Screen flows

• Submit—Validate and save the changes.
• Refresh—Reload the original data. Any changes made since the last submit are lost.
• New—Create a new item related to the application.
• Save As—Create a new item based on the information provided by an existing item.
• Delete—Confirm and delete the current item.
• Open—Display a dialog box to enter an existing item to display its detail.
• New Search—Return to the Search screen and clear the search results and the search criteria.

Header

• Organisation Scope

  Indicates whether this entity is available organisation-wide or laboratory-wide.

  • Checked—The entity is available to users who are logged into any laboratory within the organisation.
  • Unchecked—The entity is only available to users who are logged into the current laboratory.

  Setting the QC mask's scope upon successful creation depends upon the user's security level for the CCQCMASK:CREATE resource. The possible security levels for the resource, from greater scope to lower scope, are:

  • full—full
  • 3—LAB AND ORG
  • 2—ORG ONLY
  • 1—LAB ONLY

  A user can have multiple roles, and each role can contain different rights. Any of these role-right combinations may contain the resource.

  If the resource does not exist across all role-right combinations for the user, then the user has no access to the resource. Otherwise the user's security level for the resource is determined as the greatest scope across all role-right combinations for the user. For example, if a user has Role1 that contains RightA, and Right A contains security level 2 for the resource, and the same user has Role2 that contains RightB, and RightB contains security level 1 for the resource, then the user has a security level of 2 for the resource.

  The selection in this field can determine the visibility for other fields in this form, and the content of various drop-down selection lists.

• QC Mask Code

  The unique code assigned to the QC mask.

• Name

  The name of the entity. Maximum length of 200 characters. Multi-language support.

• Description

  The description of the entity. Maximum length of 400 characters. Multi-language support.

• QC Mask Category

  A category assigned to the QC mask. Selected from categories with a Category Type of QCMASK.

• Is Active

  Indicates whether the entity is available in drop-down lists when selecting a category for an entity. An inactive entity cannot be selected for use.

• Container Type Code

  The code of a container type associated with the QC mask. A container type may be selected from the drop-down list that contains active container types in scope with a Capacity Type of Tray, as configured in the CCCNTP—Container Type application. Click the field hyperlink to display the CCCNTP—Search Container Type screen, select the appropriate value and click Select and Return to populate the field with the selected value.

  Note: If the QC mask does not link to a Container Type Code, or the container type's Number of Containers is missing, the scheme version's Default Rack Size is used to set the default rack size for racks generated when this QC mask is applied to a sample stream.

QC Placements Tab

The placement details of the QC mask that denotes how QC samples are added to a sample stream from a job scheme.

QC Managers can create duplicate, replicate, blank, standard and spike QC samples to monitor the quality of analysis and uncover any problems with the Laboratory testing of samples.

Multiple blank, standard or spike QC samples can be created sequentially by setting Number to Apply to a value greater than one, and the second to subsequent of those samples can be associated with the first blank, standard or spike QC sample either in a duplicate or replicate relationship by selecting a Secondary QC Type Code.

• Stream Type

  Indicates whether the QC sample placements respect a rack boundary or not:

  • Cross-rack—Does not respect rack boundaries.

  • In-rack.—Respects rack boundaries.

  If a QC mask contains a mix of cross-rack and in-rack placements, then the placements are processed in the following order:

  1. Placements where Stream Type is Cross-rack and Analytical Type is DUPLICATE, REPLICATE or SPIKE, in their relative sequence in the QC mask.

     For all the samples being processed to have QC samples added, this becomes the incoming sample stream in this step, The QC placement engine goes through the incoming sample stream samples and determines which samples are to be duplicated, replicated or spiked, then inserts these new duplicate, replicate or spike QC samples into the incoming sample stream to create the outgoing sample stream from this step.

  2. Placements where Stream Type is Cross-rack and Analytical Type is STANDARD or BLANK, in their relative sequence in the QC mask.

     The outgoing sample stream in step 1 becomes the incoming sample stream in this step. The QC placement engine places standard and blank QC samples in the selected positions and flows the incoming sample stream samples around them to create the outgoing sample stream from this step.

  3. Placements where Stream Type is In-rack and Analytical Type is DUPLICATE, REPLICATE or SPIKE, in their relative sequence in the QC mask, in their relative sequence.

     The outgoing sample stream in step 2 becomes the incoming sample stream in this step. The QC placement engine goes through the incoming sample stream, and whilst obeying rack boundaries, determines which samples are duplicated, replicated or spiked, then inserts these new duplicate, replicate or spike QC samples into the incoming sample stream to create the outgoing sample stream from this step.

