ZeroSigma How do we arrive at the Calibration interval for the pipettes
Not to be too cute. It depends!
It depends, On Your Budget, on your lab’s requirements on quality, On Number of pipettes and number of people using it, On Usage, How often, how long, by how many? Etc.
But The industry average is Semiannual. You can arrive at the best suitable interval for your lab by calculating MTBF (Mean time before failure)
What does Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)mean?
Mean time between failure (MTBF) refers to the average amount of time that a device or product functions before failing. This unit of measurement includes only operational time between failures and does not include repair times, assuming the item is repaired and begins functioning again. MTBF figures are often used to project how likely a single unit is to fail within a certain period.
For example, of your lab has 600 pipettes, and a month after calibration zero pipettes
Failed. And at month three 3 pipettes failed and after six months 10 pipettes failed.
Your MTBF is 10% after six months. If this percentage is higher than you want, then the calibration interval should be three months.
