LOINC API MCP Server

This project provides a modular Python wrapper for the LOINC API, with an MCP server interface that integrates seamlessly with Claude Desktop for intelligent medical terminology lookup and standardization.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Installation
• Getting LOINC API Access
• Configuration
  • Setting Up Claude Desktop
  • Authentication
• Available MCP Tools
  • LOINC Code Search
  • LOINC Details Retrieval
  • Panel Information
  • Hierarchy Navigation
• Usage Examples
• Troubleshooting
• Advanced Features

Overview

The LOINC MCP Server provides a comprehensive interface to the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) API services, allowing you to:

• Search for LOINC codes by various terms and filters
• Retrieve detailed information about specific LOINC codes
• Access standardized panels and forms
• Navigate hierarchical relationships between LOINC terms
• Retrieve answer lists for LOINC observations

The structure is organized as follows:

• loinc_api/ - The main package for LOINC API interaction
  • __init__.py - Package initialization
  • config.py - Configuration settings
  • api.py - Main API client with HTTP Basic Authentication
  • database.py - Local database handler for offline access

Features

• Comprehensive LOINC Search: Find LOINC codes using free text queries with filtering options for component, property, system, and class
• Detailed LOINC Information: Access complete details for any LOINC code including formal name, component, property, system, method, and more
• Panel Structure Access: Explore LOINC panels and their component tests
• Hierarchical Navigation: Navigate parent-child relationships between LOINC terms
• Standardized Forms: Access LOINC's standardized assessment forms and questionnaires
• Top 2000 Access: Retrieve the most commonly used LOINC codes
• Answer Lists: Get standardized answer lists for specific LOINC observations
• Dual Mode Operation: Work with either the online LOINC API or a local database file
• MCP Integration: Seamless integration with Claude Desktop via the MCP protocol

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/loinc-api.git
   cd loinc-api
   

2. Install the required dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

Getting LOINC API Access

To use the LOINC API, you need to:

1. Register for a free account at LOINC.org
2. Accept the terms of use
3. Once registered, you can use your LOINC.org username and password for API authentication

Configuration

Setting Up Claude Desktop

To integrate with Claude Desktop, add the following configuration to your Claude Desktop config file:

{
  "mcp_servers": [
    {
      "name": "LOINC API",
      "url": "http://localhost:8080",
      "auth": {
        "type": "basic",
        "username": "your_loinc_username",
        "password": "your_loinc_password"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Authentication

The LOINC API uses HTTP Basic Authentication. You'll need to provide your LOINC username and password when starting the server:

python loinc_server.py --username=your_loinc_username --password=your_loinc_password

Available MCP Tools

LOINC Code Search

Search for LOINC codes with various filters:

{
  "query": "glucose",
  "limit": 10,
  "component_filter": "Glucose",
  "system_filter": "Blood",
  "include_details": true
}

LOINC Details Retrieval

Get comprehensive information about a specific LOINC code:

{
  "loinc_code": "2339-0"
}

Panel Information

Retrieve the structure of LOINC panels:

{
  "loinc_code": "24331-1"
}

Hierarchy Navigation

Explore parent-child relationships:

{
  "parent": "LP7839-6"
}

Usage Examples

Example 1: Search for glucose-related LOINC codes

{
  "query": "glucose",
  "limit": 5,
  "include_details": true
}

Example 2: Get detailed information about a specific LOINC code

{
  "loinc_code": "2339-0"
}

Troubleshooting

• Empty Results: Ensure your LOINC account has the proper permissions and that you're using the correct authentication credentials
• Connection Issues: Check your internet connection and verify the LOINC API is accessible
• Authentication Errors: Confirm your LOINC username and password are correct

Advanced Features

• Local Database: For offline use, you can create a local LOINC database file:

  python loinc_server.py --create-db --username=your_loinc_username --password=your_loinc_password
  

• Custom Filtering: Apply advanced filters to narrow down search results:

  {
    "query": "hemoglobin",
    "property_filter": "Mass",
    "system_filter": "Blood",
    "class_filter": "CHEM"
  }
  

Contributing

Contributions to improve the LOINC MCP Server are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or open issues for bugs and feature requests.

License

This project is opensourced

Acknowledgments

• LOINC for providing the API
• The LOINC team for their comprehensive medical terminology standardization
• Claude AI for intelligent integration capabilities

created by Christian delage (dr.christian.delage@gmail.com)