Any data that was entered for a specimen can be edited except, in most cases, the specimen label itself.
Most data directly linked to a specimen can be edited regardless of the activity status of the sample. Even if a sample is ‘Closed’, you can still edit some information like quantity, concentration, anatomic site, and other basic data. Closed specimens cannot be processed into derivatives or aliquots, or have events added.
The edit button is available to all users with roles allowing add/edit/delete specimens (i.e. Lab technician or Tissue Banker).
Overview
There are three lineages of specimens: New, Derived, and Aliquot. Fields associated with Collection and Received Details are associated only with the primary specimen (lineage = New). Other general fields can be edited for any sample regardless of lineage.
Process
Click on the specimen to change any value, as described above. Select the specimen from any interface (specimen table, specimen list view, query, cart, or container).
Click ‘Edit’ from the Specimen overview page. Note that most fields can be edited now, even if a sample is ‘Closed’.
The screen displays all available fields. Grayed out fields are not editable (i.e. 'Label')
Edit any values and select ‘Update’.
Specimen Fields
Some fields are specific to one specimen within a lineage or all specimens in a lineage. There are 3 sections associated with the specimen overview page. The general section that describes the specimen itself, the collection event section, and the received event section. Some values are inherited from a parent sample to a child. Others can change from one lineage to the next.
New and Derived specimen characteristics
The fields in the top section can be edited for New and Derived specimens.
Heritability of values:
Heritable fields:
New to Derived: Biohazards, Pathology status, Anatomic Site, Laterality.
New or Derived to Aliquot: all except quantity
Editing of a heritable field at the parent level will change the value in the child samples
Aliquot characteristics
Aliquots, by definition, are replicas of their parent sample which share all characteristics except for quantity. Therefore, fewer fields are available to edit at this level. Concentration is inherited from the parent sample, however, it is possible to edit as there are cases where concentration may vary in different aliquots. Each aliquot will also have its own location data and freeze/thaw cycles.
Collection and Received Events
The fields associated with Collection and Received Events can only be edited at the Primary specimen level.
Editing the Collection or Received Details is therefore always done at the primary specimen level and the data is stored associated with that primary sample. These fields, however, can be displayed associated with the child samples using a query. The columns used to display these fields for child samples are under ‘Collection and Received Details’ when selecting columns to display in queries.
