bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and implementation of industrialized, fully automated high throughput screening systems
Authors: Carvalho Benjamin G.
Published: March 2007

Automation has long been a resource for high‐throughput screening at Bristol‐Myers Squibb. However, with growing deck sizes and decreasing time lines, a new generation of more robust, supportable automated systems was necessary for accomplishing high‐throughput screening goals. Implementation of this new generation of automated systems required numerous decisions concerning hardware, software and the value of in‐house automation expertise. This project has resulted in fast, flexible, industrialized automation systems with a strong in‐house support structure that we believe meets our current high‐throughput screening requirements and will continue to meet them well into the future.
Auto‐analysis system for graphite morphology of grey cast iron
Authors: Jiang Hong , Tan Yiyong , Lei Junfeng , Zeng Libo , Zhang Zelan , Hu Jiming
Published: March 2007

The current method to classify graphite morphology types of grey cast iron is based on traditional subjective observation, and it cannot be used for quantitative analysis. Since microstructures have a great effect on the mechanical properties of grey cast iron and different types have totally different characters, six types of grey cast iron are discussed and an image‐processing software subsystem that performs the classification and quantitative analysis automatically based on a kind of composed feature vector and artificial neural network (ANN) is described. There are three kinds of texture features: fractal dimension, roughness and two‐dimension autoregression, which are used as an extracted feature input vector of ANN classifier. Compared with using only one, the checkout correct precision increased greatly. On the other hand, to achieve the quantitative analysis and show the different types clearly, the region segmentation idea was applied to the system. The percentages of the regions with different type are reported correctly. Furthermore, this paper tentatively introduces a new empirical method to decide the number of ANN hidden nodes, which are usually considered as a difficulty in ANN structure decision. It was found that the optimum hidden node number of the experimental data was the same as that obtained using the new method.
Multicommuted flow system for the determination of glucose in animal blood serum exploiting enzymatic reaction and chemiluminescence detection
Authors: Pires Cherrine K. , Martelli Patrícia B. , Reis Boaventura F. , Lima José L. F. C. , Saraiva Maria Lúcia M. F. S.
Published: March 2007

An automatic flow procedure based on multicommutation dedicated for the determination of glucose in animal blood serum using glucose oxidase with chemiluminescence detection is described. The flow manifold consisted of a set of three‐way solenoid valves assembled to implement multicommutation. A microcomputer furnished with an electronic interface and software written in Quick BASIC 4.5 controlled the manifold and performed data acquisition. Glucose oxidase was immobilized on porous silica beads (glass aminopropyl) and packed in a minicolumn (15 } 5 mm). The procedure was based on the enzymatic degradation of glucose, producing hydrogen peroxide, which oxidized luminol in the presence of hexacyanoferrate(III), causing the chemiluminescence. The system was tested by analysing a set of serum animal samples without previous treatment. Results were in agreement with those obtained with the conventional method (LABTEST Kit) at the 95% confidence level. The detection limit and variation coefficient were estimated as 12.0 mg l−1 (99.7% confidence level) and 3.5% (n = 20), respectively. The sampling rate was about 60 determinations h−1 with sample concentrations ranging from 50 to 600 mg l−1 glucose. The consumptions of serum sample, hexacyanoferrate(III) and luminol were 46 μl, 10.0 mg and 0.2 mg/determination, respectively.
Application of a catalytic combustion sensor (Pellistor) for the monitoring of the explosiveness of a hydrogen‐air mixture in the upper explosive limit range
Authors: Krawczyk M. , Namiesnik J.
Published: March 2007

A new technique is presented for continuous measurements of hydrogen contamination by air in the upper explosive limit range. It is based on the application of a catalytic combustion sensor placed in a cell through which the tested sample passes. The air content is the function of the quantity of formed heat during catalytic combustion of hydrogen inside the sensor. There is the possibility of using the method in industrial installations by using hydrogen for cooling electric current generators.
Automated analyser for monitoring the contents of hydrocarbons in gas emitted from exploratory bore‐holes in the gas and oil industry
Authors: Janicki Wacław , Chrzanowski Wojciech , Żwan Paweł , Namieśnik Jacek
Published: March 2007

An automated analyser for total hydrocarbon contents and hydrocarbon composition (from methane to pentanes) was constructed and tested in both laboratory and field exploitation. It used two‐channel analysis: continuous measurements of total hydrocarbon contents and periodic (90 or 150 s) composition analysis after separation of hydrocarbons on a gas chromatographic column. Flame ionization detectors were used in both channels. A simple 16‐bit analogue‐to‐digital converter was used (4.8, practically four orders of magnitude), while the full measuring range (six orders of magnitude) was ensured by automatic dilution of the sample (or standard) with clean air. Full control of the operating (calibration/analyses) cycle was performed by microcomputer. An external programme, based on a computer provided with full information on the instrument operating conditions, presents the results of calibrations/analyses and enables them to be archived in a standard database used in the oil/gas drilling industry (N‐LAB) by providing a suitable link. The instrument measuring range was 1 ppm to 100% with precision not worse than 5% at the detection limit. The analyser can operate autonomously for two months, recalibrating itself daily.
Automated processing of whole blood samples into microliter aliquots of plasma
Authors: Burtis C. A. , Johnson W. W. , Walker W. A.
Published: March 2007

A rotor that accepts and automatically processes a bulk aliquot of a single blood sample into multiple aliquots of plasma has been designed and built. The rotor consists of a central processing unit, which includes a disk containing eight precision‐bore capillaries. By varying the internal diameters of the capillaries, aliquot volumes ranging 1 to 10 µl can be prepared. In practice, an unmeasured volume of blood is placed in a centre well, and, as the rotor begins to spin, is moved radially into a central annular ring where it is distributed into a series of processing chambers. The rotor is then spun at 3000 rpm for 10 min. When the centrifugal field is removed by slowly decreasing the rotor speed, an aliquot of plasma is withdrawn by capillary action into each of the capillary tubes. The disk containing the eight measured aliquots of plasma is subsequently removed and placed in a modifed rotor for conventional centrifugal analysis. Initial evaluation of the new rotor indicates that it is capable of producing discrete, microliter volumes of plasma with a degree of accuracy and precision approaching that of mechanical pipettes.
Automated serum chloride analysis using the Apple computer
Authors: Taylor Paul J. , Bouska Rosalie A.
Published: March 2007

Chloride analysis employing a coulometric technique is a wellestablished method. However, the equipment needed is specialized and somewhat expensive. The purpose of this paper is to report the development of the hardware and software to perform this analysis using an Apple computer to control the coulometric titration, as well as to automate it and to print out the results.

The Apple computer is used to control the flow of current in a circuit, which includes silver and platinum electrodes where the following reactions take place:

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The generated silver ions then react with the chloride ion in the sample to form AgCl.

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When all of the chloride ion has been titrated, the concentration of silver ions in solution increases rapidly, which causes an increase in the current between two silver microelectrodes. This current is converted to a voltage and amplified by a simple circuit. This voltage is read by the analogue‐to‐digital converter. The computer stops the titration and calculates the chloride ion content of the sample. Thus, the computer controls the apparatus, records the data, and reacts to the data to terminate the analyses and prints out the results and messages to the analyst.

