GUIDE · UPDATED 2026
ALCOA+ at the moment the file moves
ALCOA+ is usually discussed for how data is created and stored. But a result that is attributable, original and accurate on the instrument PC can lose all three on the way to the next system — through a renamed copy, a second export, or a stick that visited another computer.
Written by Taha Bayar, a biologist working on laboratory data handover. Kionel sells one of the options below; the comparison is meant to be usable even if you choose another.
The principles the transfer can break
| Principle | How a transfer breaks it | What keeps it |
|---|---|---|
| Attributable | Nobody recorded which device sent it, for which order | A record naming the sending device and the work order |
| Contemporaneous | The log is written later, from memory | A record created at the moment of sending |
| Original | Several copies exist; which one is the source? | A content hash taken on the source device |
| Accurate | The file was altered or truncated in transit | The receiver checks the hash before accepting |
| Complete | One of several files never arrived | One record per file; a missing receipt is visible |
| Enduring / Available | The evidence depends on a vendor's server | Records that verify offline, without the vendor |
A simple test for any route
Pick a result from last month. Can you show, without asking anyone: which device it left, which work order it belonged to, when, and that the file in the LIMS today has the same bytes? If the answer relies on someone's recollection or a handwritten line, the transfer is the weak link, not the instrument.
Where Kionel fits
Kionel creates that evidence at the moment of transfer: the sender signs the content hash with the work order, classification and target system; the receiver checks the content against it and signs a delivery receipt. A local hash-chained log makes a deleted entry visible. The records verify offline with a free Apache-2.0 tool, so they stay usable even if Kionel does not.
It does not identify the person at the keyboard, and it is not a substitute for your system's own audit trail and electronic signatures.
Try it on your own bench
The demo moves a sample file between two of your own devices, end to end, including both signed records. Nothing is uploaded.