Sunday, 30 August 2020

OOS Investigation case study -7 (Instrument error)

OOS Investigation case study-7 (Assay)

OOS observed in Assay test. 
(Single preparation test and duplicate injections from same vial) 
During investigation when you found any root cause in Preliminary or hypothesis testing, before planning of re-analysis, Use any of Investigation tools (5 Why, 6 M etc to rule all other probabilities)Review it thoroughly and plan the negative experiment if required to make the investigation more adequate. 

During investigation when you found any root cause in Preliminary or hypothesis testing, before planning of re-analysis, Use any of Investigation tools (5 Why, 6 M etc to rule all other probabilities)Review it thoroughly and plan the negative experiment if required to make the investigation more adequate. 

Description of Event:
OOS result observed in Assay test.
Result: 97.4% (From same vial Injection-1: 99.8%, Injection-2:94.9%)
-Limit: 95.0 - 105.0%.

Mean result is within specification limit, but one injection result from same vial is 94.9% which is not complying to the specification limit, hence OOS initiated.


Preliminary investigation:
During preliminary investigation checked all possibilities for lower Assay results like Instrument error (No pressure fluctuation , no air bubble in mobile phase/Rinse line ) Calculation error (wrong weight, wrong potency etc.), Standard preparation error (recovery factor of standard and control standard is 99.8%) and all other possible causes for lower result, but no error is identified in preliminary investigation.

During review of pressure graph it was notice that though there is no pressure fluctuation, but at zero time (during injection) subject injection pressure is lower than other all injections pressure (Blank, Standard, control standard and injection-1 of sample (99.8% result).

Zoom pressure graph: (In normal scale graph this pressure difference may not be visible).

Based on above observation there might be possibility that during second injection due lower pressure complete planned volume (20µl) is not drawn by injector.

So to rule the instrument error hypothesis testing should be planned as still we are not sure that which result is true i.e. 99.8% or 94.9% .
Re-measurement:

Hypothesis testing is performed to rule out instrument error, vial filling error, dilution error etc. Hypothesis is planned on different HPLC system and all other things are remain same.
Same vial result is found within specification limit (Mean 99.6%, Injection-1: 99.7%,  Injection-2: 99.5%)
Refilled (100.1%) and re-dilution (99.8%) results are found well with in specification limit. 

Based on outcome of hypothesis , repeat testing/re-analysis can be planned from same aliquot/sample and invalidate the initial OOS result.

Now the question is , 
Why one injection result is lower?, Is this due to low pressure at zero time, If yes, then why lower pressure at zero time in one injection? Is this momentary instrument malfunction? Or any other reason. We have to hand over instrument to service engineer to identify the root cause for low pressure.

Based on service engineer report ,scientific rational and justification we can conclude the OOS with proper CAPA.  

Impact Assessment:

As an Impact assessment we have to evaluate at least last 05 analysis on same instrument and after rectification of error at least 03 analysis.


2 comments: