Keep the plate map with the result

Connect SoftMax Pro results to samples without losing standards, blanks, replicates or dilution factors. A well value alone is not a sample result.

Duplicate wells produce a sample result

The example focuses on lineage and interpretation, not a universal assay calculation.

  1. Plate evaluation

    PL-081 / evaluation 2

    Link protocol, source File and report.

  2. Standard wells

    A1–A6

    Retain their role and curve context; do not create patient or process sample results from them.

  3. Sample wells

    B3 and B4 → S-207

    Keep both well references and the replicate rule.

  4. Receiving result

    S-207 / assay TEST-12

    Preserve unit, dilution basis and qualifiers with the selected calculated value.

Identify whether the export contains signal or a calculated result.

Confirm the installed SoftMax Pro export layout and the assay report it represents. A raw optical signal, background-corrected signal and concentration derived from a standard curve should have distinct names and units. Preserve the protocol and evaluation context needed to interpret the selected quantity.

Keep the original export and reviewed report as evidence. Where an assay uses kinetic readings, decide whether the receiving result needs individual timepoints, a fitted rate or an endpoint. A single numeric column does not establish which calculation was performed or whether its conditions were valid.

Treat the plate map as part of the result.

Identify the source plate, well and laboratory sample together. Preserve standards, controls, blanks and unknowns as different roles. A well label such as B3 is only unique within its plate. If a plate is rerun, retain the run or evaluation identity instead of confusing it with a repeated upload.

For replicated samples, retain which wells contribute to the reported value and the rule for excluding a well. A liquid-handling plan can help establish intended placement, but verify actual execution or an approved plate map before asserting sample lineage. Planned transfer and completed transfer are different evidence.

Carry dilution and reportable-range information with the value.

Agree whether a concentration has already been adjusted for dilution. Applying the factor twice can produce a plausible but incorrect result. Preserve the reported unit, dilution context and any conversion applied by the mapping Script. If that context is absent, leave the result unresolved rather than inventing a default.

Keep below-range, above-range, failed and missing results distinguishable. A value outside the assay’s supported range should not become an ordinary number by dropping its qualifier. Where the source reports a curve fit or control outcome, link the evidence that supports use of the sample result.

Separate a complete plate import from an accepted sample result.

A plate import may be complete even when some sample results require review. Reconcile the expected wells and roles, then map eligible results to the receiving sample tests. Use the LIMS’s supported write operation only after agreeing its identifiers, field ownership and allowed state.

For reanalysis, preserve the previous plate evaluation and identify the revision used in each receiving result. Replaying the same export should not produce a second sample test. If delivery to the LIMS is interrupted, inspect the receiver’s result identity before retrying a write.

Test it with your data.

Use these cases to agree and test the connection’s behaviour. They are proposed acceptance checks, not completed tests or automatic connector features.

The reported concentration already includes dilution

The sample was diluted 1:10, and the selected exported result has already been corrected for that dilution.

Expected behaviour
Map the corrected value once. Keep the factor and calculation context so the receiving workflow does not multiply by ten again.
Evidence to keep
One sample’s well values, selected result, dilution factor and manual comparison with the analysed report.

One well in a replicate pair is excluded

A01 and A02 belong to the same sample, but A02 is excluded in the source analysis.

Expected behaviour
Preserve the exclusion and the source-defined sample result. Do not reconstruct a two-well average that disagrees with the reviewed analysis.
Evidence to keep
Plate identity, both well references, exclusion state and the calculation used for the reported sample.
More checks for this connection
  • Check every well against the approved plate map, including standards and blanks.
  • Test a sample with an excluded replicate and a result above range.
  • Verify dilution is applied exactly once under the agreed rule.
  • Re-evaluate the plate and confirm the receiving result identifies its evaluation revision.

Before you connect

Can the integration infer sample identity from well position?

Only through an explicit, verified plate map. Well position alone cannot identify a sample across plates or runs.

Should Seal recompute the standard curve?

Only if that is a separately specified and verified analysis. Importing the source’s reported results does not require replacing its calculation method.

Check your system’s connection options.

Confirm the installed version, available exports and permissions. These pages cover the source interface and link to setup instructions.

For configuration: Seal Scripts and local-file collection.

Start with one export.

Bring the source evidence and the records it needs to connect to. For this workflow, a useful starting pack is:

  • The plate export and matching analysed report from the installed SoftMax Pro version.
  • The plate template identifying samples, standards, blanks and replicate groups.
  • The calculation context: curve model, units, dilution factors and selected reported result.
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