Every analytical method specifies a maximum number of days between sample collection and analysis — this is the holding time. When a lab takes longer than allowed, the result is considered potentially compromised because the analyte may have degraded or transformed. Piper creates a HoldingTimeViolation for each such result, recording the holdingDays (actual days elapsed), limitDays (the method's maximum), and overByDays (the excess). These violations must be disclosed to regulators and may require re-sampling or data qualification. Review the HoldingTimeViolation list after every sample event to catch issues before submitting data.
Technical section
Data model, API, and internals — visible to developers.