Inter-laboratory performance monitoring system

Abstract

A system and method for producing quality control evaluation information for each instrument in a large group of instruments making up a peer group which periodically (such as daily) run a set of control samples from a common lot of control materials. The control data from all instruments is reported electronically to a central station which collects all of the data and stores it along with identification information. The central station selects a golden peer group of the instruments which meet certain minimum operating criteria, and determines control targets from the golden peer group using techniques which assure horizontal and vertical robustness, so as to eliminate the need for any manual editing of the control data. A concordance correlation coefficient is determined for each instrument against the control targets, with the CCC covering an interval (such as a month). The distribution of CCC's for all instruments in the peer group is determined, and each instrument is rated with respect to the distribution. The CCC evaluation is also used to select the golden peer group for the next interval.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.