title: RFID as a new ICT tool to monitor specimen life cycle and quality control in a biobank.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biospecimen quality is crucial for clinical and translational research and its loss is one of the main obstacles to experimental activities. Beside the quality of samples, preanalytical variations render the results derived from specimens of different biobanks or even within the same biobank incomparable. Specimens collected along the years should be managed with a heterogeneous life cycle. Hence, we propose to collect detailed data concerning the whole life cycle of stored samples employing radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology.?
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the processing chain of blood biosamples that is operative at the biobank of IRCSS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy (BioBIM). We focus on the problem of tracing the stages following automated preanalytical processing: we collected the time stamps of all events that could affect the biological quality of the specimens by means of RFID tags and readers.?
  
  
  RESULTS
  We developed a pilot study on a fragment of the life cycle, namely the storage between the end of the preanalytics and the beginning of the analytics, which is usually not traced by automated tools because it typically includes manual handling. By adopting RFID devices we identified the possible critical time delays. At 1, 3 and 6 months RFID-tagged specimens cryopreserved at -80°C were successfully read.?
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We were able to record detailed information about the storage phases and a fully documented specimen life cycle. This will allow us to promote and tune up the best practices in biobanking because i) it will be possible to classify sample features with a sharper resolution, which allows future utilization of stored material; ii) cost-effective policies can be adopted in processing, storing and selecting specimens; iii) after using each aliquot, we can study the life cycle of the specimen with a possible feedback on the procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer and Systems Sciences Antonio Ruberti, Sapienza University, Rome - Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nanni
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spila
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Riondino
authors.forename: Maria Giovanna
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Somma
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iacoboni
authors.forename: Jhessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alessandroni
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Della-Morte
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palmirotta
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferroni
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roselli
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guadagni
mesh_terms: D018070:Biological Specimen Banks; D006801:Humans; D011786:Quality Control; D057233:Radio Frequency Identification Device / Q000379:methods*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical