 2008, we celebrated our 20th Anniversary (1988-2008). Read our Chairman's 20th Anniversary message. We marked the event with the introduction of a new generation of software for use with PowerLab including LabChart, LabChart Reader and LabAuthor. We opened new offices in Brazil and Malaysia, expanding our global network to more than 50 countries.

At our 2009 World Wide Conference VI - Las Vegas USA for staff and distributors, one hundred and twelve people from over 20 countries were welcomed at the Opening Reception.

2010: LabTutor Suite and Multimedia Medical Laboratories

LabTutor Medical Laboratories

In 2010 ADInstruments released the LabTutor Suite providing a complete solution for education with three new components complementing the LabTutor experiment collection: LabTutor Server for central management of experiments for diverse course requirements; LabAuthor for easy modification and creation of experiments; and LabTutor Online to enable Internet access of experiments by students and educators.

Since 2010 the multimedia LabTutor Medical Laboratories has been released. The software embeds real patient videos and data with related physiology experiments, making it ideal for health, nursing and medical courses.

2011: Exciting New PowerLab series and New Innovations

New PowerLab 35 series

In mid 2011 ADInstruments released the next generation of data acquisition systems, the PowerLab 35 series. The new look systems with anodised aluminium casings provide cleaner signals, compact size, lead-free content and an extended warranty of 5 years.

Today there's more than 35,000 PowerLab systems installed worldwide, which is supported by a network of ADInstruments offices and distributors in over 50 countries around the world, making us the largest data acquisition company for life science. Our large team of qualified representatives and technical experts share a common commitment to providing excellent training and support to all customers, everywhere.

Our research and development team continues to develop powerful products for life science research and education to meet new and evolving needs.