  4. Placements where Stream Type is In-rack and Analytical Type is STANDARD or BLANK, in their relative sequence in the QC mask.

     The outgoing sample stream in step 3 becomes the incoming sample stream in this step. Whilst obeying rack boundaries, the QC placement engine places standard and blank QC samples in the selected positions in the rack and flows the incoming sample stream around them to create the outgoing sample stream, and thereby the racks, from this step.

  The placement logic is similar between in-rack and cross-rack placements, except that for a cross-rack placement, the rack size is effectively unlimited.

• Analytical Type

  Any QC sample created from this placement has its Primary Analytical Type set to this Analytical Type:

  • DUPLICATE—To place a duplicate QC sample during the sample preparation phase of analysis.

  • REPLICATE—To place a replicate QC sample during the analytical preparation phase of analysis.

  • STANDARD—To place a standard QC sample during either the sample preparation or analytical preparation phase of analysis.

  • BLANK—To place a blank QC sample during either the sample preparation or analytical phase of analysis.

  • SPIKE—To place a spike QC sample during either the sample preparation or analytical preparation phase of analysis.

• QC Type Code

  The QC type assigned as a sample's Primary QC Type Code for any sample created from this placement when the QC mask is applied. A QC type may be selected from the drop-down list that contains active QC types in scope that have an Analytical Type matching the QC mask placement's Analytical Type, as configured in the CCQCTP—QC Type application. Click the field hyperlink to display the CCQCTP—Search QC Type screen, select the appropriate value and click Select and Return to update the field with the selected value.

• Selection

  Where a QC mask placement's Analytical Type is DUPLICATE, REPLICATE or SPIKE, then Selection defines how samples are selected for duplication, replication or spiking:

  • 0—For all the samples in the incoming sample stream that have Sample Primary Analytical Type matching the QC mask placement's Selection Type, the QC placement engine divides the samples into blocks denoted by the QC mask placement's Per Block size, ensuring the number of unknown or duplicate samples in the block is greater or equal to the QC mask placement's Minimum requirement when considering the last block, then randomly selects one sample and creates a duplicate, replicate or spike QC sample from it.

  • >0—For all the samples in the incoming sample stream that have Sample Primary Analytical Type matching the QC Mask placement's Selection Type, the QC placement engine divides the samples into blocks denoted by the QC mask placement's Per Block size, ensuring the number of unknown or duplicate samples in the block is greater or equal to the QC mask placement's Minimum requirement when considering the last block, then selects the specific sample as denoted by the Selection and creates a duplicate, replicate or spike QC sample from it. This obviously demands that the Selection number must be less than the Per Block size.

  If the QC Mask placement's Analytical Type is STANDARD or BLANK, a Selection of:

  • 0—The QC placement engine divides the sample slots in the outgoing sample stream into blocks denoted by the QC mask placement's Per Block size, ensuring the number of unknown, duplicate, replicate or spike samples in the block is greater or equal to the QC mask placement's Minimum requirement when considering the last block, then randomly places a standard or blank QC sample in a sample slot.

  • >0—The QC placement engine divides the sample slots in the outgoing sample stream into blocks denoted by the QC mask placement's Per Block size, and providing that the number of unknown, duplicate, replicate or spike samples in the block is greater or equal to the QC mask placement's Minimum requirement when considering the last block, then selects the specific slot as denoted by the Selection and creates a standard or blank QC sample and puts it in that slot. This obviously demands that the Selection number must be less than the Per Block size.

• Selection Type

  When considering which samples can be duplicated, replicated or spiked, samples are chosen from the incoming sample stream where the sample has a Primary Analytical Type matching the QC mask placement's Selection Type.

  When the Analytical Type is DUPLICATE, selected from:

  • UNK ONLY.

  When an Analytical Type is REPLICATE or SPIKE, selected from:

  • UNK ONLY

  • DUP ONLY

  • UNK AND DUP.

• Per Block

  The size of the block from which samples are selected for duplication, replicating or spiking, or the size of the block in which standard or blank QC samples are placed. Defaults to a rack size denoted by the Default Number Of Containers for the associated Container Type Code.. Where the QC mask does not link to a Container Type Code or the linked container type does not have a defined Default Number Of Containers.

  If Stream Type is Cross-rack, then Per Block must be less than or equal to 9999.

  If Stream Type is In-rack, then Per Block must be less than or equal to the nominal Rack Size.

• Minimum

  The minimum number of samples in the last block before a sample is duplicated, replicated or spiked, or before a standard or blank QC sample is placed.

