Automation in the Clinical Laboratory

Abstract

Total laboratory automation (TLA) is an approach to laboratory instrumentation that replaces human operators with robotic devices for the performance of highly repetitive tasks in the preparation and transport of specimens. TLA will consolidate the control and oversight for multiple different analytical instruments to a smaller number of operators, thus reducing the costs of labor in laboratory testing. Benefits of TLA include reduction of human errors in specimen handling and improvements in overall process control, including faster turn‐around‐times (TAT) from specimen collection to test result reporting. Possible detriments include very high costs for equipment installation and disruption of workforces trained in existing technologies. Most clinical laboratories will soon face a decision about implementing TLA (or portions of it) to reduce operating costs in order to offset falling reimbursements for medical services.

Optimization on reagent-loading manner for modular clinical chemistry analyzer series: simulations and verifications

“…For a better evaluation, the total clinical process has been separated into the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phase. Meanwhile, TAT has also been defined as a quality indicator in laboratory medicine clinical process, and it can be further subdivided into the pre-analytical related TAT and analytical related TAT depending on points in the total testing process [1]. Pre-analytical related TAT includes the points from the moment that the clinicians confirm the test panel to the moment that the sample is ready for test.…”

Optimization on reagent-loading manner for modular clinical chemistry analyzer series: simulations and verifications

“…For a better evaluation, the total clinical process has been separated into the pre-analytical, analytical and postanalytical phase. Meanwhile, turnaround time (TAT) has also been defined as a quality indicator in laboratory medicine clinical process, and it can be further subdivided into the pre-analytical related TAT and analytical related TAT depending on points in the total testing process [1]. Pre-analytical related TAT includes the points from the moment that the clinicians confirm the test panel to the moment that the sample is ready for test.…”