Analysis of standards and reference sera indicate the method is rapid, accurate and precise. Application of this apparatus as a teaching aidfor electronics to chemistry and medical students is also described.
Immobilized enzymes in flow‐injection analysis: present and trends
Authors: Ruz J. , Lázaro F. , de Castro M. D. Luque
Published: March 2007

An overview of the use of immobilized enzymes in flow‐injection analysis (FIA) is presented. The joint use of FIA and immobilized enzymes means that analytical procedures are easily automated, analytical costs are reduced and methods are faster. The future possibilities for this combination are discussed.
A novel approach to non‐segmented flow analysis. Part 2. A prototype high‐performance analyser
Authors: Malcolme-Lawes D. J. , Pasquini C.
Published: March 2007

A high‐performance continuous flow analyser is described, based on gas pressure driven carrier and reagents controlled by computer switched solenoid valves. The principal characteristics of the analyser are discussed and examples of its performance are provided in the form of results obtained using a standard procedure for the determination of Cr(VI). The system was also tested in use with real samples using an ammonium ion analysis on potable and effluent water samples, and the results compared with those obtained using a segmented continuous flow method operated at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist.
Evaluation of the Coulter Counter S‐Plus VI
Authors: Banfi Giuseppe , Pontillo Marina , Notti Paola , Bonini Pierangelo
Published: March 2007

This article reports an evaluation of the Coulter Counter model S‐Plus VI automatic analyser for haematology, and data are presented on linearity, carry‐over, precision, accuracy and stability of the instrument, when compared with a model S‐Plus IV/D.

The three‐part differential count provided by Coulter S‐Plus VI has been compared with manual eye counting. The results show a good agreement with only 2.5% of discrepancies in 2271 routine samples.

Advantages of the new instrument include: reduction of running costs, largely due to manpower saving; simple and easy use, and improved operator safety, there being no need for human contact with blood.
Automated continuous monitoring of inorganic and total mercury in wastewater and other waters by flow‐injection analysis and cold‐vapour atomic absorption spectrometry
Authors: Birnie S. E.
Published: March 2007

An automated continuous monitoring system for the determination of inorganic and total mercury by flow‐injection analysis followed by cold‐vapour atomic absorption spectrometry is described. The method uses a typical flow‐injection manifold where digestion and reduction of the injected sample takes place. Mercury is removed by aeration from the flowing stream in a specially designed air‐liquid separator and swept into a silica cell for absorption measurement at a wavelength of 253.7 nm. A calibration curve up to 10 µg Hg ml-1 using three different path length cells is obtained with a detection limit of 0.02 µg Hg ml-1. The sampling rate of an injection every 3 min produces 20 results per hour from a flowing stream.
Adaptation of a cold vapour mercury analyser to flow injection analysis
Authors: Pasquini Celio , Jardim Wilson F. , de Faria Lourival C.
Published: March 2007

Minor modifications to a Coleman MAS‐50A Mercury Analyser System allowed the determination of mercury by flow injection analysis. Using sample volumes of 600 µl it was possible to analyse up to 120 samples per hour, with a detection limit of 0.2 µg. l-1 (120 pg) of mercury. The authors also report on a simple digestion procedure which replaces the time‐ and reagent‐consuming EPA procedure, when the sample content permits.
A novel approach to non‐segmented flow analysis: Part 3. Nitrate, nitrite and ammonium in waters
Authors: Malcolme-Lawes D. J. , Pasquini C.
Published: March 2007

A high‐performance continuous‐flow analyser is used for the analysis of nitrate, nitrite and ammonium ion in potable waters. The results demonstrate that (1) the analyser allows the sequential determination of a number of analytes without requiring modification to the manifold; (2) the use of programmed slicing of the reaction mixture allows a wide range of analyte concentrations to be handled; and (3) that the sensitivity achieved compares favourably with the best available from conventional flow‐injection analysis. The limits of detection were found to be 5 ppb for NH4+, 30 ppb for NO3-, and 4 ppb for NO2-.
An evaluation of the Monarch chemistryanalyser
Authors: Berry D. J. , Price C. P.
Published: March 2007

The Monarch Chemistry system, a centrifugal analyser incorporating
sophisticated robotics for analytical rotor transfer and flexible
software for workload scheduling, has been evaluated. The optical
system is capable of monitoring absorbance, fluorescence and light
scattering reactions. In addition, an ion selective electrode unit may
be incorporated for the measurement of sodium, potassium and
chloride.

