Sample Integrity and Chain of Custody in Digital Laboratories
Holding
Sample identity is a system property: every transfer, transformation, and storage event must remain attributable.
Issue
A laboratory sample can be processed correctly and still produce unusable evidence if its identity, custody, or processing context becomes uncertain.
Analysis
The failure mode is a broken chain between accession, container, instrument run, derived data, and final interpretation. Manual identifiers, copied spreadsheets, and unlogged transfers create ambiguity precisely when results are challenged.
Resolution
The system should assign a stable sample identity, record each custody event, bind derivatives to their parent material, and require reconciliation before release. Barcode or other machine-readable identifiers help, but they do not replace controlled workflows and exception handling.
Evidence Package
The evidence should show accession records, transfer history, storage conditions, transformation lineage, instrument links, deviations, and release approval. Chain of custody is not paperwork around the laboratory system; it is part of the result’s validity.
Conclusion
Laboratory sample management should make identity and custody inspectable from collection through interpretation.