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All manufacturers of common PCR devices like Bio-Rad or Thermo Fisher inherently provide options to transfer analysis results to the Labordatenbank LIMS. For this purpose, they offer so-called LIMS export files, which allow you to directly import the results into the laboratory database. In the laboratory database, this data is then automatically imported and can be evaluated and issued in an individual test certificate.

For the unambiguous assignment of results to the analyzed samples, manufacturers typically require the sample number of each individual sample to be entered first into the PCR control software (e.g., Bio-Rad CFX Maestro or Thermo Fisher Applied Biosystem).

Entering a large number of sample numbers (e.g., for 96-well or 384-well plates) into the device software is often not very practical in practice.
Commonly cited reasons include:

• Scanning sample numbers into the device software is time-consuming and not intuitive
• Other numbers than the sample number are used, e.g., barcodes from pre-labeled tubes
• Loading practices for control samples or prioritizations require a graphical representation
• Subsequent entry of sample numbers does not correspond to the laboratory workflow, as the position on the plate is already determined after pipetting, and a later transfer would require handling each tube again to identify the sample number
• Samples may be repositioned to another plate after occupying a 96-well plate, e.g., to record 384 samples in one run. In such cases, the original positioning would be lost
• The PCR workstation is blocked during the loading time and cannot be used

For this reason, numerous Labordatenbank users utilize the Plate Management module, which allows for a simpler and more practical assignment of measurement data to samples without the tedious transfer of sample numbers into the PCR software.
To do this, samples are scanned in the laboratory database and positioned on a plate via drag & drop. The laboratory database stores the plate number and position as positioning information for each sample in the background. In the PCR software, only the plate number needs to be entered once. Upon export to the Labordatenbank LIMS, the laboratory database recognizes the position of each sample based on the allocation scheme stored for that plate and can uniquely assign the results to the existing samples.
For laboratories, this eliminates the tedious entry of sample numbers into the device software for all 96 or 384 samples, and only the plate number needs to be entered once.

Below you will find a step-by-step guide on how to uniquely assign and automatically import your PCR measurement results using the Plate Assignment module:

1. Call up the Plate Management under Menu bar: Samples -> Plate Management

2. Create a new plate and give it a name, e.g., P12345.
   Tip: Plates are usually pre-labeled by the manufacturer and provided with a barcode, so you can simply scan this barcode with a handheld scanner.

Now scan the sample number or tube barcode and position the sample on your plate via drag & drop. The laboratory database searches for the corresponding sample and saves the plate and position.