An automated analyser is a laboratory machine designed to measure different chemicals in a number of biological samples quickly, with minimal human assistance. Biochemistry laboratory at the University of Cologne. ...

The chemicals and other qualities of blood and other fluid measured may be useful in the diagnosis of disease.

Different methods of putting samples through have been invented, but usually involve placing test tubes of sample into racks, which can be moved along a track, or circular carousels that rotate to make the sample available. To protect the health and saftey of laboratory staff many analysers feature closed tube sampling to prevent workers from direct exposure to samples. A test tube (Sometimes culture tube) is a kind of laboratory glassware, composed of a fingerlike length of glass tubing, open at the top, sometimes with a rounded lip at the top, and a rounded U shaped bottom. ...

Samples can be processed in batches, or continuously.

Routine biochemistry analysers

These are machines that process the bulk of the samples going into a hospital or private medical laboratory. And the results should be out as quickly as possible. There will often be a method that can get urgent specimens moved more quickly through. A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a laboratory where tests are done on biological specimens in order to get information about the health of a patient. ...

The types of tests required are often enzyme levels (such as many of the liver function tests), ion levels (e.g. sodium and potassium), and other tell-tale chemicals (such as albumin or creatinine). Ribbon diagram of the catalytic perfect enzyme TIM. Factor D enzyme crystal prevents the immune system from inappropriately running out of control. ... Liver function tests (LFTs or LFs), are groups of clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give a doctor or other health professional information about the state of a patients liver. ... General Name, Symbol, Number sodium, Na, 11 Chemical series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 22. ... General Name, Symbol, Number potassium, K, 19 Chemical series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 39. ... You may be looking for albumen, or egg white. ... Creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine phosphate in muscle, and is usually produced at a fairly constant rate by the body (depending on muscle mass). ...

Simple ions are done with ion selective electrodes, that let one type of ion through, and measure voltage differences. Enzymes are measured by the rate they change one coloured substance to another; the results for enzymes are given as an activity, not a concentration of enzyme. Other tests use colorimetric changes to determine the concentration. An ion selective electrode (ISE) is an electrode designed to respond to only one type of ion. ... In the physical sciences, potential difference is the difference in potential between two points in a conservative vector field. ...

Turbidity (as created when an antibody reacts with a test compound) can also be measured with these machines. Schematic of antibody binding to an antigen An antibody is a protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects like bacteria and viruses. ...

Examples of these types of machines are:

• Hitachi 917
• Hitachi 912
• Abbott Aeroset
• Dade Dimension
• Beckman-Coulter LX
• Berkman Astra
• Dupont Automated Clinical Analyzer
• Kodak Ektachem 700
• Technicon AutoAnalyzer

The Hitachi 917 is a automated biochemistry analyser used by medical laboratories to process biological fluid specimens, such as urine, cerebrospinal fluid but most commonly, blood. ... AutoAnalyzer is an automated analyzer made by the Technicon Corporation, however, now that real AutoAnalyzers are a bit rare, the term has become to be used generically, much like a Hoover. ...

Immuno-based analysers

Because many substances (such as hormones or drugs) have no colour, and cannot cause another substance to change colour, antibodies must be used to detect them. A hormone (from Greek horman - to set in motion) is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells) to another. ... A drug is any substance that can be used to modify a chemical process or processes in the body, for example to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, enhance a performance or ability, or to alter states of mind. ...

The concentration of these compounds is often too low to cause a measurable increase in turbidity when bound to antibody, so other, more specialised, methods must be used. Turbidity standards of 10, 100, and 1000 NTU Turbidity is a cloudiness or haziness of water (or other liquid) caused by individual particles that are too small to be seen without magnification, thus being much like smoke in air. ...

Examples of these analysers include:

• DPC IMMULITE
• Abbott Axsym
• Elecsys
• ACS-180
• Abbott TDx
• Abbott Architect
• Beckman-Coulter Access

The Abbott Axsym The Abbott Axsym is a immunochemical automated analyser made by Abbott Laboratories. ...

Haematology analysers

These are used to perform full blood counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESRs) or coagulation tests. A full blood count (FBC) or complete blood count (CBC) is a test requested by a doctor or other medical professional that gives information about the cells in a patients blood. ... The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), also called a sedimentation rate, sed rate or Biernacki Reaction, is a non-specific measure of inflammation that is commonly used as a medical screening test. ... The coagulation of blood is a complex process during which blood forms solid clots. ...

Cell counters

Cell counting machines sample the blood, and analyse its cell populations using both electrical and optical techniques. Electrical analysis involves passing a dilute solution of the blood through an aperture across which an electrical current is flowing. The passage of cells through the current changes the impedance between the terminals (the Coulter principle}. A lytic reagent is added to the blood solution to selectively burst the red cells, leaving only white cells and platelets intact, then the solution is passed through a second detector. This allows the a differential count of RBCs against WBCs and platelets to be obtained. The Platelet count is easily separated from the WBC count by the smaller impedance spikes they produce in the detector due to their small volume. In electrical engineering, impedance is a measure for the manner and degree a component resists the flow of electrical current if a given voltage is applied. ...

Optical detection is utilised to gain a differential count of the populations of white cell types. A dilute suspension of cells is passed through a flow cell, which passes cells one at a time through a capillary tube past a laser beam. The reflectance, transmission and scattering of light from each cell is analysed by sophisticated software giving a numerical representation of the likely overall destibution of cell populations. Laser (US Air Force) A LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is an optical device which uses a quantum mechanical effect called stimulated emission (discovered by Einstein while researching the photoelectric effect) in order to generate a coherent beam of light from a lasing medium of controlled purity...

Reticulocyte counts can be performed by many analysers, but are just as often carried out manually by staining blood in a Merrett tube and performing a cell count under the microscope. Some analysers have a modular slide maker which is able to both produce a blood film of consistent quality and stain the film. Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells, that normally comprise about 1% of the red cells in the human body. ...

Examples of full blood count machines are:

• Sysmex XE-2100
• Beckman-Coulter Gen-S

An XE-2100 with no stainer attached. ...

Coagulometers

Automated coagulation machines or Coagulometers measure the ability of blood to clot by performing several types of tests including clotting screens, INRs, lupus anticoagulant screens and factor assays. INR may stand for: International normalized ratio, a laboratory test of blood coagulation the currency code for the Indian Rupee the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences the US Department of States Bureau of Intelligence and Research This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid...

Coagulometers require blood camples that have been taken in tubes containing trisodium citrate as an anticoagulant. These are used rather than EDTA anticoagulated tubes as the mechanism behind the anticoagulant effect is reversible by the addition of calcium ions to the solution. Depending on the test different substances can be added to the blood plasma to trigger a clotting reaction. The progress of clotting is measured optically by measuring the absorbance of a particular wavelength of light by the sample and how it changes over time. EDTA is the chemical compound ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, otherwise known as edetate or versene. ...

Coagulation machines include:

• Sysmex CA-1500
• Biomerieux MDA

Other haematology apparatus

Automatic ESR readers, while not strictly analysers, hold a rack of samples for an hour, then after an hour determine how far the red cells have fallen, by detecting levels with light beams. Red Teams or Red Cells are U.S. government parlance for teams or units designed to test the effectiveness of U.S. tactics or personnel. ...

As ESR tests become less popular they are being replaced by Plasma Viscosity tests. The advantage of this test over ESR is that less variables can affect the result so it can give a more direct impression of the plasma protein content of a sample. The analysers commonly work by drawing a small sample of plasma through a narrow capillary using a constant pressure and measuring the time taken for the sample to move a known distance.