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Sample Lifecycle
Clearline LIMS uses workflow states to protect traceability. Actions available on a sample depend on its current state and your role.
Standard States#
| State | Meaning | Typical Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Sample Due | Registered but physical sample not received | Lab clerk or intake staff |
| Received | Accepted into the lab and ready for work | Lab clerk or analyst |
| To be Available | Results submitted and awaiting review | Analyst submitted; verifier reviews |
| Available | Results approved for release | Lab manager or verifier |
| Published | Report generated and released | Lab manager or publisher |
Exception States#
| State | Use When |
|---|---|
| Cancelled | The sample should not proceed, usually before lab work begins |
| Rejected | The physical sample is unsuitable at receipt or later review |
| Invalidated | A published or available result must be withdrawn and corrected under controlled process |
Typical Flow#
| Step | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Register | Sample Due |
| 2 | Receive | Received |
| 3 | Enter results and submit | To be Available |
| 4 | Verify | Available |
| 5 | Publish | Published |
Parent and Child State Behavior#
A sample's state reflects the lowest active state of its analyses or partitions. If one analysis is still pending, the sample cannot be treated as fully available. This prevents partial data from being released accidentally.
Retesting and Retraction#
If submitted results need correction before verification, an authorized reviewer can retract results back to the received or result-entry stage. If results are already published, use your lab's invalidation or amendment process instead of editing silently.
Audit Trail#
Workflow transitions, edits, submitters, verifiers, and publication events are logged. Use the audit log when investigating who changed a value, when a transition occurred, or why a sample was rejected or retracted.