Pipette calibration

Hi,

we calibrated a pipette and discovered that it isn’t working properly anymore.

How do you handle this? What about the analyses foregone? Do they have to be repeated? (Recalibration is every 6 months, so repeating won’t be possible)

  • jupi111

There seems to be a lack of information. You can spin this in many ways

  1. Did the pipette stop functioning properly when in use? (break when using it, dropped it).

Assign a root-cause as to why the instrument is no longer functioining (eg. it broke during use, dropped it) and again document it in a quality log. You need to identify all measurments since the last calibration that were done using the instrument in this quality log as well. If you have a similar instrument that is used for similar testing compare the results of both and indicate that the findings of both are similar in the log. Come up with a conclusion that assures the results are adequate. Also assign a prevntative action (eg.

  1. When you performed the verfication (calibration) you noticed that its was out of specification?

If:

If 2. what range was the instrumnet used for?
a. If the range it was used for was within specification then there is no concern just document in a quality log program (Deviation report, Non-conforming reprot…)

b. If the range it was used for was out of specification then take the error and analyze the data for what it was used for, and add in the error. If this error does not implicate your end results then again no issue and document in a quality log.

Do you mean not working as it should be, like not dispensing/sucking when it should? or you mean the calibration failure?