• Placement

  When the Analytical Type is Duplicate, Replicate or Spike, this is the position of the duplicate, replicate or spike QC sample relative to the original sample:

  • Immediately After—The duplicate, replicate or spike QC sample is placed immediately after the original sample.

  • End—When Stream Type is Cross-rack, then the duplicate, replicate or spike QC sample is placed at the end of all samples in the job. When Stream Type is In-rack, then the duplicate, replicate or spike QC sample is placed at the end of the rack.

• Number to Apply

  The number of QC samples placed sequentially, where each of these QC samples have the same Primary Analytical Type and Primary QC Type Code, and in the case of a duplicate or replicate QC sample where each of these QC samples have the same Duplicate Original Sample Code, and in the case of a spike QC sample where each of these QC samples have the same Spike Original Sample Code.

  When Analytical Type is Blank, Standard or Spike and Number to Apply is greater than 1, then there is an option to establish a duplicate or replicate relationship between the subsequent blank, standard or spike QC samples, such that, each of these subsequent QC samples have the same Secondary Analytical Type and Secondary QC Type Code and the first blank, standard or spike QC sample as same Duplicate Original Sample Code by selecting a Secondary QC Type Code.

  This obviously demands that Number to Apply must be less than the Per Block size.

• Secondary QC Type Code

  The QC type assigned as a sample's Secondary QC Type Code, used when a second or subsequent sample is created from the placement, applied when the QC mask placement's Analytical Type is Blank, Standard or Spike, and the QC mask placement's Number to Apply is greater than one. A QC type may be selected from the drop-down list that contains active QC types in scope that have a Linked QC Type Code matching the QC mask placement's QC Type Code, as configured in the CCQCTP—QC Type application. The secondary relationship is either duplicate or replicate in nature, as determined by the secondary QC type's Secondary Analytical Type. Click the field hyperlink to display the CCQCTP—Search QC Type screen, select the appropriate value and click Select and Return to populate the field with the selected value.

  Selecting a secondary QC type establishes the second and subsequent samples as duplicates or replicates of the first sample. Whilst each sample's Primary Analytical Type and Primary QC Type Code are set to the QC mask placement's Analytical Type and QC Type Code, respectively, for each second and subsequent sample, the sample's Original Duplicate Sample is set to the first sample, and the sample's Secondary Analytical Type and Secondary QC Type Code are set to the QC type's Secondary Analytical Type and QC Type Code, respectively, for the QC type selected as the QC mask placement's Secondary QC Type Code.

  Example: Given an existing QC type has a Code of SPIKE1 and an Analytical Type of Spike. Then create another QC type with a Code of SPIKE1_MATRIX and an Analytical Type of Spike. Then select the Secondary Analytical Type as Replicate and the Linked QC Type Code as SPIKE1. Then create a QC mask and add a QC mask member with an Analytical Type of Spike and QC Type Code of SPIKE1. After entering the Selection, Selection Type, Per Block, Minimum and Placement, enter the Number to Apply as 3 and select the Secondary QC Type Code as SPIKE_MATRIX. When this QC mask is used to add QC samples to a job scheme, it creates three QC samples that have a Primary Analytical Type of Spike and a Primary QC Type Code of SPIKE1 and the second and third QC sample has a Secondary Analytical Type of Replicate and a Secondary QC Type Code of SPIKE_MATRIX. This way, during assessment, the three spike QC samples are assessed as spike standards with the QC Script from the SPIKE1 QC type run during that standard assessment, and the second and third spike QC samples are also assessed as replicates with the QC Script from the SPIKE_MATRIX QC type run during the precision assessment.

• Propagate

  Indicates whether the QC samples created from this QC mask placement are propagated into sequel schemes in the job. When QC samples are appended or overwritten for job schemes, then the job schemes are processed in the relative job scheme's Registration Sequence EXCEPT THAT any precursor job scheme is processed first. Consider a job with the following job schemes and registration sequences:

  1. Ana1

  2. Ana1_Prep

  3. Sam_Prep_Step1

  4. Ana2_PrepA

  5. Ana2

  6. Ana2_PrepB

  7. Sam_Prep_Step2

  and Sam_Prep_Step1 is a precursor scheme of Sam_Prep_Step2,

  and Ana1_Prep is a precursor scheme of Ana1,

  and Ana2_PrepA is a precursor scheme of Ana2,

  and Ana2_PrepB is a precursor scheme of Ana2

  and the general rule that any sample preparation scheme is deemed a precursor scheme of any analytical preparation or analytical scheme,

  then if all job schemes were selected to have QC applied, then the job schemes are processed in the following order:

  1. Sam_Prep_Step1

  2. Sam_Prep_Step2

  3. Ana1_Prep

  4. Ana1

  5. Ana2_PrepA

  6. Ana2_PrepB

  7. Ana2

  When a QC mask is applied to Sam_Prep_Step1 and a duplicate QC sample is created, and a sample scheme is created for the duplicate in Sam_Prep_Step1, then for any sequel scheme, where the duplicate original sample also exists, then a sample scheme is also created in the sequel scheme, that is, a sample scheme is also created in Sam_Prep_Step2, Ana1_Prep, Ana1, Ana2_PrepA, Ana2_PrepB and Ana2 job schemes.

