Pre-analysis Operations

Before samples undergo analysis, various considerations should be made.

The batching of samples for preparation and analysis allows for increased efficiency and cost minimisation in the process.

Quality control (QC) samples are added to production and laboratory batch jobs to provide feedback as to how good the analytical assessment is, and to block the completion of jobs until QC samples either provide results within expected limits or the operator has, with good reason, ignored the problem.

Quality control samples added to the batch ensure that all results captured in context of the laboratory batch job are true. Until a laboratory batch job is validated, the related registered sample schemes cannot proceed to completion unless they are analysed and completed within the context of their registered job.

Laboratory batching involves an initial search to return the counts of samples waiting for analysis by particular schemes and/or analytes, to indicate to the operator what needs to be done next, then selecting particular schemes and/or analytes and searching for samples pertaining to that selection, selecting the samples to be included in the laboratory batch, then creating the laboratory batch job, or subcontract batch job to send the samples out of the laboratory for analysis.

Waiting times on sample schemes, defaulting from the scheme version, can be used to only return samples from the search where they are ready for analysis based upon the elapsed time from precursor scheme completion.

The state of sample expiry on sample schemes and sample scheme analytes, defaulting from the scheme version and scheme version analyte, respectively, can be used to determine which samples are near expiry for the test, or which ones have expired, and to sort samples returned from the search.

After a laboratory batch job is created, samples in the laboratory batch job can be maintained.

Linked scheme relationships manage the situation in which the same sample portion is used for one or more analytical preparation or analytical schemes.