When was the Last Maintenance Inspection on your Analytical Instruments Conducted?

Maintenance is the vital quality assurance step in any analytical process that justifies the accuracy of results from an instrumentation perspective. Without regular maintenance, results may still be reliable however there is greater potential for systemic errors to go unnoticed during extended use of equipment.

Regulatory compliance is a critical factor in any laboratory and being able to support data output for your projects with regular maintenance and revalidation will improve the reproducibility of results. It is recommended to have any analytical instrument revalidated annually for normal use, however the regulatory requirements of your industry might warrant maintenance and validation at an increased frequency.

Abrasion, deformation, mechanical and thermal fatigue or other routes of failure, are difficult to detect unless a system-wide inspection is performed. Residual contaminants can reduce the sensitivity in the data profiles of future samples, and as such proper cleaning of equipment is vital. Cleaning should be performed between samples and at the end of each day’s analysis, removing the contaminants with cleaning liquid, a small amount of solvent and deionised water before being air-dried. Over time, contaminant build-up from ineffective cleaning can damage sensitive probes and the analysis platform.

During an inspection, each component is closely examined and individually authenticated to ensure accurate operation of the system as a whole. It is possible to identify areas subject to greater wear and to provide additional training for the operators on improved handling methods. This can ultimately help to reduce instrument degradation resulting in better quality and efficiency of use plus a higher throughput of samples. Depending on the extent of use and the demands placed on the equipment, we can also advise as to how regularly maintenance should be performed to ensure system downtime is kept to a minimum.

To discuss your requirements, please contact Biopharma Process Systems.