  When a QC mask is applied to Ana1_Prep and a standard QC sample is created, and a sample scheme is created for the standard in Ana1_Prep, then for any sequel scheme, a sample scheme is also created in the sequel schemes, that is, a sample scheme is also created in Ana1 job scheme.

  When a QC mask is applied to Ana2_PrepA and a spike QC sample is created, and a sample scheme is created for the spike in Ana2_PrepA, then for any sequel scheme, where the spike original sample also exists, then a sample scheme is also created in the sequel scheme, that is, a sample scheme is also created in Ana2_PrepB and Ana2 job schemes.

• Use Group

  Applicable where Analytical Type is BLANK, STANDARD or SPIKE.

  • Unchecked—Where the QC mask placement is associated with a Standard Code and the standard is active and its Current Standard Lot is active and not expired, when a blank, standard or spike QC sample is created, then the blank, standard or spike QC sample is associated with the Standard Code.

  • Checked—Where the QC mask placement is associated with a Standard Group Code, when a blank, standard or spike QC sample is created, then the first standard within the standard group, starting from the standard group's Next Seq to Use, that is active and the standard's Current Standard Lot is active and not expired, then the blank, standard or spike QC sample is associated with the standard code.

• Standard Code

  Only applicable where the Analytical Type is Blank, Standard or Spike and Use Group is cleared. The standard applied to any blank, standard or spike QC sample created from the placement when the QC mask is applied, to set the QC sample's Standard Code. A standard may be selected from the drop-down list that contains active standards in scope, as configured in the CCSTND—Standard application. Click the field hyperlink to display the CCSTND—Search Standard screen, select the appropriate value and click Select and Return to populate the field with the selected value. The standard is applied only if the standard's Current Standard Lot is active and not expired. This field may be left empty to allow the standard and lot to be assigned at a later time.

  Note: If the QC manager has specified that spike QC samples are recorded into QC history as standard QC samples, (using the ALLOW_STANDARDS_AS_SPIKES application preference), the selection list displays standard codes where the Analytical Type is either Standard or Spike.

• Standard Group Code

  Only applicable where the Analytical Type is Blank, Standard or Spike and Use Group is checked. The standard group from which to obtain a standard to apply to any blank, standard or spike QC sample created from the placement when the QC mask is applied, to set the QC sample's Standard Code. The first standard within the standard group, starting from the standard group's Next Seq to Use, that is active, and the standard's Current Standard Lot is active and not expired, then the blank, standard or spike QC sample is associated with the Standard Code. This may be left empty such that the standard group is populated at a later date on the QC mask member, or the standard code is populated at a later date on the blank, standard or spike QC sample created from the standard group. A standard group may be selected from the drop-down list that contains active standard groups in scope, as configured in the CCSTGP—Standard Group application. Click the field hyperlink to display the CCSTGP—Search Standard Group screen, select the appropriate value and click Select and Return to populate the field with the selected value.

  Note: If the QC manager has specified that spike QC samples are recorded into QC history as standard QC samples, (using the ALLOW_STANDARDS_AS_SPIKES application preference), the selection list displays standard group codes where the Analytical Type is either Standard or Spike.

Preview QC Mask Tab

A preview of how the QC mask is applied. During the preview building process, as each QC mask member placement is applied to the input sample stream, the output sample stream is fed into the next placement process as its input sample stream, thus building up the racks.

• Tab flows

  • Preview—Display the QC mask placements in the Results field, based on an incoming sample stream comprising #Samples number of samples.

• # Samples

  The number of samples used as the incoming sample stream for the QC mask placement test.

• Results

  The outgoing sample stream after the QC mask placements is applied on #Samples.

  Each sample in the outgoing sample stream is displayed on a separate row, with each sample displaying comma-separated sample properties, with the following format:

  <Profile Sequence>, <Name>, <Analytical Type>, <QC Type Code>, <Secondary Analytical Type>, <Secondary QC Type Code>, <Parent Sample>, <Rack Sequence>

  Note: The rack sequence for cross-rack placement is always 1.