A system for processing a sample comprising: a sample processing cartridge comprising: a substrate; a sample compartment supported on said substrate and configured to contain a fluid sample material; one or more process compartments (16a-16f) supported on said substrate and configured to contain a process material, wherein said sample compartment is connected or connectable to at least one process compartment; a first machine-readable information tag mounted on or embedded in said substrate and encoded with cartridge-identifying information and configured to be read by a device that is external to a sample processing instrument; and a second machine-readable information tag mounted on or embedded in said substrate and encoded with cartridge-identifying information corresponding to the cartridge-identifying information encoded in said first machine-readable information tag; a first tag reading device configured to read said first machine-readable information tag and to read a machine-readable sample identification tag placed on said cartridge; a first data processor element configured to associate information read from said first machine-readable information tag by said first tag reading device with information read from said machine-readable sample identification tag by said first tag reading device; a processing instrument configured to receive said sample processing cartridge; a second tag reading device operatively associated with the processing instrument and configured to read said second machine-readable information tag when a sample processing cartridge is placed in the processing instrument; and a second data processor element configured to compare the information read from said second machine-readable information tag by said second tag reading device with information read from said first machine-readable information tag by said first tag reading device to ensure the cartridge-identifying information contained in said first machine-readable information tag corresponds to the cartridge-identifying information contained in said second machine-readable information tag. a sample processing cartridge comprising: a substrate; a sample compartment supported on said substrate and configured to contain a fluid sample material; one or more process compartments (16a-16f) supported on said substrate and configured to contain a process material, wherein said sample compartment is connected or connectable to at least one process compartment; a first machine-readable information tag mounted on or embedded in said substrate and encoded with cartridge-identifying information and configured to be read by a device that is external to a sample processing instrument; and a second machine-readable information tag mounted on or embedded in said substrate and encoded with cartridge-identifying information corresponding to the cartridge-identifying information encoded in said first machine-readable information tag; a first tag reading device configured to read said first machine-readable information tag and to read a machine-readable sample identification tag placed on said cartridge; a first data processor element configured to associate information read from said first machine-readable information tag by said first tag reading device with information read from said machine-readable sample identification tag by said first tag reading device; a processing instrument configured to receive said sample processing cartridge; a substrate; a sample compartment supported on said substrate and configured to contain a fluid sample material; one or more process compartments (16a-16f) supported on said substrate and configured to contain a process material, wherein said sample compartment is connected or connectable to at least one process compartment; a first machine-readable information tag mounted on or embedded in said substrate and encoded with cartridge-identifying information and configured to be read by a device that is external to a sample processing instrument; and a second machine-readable information tag mounted on or embedded in said substrate and encoded with cartridge-identifying information corresponding to the cartridge-identifying information encoded in said first machine-readable information tag; a first tag reading device configured to read said first machine-readable information tag and to read a machine-readable sample identification tag placed on said cartridge; a first data processor element configured to associate information read from said first machine-readable information tag by said first tag reading device with information read from said machine-readable sample identification tag by said first tag reading device; a processing instrument configured to receive said sample processing cartridge; a second tag reading device operatively associated with the processing instrument and configured to read said second machine-readable information tag when a sample processing cartridge is placed in the processing instrument; and a second data processor element configured to compare the information read from said second machine-readable information tag by said second tag reading device with information read from said first machine-readable information tag by said first tag reading device to ensure the cartridge-identifying information contained in said first machine-readable information tag corresponds to the cartridge-identifying information contained in said second machine-readable information tag.