Top 3 Tips: Implementing Robust Quality Control Protocols to Prevent Errors
Three tips for implementing robust quality control protocols and procedures to prevent errors and ensure patient well-being
Tip 1: Reduce manual labor
Manual labor can be a significant source of variability and errors, leading to inaccurate results that may adversely affect patient care. It is possible to enhance the robustness of analytical workflows and increase both accuracy and precision—as well as decrease operator errors—by reducing the need for manual pipetting processes. You might assume that this can only be achieved by a huge investment in large liquid handling platforms, but this simply isn’t the case with INTEGRA Biosciences liquid handling solutions. We listen carefully to our customers, then create innovative products that increase reproducibility, productivity, throughput, and ergonomics at affordable prices, ensuring a high return on investment. For example, adding INTEGRA’s MINI 96 portable pipette, or VIAFLO 96 or VIAFLO 384 handheld electronic pipettes, to a workflow is a truly cost-effective way to maintain accuracy and precision without the need to invest in large liquid handling platforms. These pipettes can be programmed to always follow the same protocol when filling 96 and 384 well plates, maintaining a consistent pipetting angle, speed, and tip immersion depth to eliminate inter-operator variability. The ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot is another option, enabling automation of the D-ONE single channel pipetting module or any INTEGRA multichannel electronic pipette to eliminate the need for user intervention altogether. Alternatively, the WELLJET reagent dispenser or dispenser stacker can be used to fill 96- and 384-well plates automatically.
Tip 2: Easy setup and programming
Buying instruments that are easy to set up and program allows laboratories to quickly implement liquid handling protocols that eliminate operator variability with minimal user training. INTEGRA Biosciences instruments are shipped fully assembled to ensure only minimal setup time, allowing users to go from unboxing to the first run within 15 minutes. INTEGRA systems are extremely intuitive to use and share user interfaces that are simple and easy to understand. This allows customers to install and configure their own systems with ease, and enables straightforward and rapid training of new and existing staff on unfamiliar workflows. Where possible, our team further helps customers with programming their applications so that it is as simple as switching the platform on and starting work! INTEGRA’s free VIALAB pipetting automation software can help you to easily create automated pipetting protocols for a variety of applications, and our instruments now feature QR codes that users can scan to seamlessly access quick start guides and tutorial videos.
Tip 3: Regular maintenance
Ensure that your instruments are regularly serviced to guarantee that they operate according to the manufacturer's specification and safeguard the quality of your results. INTEGRA’s reliable servicing and maintenance options cover calibration, repair, and preventive maintenance. We offer both on-site and send-in servicing by highly trained technicians, ensuring your instruments run smoothly over the course of their lifetime to take another worry off your mind. We can even promise a replacement instrument—for the VIAFLO 96, VIAFLO 384, MINI 96, ASSIST PLUS, and WELLJET—within 48 hours with some on-site servicing programs, offering truly stress-free liquid handling.