The precision, accuracy, linearity, calibration stability and
carry‐over were investigated for 19 routine chemistries. The
within‐batch and between‐day precision data were good in the
majority of cases; some chemistries demonstrated poor performance
at low analyte concentrations. Method comparison studies showed
good agreement, with small discrepancies being due to different
calibration material and methodological differences. Major discrepancies
were found with CK and LD; linearity studies were
good in all cases, except calcium. No significant sample or reagent
carry‐over was found.

Assessment of throughput for a variety of test profiles varied
between 300 and 605 tests per hour.

The instrument was easy to operate, very flexible and capable of
handling a large and varied workload.
Design and operation of an autosamplercontrolled flow‐injection preconcentrationsystem for lead determination by flameatomic absorption spectrometry
Authors: Bysouth S. R. , Tyson J. F. , Stockwell P. B.
Published: March 2007

Flow‐injection manifolds are described which allow the preconcentration
of lead for flame atomic absorption determinations, using
columns contained within the sample loop of an injection valve. An
interface was designed which allowed the valves and pump in the
system to be controlled by an autosampler which enabled precise
timing of preconcentration and elution steps. The effects of sample
flow rate, buffer pH and buffer type for preconcentration and
eluent concentration and flow rate were investigated in order to
obtain optimum performance of the system. A 50‐times improvement
in detection limits over conventional sample introduction was
obtained for a sample volume of approximately 12 ml, preconcentrated for
150 s. The injection of eluent, as opposed to the use of a
continuously flowing eluent stream, enabled this reagent to be
conserved.
Patterns in clinical chemistry requests
Authors: Hemel Jan B. , Hindriks Frans R. , van der Voet Hilko , Rijnveld Leo R.
Published: March 2007

For each patient sample that is presented to the clinical chemistry
laboratory a combination of various tests can be requested. This
combination or profile will depend on the condition of the patient,
and hence also on the requesting hospital department. Several
techniques were applied to detect and describe patterns in tests
requested by the cardiology, hepatology and nephrology sections of
the out‐patient′s Department for Internal Medicine. Comparison
of the frequencies of ordering the tests showed significant
differences between these sections. Cluster analysis and multidimensional
scaling were used to show similarities and differences
in the test profiles that were used by the sections. These techniques
are useful for generating hypotheses, but the statistical significance
of the clustering found is difficult to assess.
Decision‐theoretical formulation of thecalibration problem
Authors: Kárný Miroslav , Hangos Katalin M.
Published: March 2007

The choice of calibration policy is of basic importance in analytical
chemistry. A prototype of the practical calibration problem is
formulated as a mathematical task and a Bayesian solution of the
resulting decision problem is presented. The optimum feedback
calibration policy can then be found by dynamic programming. The
underlying parameter estimation and filtering are solved by
updating relevant conditional distributions. In this way: the
necessary information is specified (for instance, the need for
knowledge of the probability distribution of unknown samples is
clearly recognized as the conceptually unavoidable informational
source); the relationship of the information gained from a
calibration experiment to the ultimate goal of calibration, i.e., to
the estimation of unknown samples, is explained; an ideal solution
is given which can serve for comparing various ways of calibration;
and a consistent and conceptually simple guideline is given for
using decision theory when solving problems of analytical chemistry
containing uncertain data. The abstract formulation is systematically
illustrated by an example taken from gas chromatography.
An evaluation of osmolality measurement byfreezing point depression usingmicro‐amounts of sample
Authors: Koumantakis G. , Wyndham L. E.
Published: March 2007

