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