Lab Sample Management (LIMS)

As product batches or lots are manufactured and ready to be released commercially, organizations test them for quality control. This testing is performed on one or more samples of each produced batch, up to many samples.

Sample & Test Creation in Vault LIMS

In Vault LIMS, the Lab Sample is a record, associated with a Batch record, to which Lab Tests are associated.

When a Batch is created for a given Material and either Country or Organization (Supplier), Vault LIMS selects the Lab Specification associated with that combination. From the Lab Specification Vault LIMS identifies the Lab Protocol, which dictates how many samples should be taken, and the Lab Tests that should be run against those samples. Vault LIMS creates those Lab Sample and Lab Test records automatically, basing the Lab Tests to be run against each of them on the associated Lab Methods specified on the Lab Protocol. You can also add Lab Samples manually, add Lab Tests as needed, or create them from an existing Lab Sample Definition on the Lab Protocol, which automatically creates the necessary Lab Tests.

Adding Lab Samples & Lab Tests Manually

To add a new Lab Sample:

  1. Navigate to a Sample Management > Samples custom tab.
  2. Click Create.
  3. If a name for the record is not automatically generated, enter a Name.
  4. Select a Sample Type.
  5. Enter Sample Instructions.
  6. Optional: Select the associated Batch.
  7. Optional: Select the appropriate Protocol.
  8. Optional: Select the desired Based On (Lab Sample Definition). Selecting this will automatically create the Lab Tests from the associated Lab Methods.
  9. Optional: Enter a Due Date.
  10. Optional: Enter an External ID.
  11. Optional: Enter a Current Location.
  12. Optional: Enter a Quantity.
  13. Optional: Enter the Unit of Measure.
  14. Optional: Enter the Sampling Point.
  15. Click Save.

To add a new Lab Test:

  1. Navigate to a Sample Management > Tests custom tab.
  2. Click Create.
  3. If a name for the record is not automatically generated, enter a Name.
  4. Select the Lab Sample to associate the Lab Test to. If the Lab Sample is associated with a Batch, Vault LIMS will automatically select it.
  5. Optional: Select the desired Based On (Lab Method). Selecting this will automatically create the Lab Results from the selected Lab Method’s Lab Result Definitions. Otherwise, you can add Lab Results manually.
  6. Optional: Select a Procedure Document.
  7. Optional: Select a Lab Test Set. You should only add a Lab Test Set if this Lab Test needs to be added to an existing set for testing.
  8. Click Save.

The lifecycle of a Lab Sample is tracked in states. For example, once all Lab Tests in a Sample have entered the Testing Complete state, the Sample record enters a Testing Complete state. Then, once all Lab Tests in a Batch have entered the Testing Complete state, the Batch record enters the Testing Complete state. Vault LIMS also tracks where a Lab Sample has been using location tracking.