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Quality

Quality Management (QM) at BBMRI.at is a key competence

 

Activities of BBMRI.at and its partners include:

 

  • Development of ISO standards and CEN Technical Specifications for sample-pre-analytics and overview on latest standards of this series

  • Implementation of these standards

  • Contribution to the development of a BBMRI Self-Assessment-Tool for pre-analytical processes

  • Free access to the online Self-Assessment Surveys for testing the state-of-the-art of pre-analytical processes Self-evaluate your pre-analytical processes >>

  • Quality Management cross audits in BBMRI.at partner biobanks

  • Quality Management trainings

  • Videos & presentations about the relevance of pre-analytics and ISO/CEN standards with respect to IVDR and reproducibility/reliability of research results .. examples of videos>

  • Publications about the relevance of pre-analytics and ISO and CEN standards with respect to IVDR and reproducibility/reliability of research ... examples of publications>

  • Information why sample quality and respective standards are essential for research and development

 

Several BBMRI.at partners have QM systems in place and are ISO certifications. All BBMRI.at partner biobanks have committed themselves to handle biological samples from patients according to state-of-the-art procedures, i.e. CEN/TS and ISO standards for pre-examination processes. 

 

Latest ISO and CEN standards relevant for biobankers and researchers

 

Standard series "Molecular in vitro diagnostics – specifications for pre-examination processes"

 

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the international Standard Organisation (ISO) published standards for the pre-analytics of biospecimens that are intended for molecular analysis. They describe requirements for the pre-analytical phase and are considered as state-of-the-art for pre-analytical workflows.

 

 

 

These standards can be purchased at Standards Institutes like the Austrian Standards Insitute (ASI)>

(search with ISO or CEN/TS number).

 

Quality Management System Standards

 

  • EN ISO 20387:2020 Biotechnologie - Biobanking - Allgemeine Anforderungen an das Biobanking (dt.)  ...order>

  • EN ISO 20387:2018 08 15. Biotechnology -- Biobanking -- General requirements for biobanking (en)  ...order>

 

  • EN ISO 15189:2014 Medizinische Laboratorien - Anforderungen an die Qualität und Kompetenz (ISO 15189:2012, korrigierte Fassung 2014-08-15) ...order>

  • EN ISO 15189:2012 11 01 Medical laboratories - Requirements for quality and competence (Corrected version 2014-08-15) ...order>

 

Relevance of ample quality and quality standards for research

 

ISO and CEN standards are considerted state-of-the-art and good scientific practise for basic and translational research.

 

Particularly the pre-analytical phase is a very critical phase of the analysis workflow.  Errors can easily occur during all preanalytical steps like labelling, sample collection, transport, processing, storage, DNA/RNA isolation aso. Pre-analytical errors have turned out to be a major cause why promising results in biomarker research fail in the process of validation, as data were not reproducible in a large scale. Also in diagnostics pre-analytical variables can lead to unreliable or wrong test results.

Therefore, pre-analytical sample quality - a pre-requisite for reliable and reproducible analyses results.

 

See video on relevance of sample pre-analytics and ISO standards (German) >

 

See video "Misstand bei Bluttests" (Deutsches Fernsehen (SWR), by now, German version only)

https://www.swr.de/wissen/odysso/aexavarticle-swr-77780.html

 

 

ISO and CEN standards

 

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the international Standard Organisation (ISO) have taken up this issue and published standards for the pre-analytics of biospecimens that are intended for molecular analysis. They describe requirements are considered as state-of-the-art for pre-analytical workflows.

 

Learn why standards are in general important

Watch video>

 

 

Evaluate your pre-analytical sample handling processes

 

Does your lab meet the pre-analytical CEN/TS & ISO Standards' requirements?

To find out use the BBMRI Self-Assessment Surveys for

  • General Requirements for Biobanking; ISO 20387:2018
  • Frozen tissue - Part 1: Isolated RNA; ISO 20184-1:2018
  • Frozen tissue - Part 2: Isolated proteins; ISO 20184-2:2018
  • FFPE tissue - Part 1: Isolated RNA; ISO 20166-1:2018
  • FFPE tissue - Part 2: Isolated proteins; ISO 20166-2:2018
  • FFPE tissue - Part 3: Isolated DNA; ISO 20166-3:2018
  • Venous whole blood - Part 1: Isolated cellular RNA; ISO 20186-1:2019
  • Venous whole blood - Part 2: Isolated genomic DNA; ISO 20186-2:2019
  • Venous whole blood - Part 3: Isolated ccfDNA from plasma; ISO 20186-3:2019
  • Metabolomics in urine; CEN/TS 16945:2016

 

Self-evaluate your pre-analytial processes >>

 

 

Software template for documentation of pre-analytical data

 

Documentation of pre-analytical data is state-of-the-art and good scientific practice

 

Several CEN/TS and ISO standards for pre-examination processes exist that require the documentation of pre-analytical data from human specimens and samples. Also the In Vitro Diagnostics Regulation explicitly mentions pre-analytics and requires pre-analytical data in the technical documentation for in vitro diagnostic devices.

In order to support researchers in their efforts to optimize their pre-analytical workflows, BBMRI.at in collaboration with SPIDIA4P (H2020, grant no. 222916), Biobank Graz, and CyBiobank (H2020 grant no. 8571222) developed a software template for the documentation of pre-analytical data. It is based on REDCap as IT framework and on the ISO Standards (ISO 20184-1:2018; ISO 20184-2:2018) as source for pre-analytical requirements.