An evaluation of the Advanced micro‐osmometer is presented. This
instrument has been shown to have an excellent analytical precision
(within‐run CV = 0.59%, between‐day CV = 0.58%). It is
accurate over an analytical range of 0‐2000 mmol/kg of osmolality
shown by linearity studies and split sample correlations against
vapour pressure osmometry, freezing point osmometry and an
external quality assurance programme. Analytical errors due to
operator technique are almost eliminated because of good instrument
design. Preliminary results on whole‐blood osmolality are included.
The required sample size of 20 μl permits osmolality measurements
on most clinical samples. It is concluded that the Advanced
micro‐osmometer satisfies laboratory requirements.
Guidelines (1988) for training in clinicallaboratory management
Authors: de Cediel N. , Fraser C. G. , Deom A. , Josefsson L. , Worth H. G. J. , Zinder O.
Published: March 2007

Trainees in laboratory medicine must develop skills in laboratory
management. Guidelines are detailed for laboratory staff in
training, directors responsible for staff development and professional
bodies wishing to generate material appropriate to their
needs. The syllabus delineates the knowledge base required and
includes laboratory planning and organization, control of operations,
methodology and instrumentation, data management and
statistics, financial management, clinical use of tests, communication,
personnel management and training and research and
development. Methods for achievement of the skills required are
suggested. A bibliography of IFCC publications and other
material is provided to assist in training in laboratory management.
Computerized cyclic voltammetric detectionafter HPLC of the antineoplastic agentsetoposide, teniposide, adriamycin and itsmetabolite adriamycinol in urine samples
Authors: Ploegmakers H. H. J. L. , Moritz P. A. , Toll P. J. M. M. , van Oort W. J.
Published: March 2007

A computerized electrochemical detection system for application
after HPLC, provided with a cyclic voltammetric oxidative and
reductive module, is described for the on‐line qualitative determination
of electroactive antineoplastic agents and metabolites in urine
samples, collected from cancer patients, following intravenous
administration.

The application of two cyclic voltammetric detection modes
provides an insight into both oxidative and reductive electrode
reactions of compounds, passing the detector and the occurrence of
(it)reversible chemical and electrochemical processes at the electrode
surface. In this way, redox properties of drugs and metabolites
characteristic of their molecular structure, can be established, which
may provide information related to their (enzymatic) bioactivation.

In the cyclic voltammetric mode, the system permits automatic
detection of a compound in the cell, recording, storage and plotting
of voltammograms and calculation of the retention times, the
half‐wave potentials and the peak potentials of each scan of all
individual compounds. For routine use, storage of 68 voltammograms
on‐line is sufficient for the analysis of biological samples in
clinical‐pharmacological research. Special attention has been paid
to automatic, multi‐reference‐point component detection.

Based on their concentrations in urine, the oxidative cyclic
voltammetric mode, using a glassy carbon electrode, permits the
determination of etoposide and teniposide, whereas the reductive
cyclic voltammetric mode, with a static mercury drop electrode,
permits the determination of adriamycin and its metabolite
adriamycinol.
Effects of system tuning and RAM disk onthe performance of a clinical laboratoryinformation system
Authors: Eggert Arthur A. , Emmerich Kenneth A. , Blankenheim Thomas J. , Smulka Gary J.
Published: March 2007

Improvements in the performance of a laboratory computer system
do not necessarily require the replacement of major portions of the
system and may not require the acquisition of any hardware at all.
Major bottlenecks may exist in the ways that the operating system
manages its resources and the algorithm used for timesharing
decisions. Moreover, significant throughput improvements may be
attainable by switching to a faster storage device if substantial disk
activity is performed. In this study the fractions of time used for
each of the types of tasks a laboratory computer system performs
(e.g. applications programs, disk transfer, queue cycler) are
defined and measured. Methods for reducing the time fractions of
the various types of overhead are evaluated by doing before and after
studies. The combined results of the three studies indicated that a
50% improvement could be gained through system tuning and
faster storage without replacement of the computer itself
Performance of a reflectometric techniquefor serum alanine aminotransferasedeterminations
Authors: Keen J. W. M.
Published: March 2007

