Data Requestors
Sampling Request
Per ASTM E-1578, the following items apply:
- LC-1.1 Registration (and sub-elements)
- LC-1.2 Sample Management (and various sub-elements)
- LC-1.3 Core Laboratory Workflow (and sub-elements)
In many systems the main LIMS is behind a corporate firewall and as such there is no way for external data requestor to obtain access to the system directly. Newer systems provide web-based interfaces to the LIMS to allow for external submission of sample requests. This constitutes a sample (or multiple sample) registration in the system. These samples are normally submitted in a state that makes them unusable without a particular step called sample receipt (LC-1.2.1). After receipt the samples are ready for internal distribution to the various internal laboratory personnel.
Data Request
LIMS normally store data according to particular samples, so the previous section is necessary to understand the system. Once a sample has been registered in the system and laboratory personnel and/or instruments have entered results in the system a requestor will then seek to obtain results or other information from the system. A LIMS is a very complex piece of software and lots of information pertaining to the testing can be derived. Today various interfaces to the LIMS can be used to extract this information. The most common method is to utilize a database lookup using the unique sample identifier relating to the sample in question.
