Containerising Sample Portions

• Containerising Sample Portions
  • Overview
  • Prerequisite
  • Process
    • Containerising Sample Portions
      • Containerising Sample Portions for a Job
      • Containerising Sample Portions Returned from a Search
      • Upon Containerising Sample Portions
    • De-containerising Sample Portions
      • Upon De-containerising Sample Portions

Overview

At the end of the analysis tasks, it is common that sample portions are stored for a period of time on behalf of the client. Often the sample portions represent a snapshot in time of the materials, and should be kept for historic purposes, or presented back for additional or confirmation tests at a much later time. The laboratory may utilise short or long-term storage mechanisms.

Short-term storage might cover the in-transit storage of sample portions during the gaps in the analysis, where sample portions are taken to and from their storage location into the laboratory for analysis.

It is not uncommon in a commercial laboratories to store the client's sample portions for a period of one to three months. During that time, they must be kept secure from the elements and kept in a manner where they can be located easily, if required. The financial investment in these samples could be significant, and in some cases, there is intrinsic value of the samples (for example, a high intrinsic value for precious metals), or they could be hazardous and need to be treated in a specific fashion.

Therefore, it is a common requirement for laboratories is to have a system of keeping track of where sample portions are at any time. Sample portions might be located in a formal warehouse, or in storage units somewhere in the laboratory.

Prerequisite

This process presumes that the system is configured for portion tracking by sample. Refer to Configuring Preferences for Portion Tracking by Sample.

Process

Sample portions are containerised and de-containerised using the CCPRTN—Portion application.

Containerising Sample Portions

Some laboratories only want sample portion creation upon job completion for the primary purpose of recording where the job's samples are stored. Where sample portions are tracked by sample, then the SAM_TRACK_REG_WHEN_JOB_COMPLETE application preference controls whether it is possible to create sample portions only when the job's Workflow Status is Completed. If this is enabled, then it is not possible to create sample portions until this state is reached, let along containerise them.

Containerising Sample Portions for a Job

For a selected Job Name and Single-capacity Container Type Code, for each sample portion associated with the job, where the sample portion's Single-capacity Container Type Code matches the selected single-capacity container type, then the sample portion can be containerised into a container that holds multiple sample portions of the selected Multi-capacity Container Type Code capacity type.

During the processing of the job's sample portions, where sample portions still require containerisation, a new Container Name is generated using the container type's Container Name Syntax Code, and as many sample portions are associated with it, up to its default maximum which is set by the multi-capacity container type's Default Number Of Containers.

Containerise sample portions for a job

Containerising Sample Portions Returned from a Search

After returning sample portions from a search, selected sample portions can be containerised into a container that holds multiple sample portions of the selected Multi-capacity Container Type Code capacity type.

During the processing of the selected sample portions, if Add to existing container and an existing Container Name were selected, then that container is filled to its maximum, based on the multi-capacity container type's Default Number of Containers, that is, the number of sample portions associated with that container name is counted and additional sample portions are associated with it, up to its default maximum. After that, where sample portions still require containerisation, a new Container Name is generated using the container type's Container Name Syntax Code, and as many sample portions are associated with it, up to its default maximum which is set by the multi-capacity container type's Default Number Of Containers.

Note: An existing Container Name is matched on free text, so care must be taken when entering a value into this field.

Containerise selected sample portions

Upon Containerising Sample Portions

• Each portion's Multi-capacity Container Type Code is set to the selected code.

• Each portion's Multi-capacity Container Name is set to the generated name.

  Note: Where a sample portion is already linked to a Multi-capacity Container Type Code and Multi-capacity Container Name, then it is re-containerised.

  Example: A Multi-capacity Container Type Code of BOX exists where the container type's Default Number of Containers is 25 and the Container Name Syntax Code is BOX###. The following portions and containers are displayed on the portions search grid with the following pre-containerised settings:

  Sample	Portion Code	Single-capacity Container Type Code	Multi-capacity Container Type Code
  Sample1	001	PACKET	BOX001
  ...	...	PACKET	BOX001
  Sample1	015	PACKET	BOX001
  ---	---	PACKET	BOX001
  Sample1	025	PACKET	BOX001
  Sample2	001	PACKET	BOX002
  ...	...	PACKET	BOX002
  Sample2	015	PACKET	BOX002
  ...	...	PACKET	BOX002
  Sample2	025	PACKET	BOX002
  Sample3	001	PACKET	BOX003
  ...	...	PACKET	BOX003
  Sample3	015	PACKET	BOX003

  Subsequently, if Sample1 015...025, Sample2 015...025, Sample3 001...015 are selected and containerised, then the outcome is:

  Sample	Portion Code	Single-capacity Container Type Code	Multi-capacity Container Type Code
  Sample1	001	PACKET	BOX001
  ...	...	PACKET	BOX001
  Sample1	015	PACKET	BOX004
  ---	---	PACKET	BOX004
  Sample1	025	PACKET	BOX004
  Sample2	001	PACKET	BOX002
  ...	...	PACKET	BOX002
  Sample2	015	PACKET	BOX004
  ...	...	PACKET	BOX004
  Sample2	025	PACKET	BOX004
  Sample3	001	PACKET	BOX004
  ...	...	PACKET	BOX004
  Sample3	015	PACKET	BOX004

• The event is audited. Refer to Reviewing Operational Data Audits.

De-containerising Sample Portions

De-containerising sample portions clears the Multi-capacity Container Type Code and Multi-capacity Container Name.

De-containerise sample portions

Upon De-containerising Sample Portions

Upon de-containerising selected sample portions:

• The sample portion's Multi-capacity Container Type Code and Multi-capacity Container Name are cleared.

• The event is audited. Refer to Reviewing Operational Data Audits.