The Ames Seralyzer uses solid phase chemistry coupled with
reflectance spectroscopy to measure levels of serum alanine
aminotransferase (serum ALT). The study reported here was
carried out to evaluate the performance of the Seralyzer method
compared to conventional analyses carried out on a Coulter Dacos
discrete random access analyser using Boehringer (BCL) reagents
conforming to SCE specications at 37° C. Clinically acceptable
accuracy and precision were obtained. The effect of bilirubin and
haemoglobin on the test was investigated. Increased levels of
bilirubin in sera did not affect the estimation but the presence of
high haemoglobin levels produced significant interference. The
overall practicality of the Seralyzer was assessed and the method
was found to be particularly suitable for the estimation of urgent or
high risk samples in the laboratory or for use by suitably trained
personnel in other clinical areas.
Calibration and measurement control basedon Bayes statistics
Authors: Hangos Katalin M. , Leisztner László , Kárný Miroslav
Published: March 2007

The Bayesian methodology described in this paper has the inherent
capability of choosing, from calibration‐type curves, candidates
which are plausible with respect to measured data, expert
knowledge and theoretical models (including the nature of the
measurement errors). The basic steps of Bayesian calibration are
reviewed and possible applications of the results are described in
this paper. A calibration related to head‐space gas chromatographic
data is used as an example of the proposed method. The
linear calibration case has been treated with a log‐normal
distributed measurement error. Such a treatment of noise stresses the
importance of modelling the random constituents of any problem.
Assessment of recently developed blood gasanalysers: a multicentre evaluation
Authors: Gouget B. , Gourmelin Y. , Feuillu A. , Blanchet F. , Capolaghi B. , Lagente M. , Lardet G. , Manceaux J. C. , Truchaud A.
Published: March 2007

Providing guidelines for testing expected inaccuracy and imprecision
is still a matter under debate. The Expert Panel of the French
Society of Clinical Chemistry has developed a protocol, which was
based on a comparative multi‐centre evaluation of four instruments:
the Ciba‐Corning 278, the Instrumentation Laboratory 1306, the
Nova SP 5 and the ABL 330. The purpose was to evaluate the
analytical performance and efficiency of the analysers. Another aim
was to design a valid approach for evaluating any new system. As
buffered aqueous solutions and fluorocarbon emulsions give only
partial information, tonometered blood was used at different levels
of gas mixture, even though it is both difficult and time‐consuming.
Comparisons have been established on patients′ blood samples with
the analysers currently used in the evaluation sites. The tests showed
that the four analysers have the same degree of precision, and interinstrument
comparisons demonstrated a very high degree of
reliability.

This analysis emphasizes that the evaluation of instruments for
pH and blood gas analysis is neither easy nor is it often done,
mainly due to the choice of a quality‐control material and the
lability of the measured parameters.
Automated HPLC monitoring of brothcomponents on bioreactors
Authors: Favre Eric , Pugeaud Patrick , Raboud Jean Philippe , Péringer Paul
Published: March 2007

Under proper operating conditions, a low dead volume continuous
filtration module operated on biological broths (yeast and bacteria
suspensions in stirred reactors) still fulfills the flow‐rate requirements
of an analytical apparatus (for example HPLC or FIA)
without membrane regeneration. The filtrate stream has been
successfully connected to a bioreactor in order to perform the
automated HPLC analysis of broth components. The monitoring of
the carbon source (lactose), and minor products (glycerol, acetate
and succinate) during a yeast culture (Kluyveromyces marxianus) is shown.
Correlation of fasting blood glucose and haemoglobin A1c measured with an automated analyser
Authors: Furota Akira , Miyagawa Teikichi , Tsuda Izumi , Tatsumi Noriyuki
Published: March 2007