 

Download free software template for pre-analytical frozen tissue

 

The software can be downloaded as file and shall serve as a template that can be adapted by the users (familiar with REDCap) to local / individual needs. How the installed software and data entry mask for frozen tissue looks like is to be seen here as pdf (or under this link>>).

 

Download free software template for pre-analytical data documentation>> (frozen tissue)

 

 

 

Trainings on QM topics

Trainings on QM topics offered by BBMRI partners are listed under News/courses>>


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Tissue quality: impact of humidity in paraffin-embedded tissue

Publication by BBMRI.at partner Med Uni Graz (May 2023)


Revised ISO 15189:2022 standard – German version now available

Read what is new


SPIDIA4P

Newsletter November 2022


BBMRI.at welcomed industry at the LISAvienna regulatory conference

..impressions & presentations from 13 Oct 2022


“Digital Pathology & AI” and “Pre-analytical Quality” – topics at the Europ. Congress of Pathology

- review & presentations from BBMRI.at member contributions - Sep 2022


REGISTER NOW: LISAvienna Regulatory Conference for Medical Devices and In-Vitro Diagnostics

… with contribution from BBMRI.at – 13 Oct 2022


Multiple BBMRI biobanking-related events in autumn

- meet BBMRI.at and other nodes - Sep 2022


CEN/TS Standard for Microbiome Diagnostics – how R&D benefit

Publication by BBMRI.at partner Med Uni Graz, June 2022


Biobank Innsbruck now ISO 9001:2015 certified

- June 2022


Pre-analytics CEN standard “human sample for microbiome DNA analysis” now published in German

BBMRI.at members led its development


BBMRI-ERIC releases new Self-Assessment Survey

for ISO standard 20184-3:2021 - Frozen Tissue - isolated DNA


Standards for fine needle aspirate pre-analytics

- BBMRI.at experts contributed to their development (Mar 2022)


Study on PBMC pre-analytics

Publication by BBMRI.at partner Med Uni Wien Biobank (Jan 2022)


IVDR: a complex issue and a 'missed opportunity'

BBMRI.at Director K Zatloukal in interview with Healthcare in-Europe (Feb 2022)


New pre-analytics ISO standards published

ISO 20166-4 FFPE tissue – in situ detection & ISO 23118 metabolomics in urine, blood, serum


Biobanking Courses - Register now!

... by BBMRI.at partner Med Uni Graz (Int. Biobanking & Education), Sep 16-17, 2021


Biobanks, specimens, IVDR & standards

Video by K. Zatloukal (BBMRI.at) – May 2021


SPIDIA4P

Newsletter August 2021


REGISTER: LISAvienna Regulatory Conference for Medical Devices and In-Vitro Diagnostics

… with contribution from BBMRI.at – 12 Oct 2021


Precision Diagnostics Europe 2021

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER until 15 May 2021


Neue Qualitätsstandards für Präanalytik / New pre-analytics quality standards

Federführend von BBMRI.at mitentwickelt / co-developed by BBMRI.at


NEU: ISO 20387 Biobanking Standard nun auf Deutsch

.. verfügbar bei Austrian Standards Institute


Quality management for biobanks

a series of BBMRI.at publications


Data Quality for Medical Data Lakelands

Publication by BBMRI.at partner Alpen Adria University


Watch the e-lecture: Enhance the reliability of diagnostics with the support of standards

Video by Dr. Uwe Oelmueller (Feb 2020)


Biological Samples in Biobanks – Types, Quality, Management and Gains for your Business/Research

Free webinar - 9 March 2021


Presentations from Regulatory Conference “MD & IVD”

… available for download - Oct 2020


Discounted pre-analytical ISO standards until 20 November 2020

...benefit from up to 50% discount and ORDER NOW


SAVE-THE-NEW DATES - IVDR & analytical performance testing requirements

... jointly organized by LISAvienna & BBMRI.at | 20 Oct 2020 | Vienna


BBMRI.at as example of QM in biobanking

Letter to the editor of CCLM Journal - June 2019


Special Edition in New Biotechnology

.. on sample quality - with contribution from BBMRI.at


Download publication on sample pre-analytics standards & IVDR

With contribution of BBMRI


New publication by BBMRI.at

Book chapter in "Handbook of Biomarkers and Precision Medicine" (published May, 2019)


REGISTER NOW for the course "CEN and ISO Standards for Pre-analytical Processes"

May 16, 2018 | Medical University of Graz, Austria


SAVE-THE-DATE – “Biomedical Research Workshop”

... at/by BBMRI.at Partner, Medical University of Graz, Austria - May 11-15, 2020


Dr. Uwe Oelmueller awarded for pre-analytics work

CEN-CENELEC, Brussels, Feb 17, 2020


"Data Quality for Biobanks" (webinar)

by BBMRI.at expert JE (Jan, 2019)


ISO 15189 accreditation in pathology

QM event at BBMRI.at partner Med Uni Graz – 28 Feb 2020


Guidelines & publications for SARS-Cov-2 containing biospecimens

a current summary - 1 April 2020


Why are Quality Standards important?

watch the video and explore .... Feb 2020