MultiQC

Direct acquisition of QC data

 
MultiQC is an innovating software application specifically designed for quality control (QC) in medical laboratories. Results of QC assays and EQA returns can be entered into MultiQC by hand either analyte by analyte or grouped into profiles. A better way is direct acquisition without keyboarding.

All of the following modules are free. User manuals are included in the installation packages but they can be also separately consulted before deciding to download.

 
MultiQC can receive QC data from a serial port
 
  There are three possible architectures for connecting a QC computer to a clinical chemistry analyzer. They are explained in the document CnxArchitecture.pdf (pdf file, 230 KB). In any case, you need a QC receiver interface.

QC receiver interfaces are auxiliary programs which can receive data from clinical chemistry analyzers through a serial port, extract QC results and pass them to MultiQC. If you want to connect several identical analyzers to a unique QC computer, you need several interfaces which are identified by different GUIDs in the registry of Windows. They are suffixed by A, B and C in the table below :

 
Any software application can send QC data to MultiQC
 
  1) The shared file method : The analyser or a third-party software is in charge of outputting QC data to temporary shared files which are stored in an exchange folder. The file-link interface is a program which scans this folder at regular intervals. As soon as a QC file is found, it is read. Data are transmitted to MultiQC and the temporary file is erased or renamed.

Several analyzers can send their QC files to a common shared folder and a common interface if the formats of the files are the same. Otherwise you need to install several file-link interfaces which are identified by different GUIDs in the registry of Windows. They are suffixed by A, B and C in the table below :

Installation package (0.9 MB) User manual (0.3 MB)
QCFileLink133A-Setup.exe QCFiLnk.pdf
QCFileLink133B-Setup.exe
QCFileLink133C-Setup.exe

2) The automation technology : Any software can directly send QC data to a local or distant instance of MultiQC thanks to the COM technology (Common Object Model) by Microsoft.

Installation package (270 KB) Information page
MultiQCClient.zip MultiQCClient.htm
 
Off-line retrieval of EQA returns
 
  The Riqas returns (Randox International Quality Assessment Scheme) can be directly incorporated in MultiQC thanks to a dedicated program named "Riqas-To-MultiQC".

Installation package (1 MB) User manual (330 KB)
Riqas2MultiQC1301-Setup.exe Riqas2MultiQC.pdf
 
Author
 
  © Philippe Marquis, MD
Metz - FRANCE
www.multiqc.com