General Information

The MikroWin PlateTimer supports the laboratory employee at the daily routine in dealing with the microtiter plate. All processing steps necessarily are these for the execution of a test, are initiated and controlled by the PlateTimer. A work instruction in text form as well as a maximal permitted time for processing is assigned to every processing step. With the help of the start/stop button, the user can perform the individual steps after each other. An exact and provable performance of the test is therefore possible.

A demo version of MikroWin PlateTimer can be downloaded from the downloads section.

For whom is the program made?

The basic topic of the PlateTimer is the handling in dealing with microtiter plates. The possible user section therefore consists of all persons who use the microtiter plate in the routine analytics as well as the development and research in the general and clinical biochemistry. The software is an important help with the construction of standard operation procedures (SOP) and the realisation and check of GLP requirements, to the head of the laboratory. The programme serves the laboratory staff (Operator) as active help with the execution of the daily routine. No painful reading of assay instructions, but clear and short details of the processing steps, necessary for the exact laboratory work tasks. No further timer adjustments and clock validation necessary. The user or reagent manufacturer receives on request an exact documentation upon the performance of any assay with exact time stamps.

What the program can do?

The MikroWin PlateTimer offers for any test kit a process plan with time stamps for all necessary steps of the microtiter plate procedure. The process plan starts with the preparation of reagents or the reconstitution of the standards & controls and the distribution of samples to the microtiter plate. The positive identification of the individual microtiter plate can be supported with a bar-code reader. The PlateTimer can read this bar-code and increases the safety when working with several tests at the same time. A protocol which contains all steps as well as the accompanying time information is available after the end of an assay (reading of the microtiter plate). From this can be investigated then, whether the execution of the test is concurring with the instructions of the test-kit manufacturer. This information can be submitted and printed or exported in the combination with the test results from MikroWin 2000. In addition, the PlateTimer discovers interferences with the plate washer or adding of reagents.

Program structure

The main view of the MikroWin PlateTimer shows the chosen tests. It you can perform in parallel up to 5 tests. For every test the individual test steps are announced. The current step is highlighted. A text area informs about the activities to be undertaken. A time line marks the time, still remaining for the current step. If the time approaches a tolerance limit, a colour change is indicated. An acoustic alarm signal can in addition inform about the next following step. A time line is displayed in the lower area of the MikroWin PlateTimer for any chosen test. The temporal course of a single test can be compared and coordinated under each other through this in connection with a time axis. Tests defined before can be added or removed by the menu bar items Add Workflow and Delete Workflow. The menu item Configuration permits the definition of tests (work instructions) as well as the specification of general program settings.