'Calibrating' an Instrument

Fix the Instrument

Tend to the failing instrument first, albeit the assistance of its vendor, first. Record this through formal Maintenance and Validation rounds in the LIMS during which time the Instrument will be off line

Record all results from the instrument while it is being validated by capturing them on worksheets. Once in-range QC results are confirmed in the LIMS, the Instrument is considered calibrated and the warning messages not displayed anymore

Calibration Worksheets

QC results are recorded on Worksheets but selecting control samples for an empty worksheet manually is problematic. It is not clear to the LIMS which Analyses valid control samples have to be found for. It is useful and a good idea to keep Worksheet Templates for this purpose

Calibration Worksheet Template. WST

Create a new WST and assign it to the specific Instrument, in this case an Axios XRF

Select the Analyses to include in the Worksheets created with the template

On the layout tab, set up positions for Controls and select which Reference Samples must be used from a list of previously configured reference Definitions

Click [Save]

Create a Calibration Worksheet

Create a Worksheet using the Calibration Template form the Worksheets option on the navigation bar

Submit Reference Sample results

For full record keeping, capture results failing QC too, until the instrument delivers valid results consistently

Capture all results as they come in during continued calibration attempts, adding more reference Samples or Worksheets as required

Until it passes with accurate reference results

Save, Submit and Verify the accurate QC results, The warnings re uncalibrated instruments are removed upon refreshing those pages

All Set

When the instrument clears this hurdle, it is ready to go again

Recovered Instruments are back online and can be used on subsequent Worksheets, and on others quarantined earlier