Automatic quality check for laboratory instruments

A work cell system comprising:

• a first laboratory instrument configured to receive, from an input buffer, a cassette comprising one or more patient specimens or quality control specimens, perform a first test on
• the specimens, and pass the cassette to a second laboratory instrument, wherein the second laboratory instrument is configured to receive the cassette from the first laboratory instrument and perform an operation on the specimens, and
• a processor configured to:
• determine that that (i) the cassette is received at the first laboratory instrument and (ii) includes a quality control specimen,
• cause the first laboratory instrument to cease processing of specimens,
• cause the first laboratory instrument to test the quality control specimen to obtain a first measurement of a parameter,
• responsive to determining that the first measurement of the parameter is outside an expected tolerance, activating an alert and cause the first laboratory instrument to test the quality control specimen to obtain a second measurement, and
• responsive to determining the second measurement is either (i) within the expected tolerance, restarting processing of patient specimens and passing the cassette to a second instrument for quality control testing, or (ii) outside the expected tolerance, causing the first laboratory instrument to continue to cease performing tests on patient specimens.

A method for quality control of a hematology laboratory instrument, the method comprising:

• determining that a cassette includes a quality control specimen,
• ceasing performing tests on patient specimens,
• testing the quality control specimen to obtain a first measurement of a parameter,
• responsive to determining that the first measurement is outside an expected tolerance, testing the quality control specimen to obtain a second measurement, and
• responsive to determining the second measurement is either (i) within the expected tolerance and restarting processing of the cassette, or (ii) outside the expected tolerance and continuing to cease performing tests on specimens.