A knowledge-based system for real-time quality control and fault diagnosis of multitest analyzers

A PC-based real-time quality control (QC) system for multitest analyzers has been developed as a prototype. The system is built with use of a relational database management system (DBMS). Control values from the various analytical channels are stored and administrated with use of the DBMS. The control values collected during various stages of control are filtered through statistical control procedures and the control status of the instrument is continuously presented in color-coded fields indicating the possible presence of critically sized systematic or random analytical errors. The knowledge about rational trouble-shooting of a specific instrument is represented in a network structure and stored in relational tables of the DBMS. An inference engine performs alternating backward and forward reasoning in the network and guides the operator in trouble-shooting.