A subtype of glycohaemoglobin, haemoglobin (Hb) A1c, in specimens of whole blood was assayed on a new automated analyser that makes use of high‐pressure liquid chromatography. The analyser provided precise and reproducible values. The mean of the HbA1c values was lower than that with an older instrument. The mean tended to increase with the age of the subjects, who were undergoing routine health examinations. No sex difference was found. When measurement was made 1 h after the subjects drank 50g of glucose, the value of HbA1c was unaffected. Correlation was strong between the HbA1c value and the fasting blood glucose value, which suggested that fasting blood glucose could be estimated from the HbA1c value.
Automatic determination of malate dehydrogenase activity with a flow‐injection multidetection system
Authors: Fernández-Romero J. M. , de Castro M. D. Luque
Published: March 2007

An automatic flow‐injection method for the determination of malate dehydrogenase activity is proposed. The manifold used includes a selecting valve for closing the circuit along which the reacting plug is continuously circulated, and passed through the flow‐cell of a conventional spectrophotometer, inserted into the closed circuit. A multipeak recording is obtained, each peak corresponding to one passage of the plug through the flow‐cell. This recording allows the sensitivity to be modified, as required, using different types of measurements (for example, absorbance of the maxima or minima and absorbance differences between maxima or minima or their sums). The activity of the analyte can be determined in the range 0.02‐2.00 U/l, with an r.s.d, of less than 0.90% at a sampling rate between 11 and 65 samples/h. The applicability of the method was checked by applying it to human serum samples. Analyte recoveries between 96 and 103% were obtained.
The role of flow injection analysis within the framework of an automated laboratory
Authors: Stockwell Peter B.
Published: March 2007

Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) was invented at roughly the same time by two quite dissimilar research groups [1,2]. FIA was patented by both groups in 1974; a year also marked by the publication of the first book on automatic chemical analysis [3]. This book was a major undertaking for its authors and it is hoped that it has added to the knowledge of those analysts attempting to automate their work or to increase the level of computerization/automation and thus reduce staffing commitments. This review discusses the role of FIA in laboratory automation, the advantages and disadvantages of the FIA approach, and the part it could play in future developments.

It is important to stress at the outset that the FIA approach is all too often closely paralleled with convention al continuous flow analysis (CFA). This is a mistake for many reasons, none the least of which because of the considerable success of the CFA approach in contrast to the present lack of penetration in the commercial market‐place of FIA instrumentation.
Comparison of two data interpretation programs in automated blood cell counters
Authors: Tsuda Izumi , Setoguchi Kazue , Tatsumi Noriyuki
Published: March 2007

Two data interpretation programs incorporated into two different automated blood cell counters were evaluated. The programs analysed size distribution histograms for screening for abnormal specimens. The messages given by the programs were ‘normal’, ‘abnormal’ and ‘suspect’. ‘Abnormal’ messages meant abnormalities in the values of the measured parameters. ‘Suspect’ messages were given when the histograms showed either a possibility of the existence of abnormal blood cells, or an abnormal level of such cells; re‐examination by a manual method was necessary for such specimens. For reference, the manual differential was done. The false‐negative rate for each kind of message was less than 10% and efficiency was about 90%. These programs were helpful in avoiding unnecessary manual observations in reducing the workload in a routine clinical laboratory.
Comment: Applications of robotics in the clinical laboratory
Authors: Castellani William J. , Lente Frederick Van , Chou David
Published: March 2007

The implementation of a robotic workstation in the clinical
laboratory involves considerations and compromises common to any instrument design and development activity. The trade‐off between speed and flexibility not only affects the way the instrument interacts with human operators and other devices (the ‘real‐world interface’), but also places limitations on the adaptation of chemistries to the given instrument. Mechanical optimization for speed and reproducibility places restrictions on the imprecision of consumables. Attempts to adapt a robot to a constrained system may entail compromises that either degrades the theoretically‐attainable quality of results, or requires human interaction to compensate for physical or mechanical limitations. The general considerations of function and workflow, programming and support, and reliability place practical limits on the implementation of robotic workstations in the clinical laboratory.
Evaluation of the Technicon Axon analyser
Authors: Martínez C. , Márquez M. , Cortés M. , Mercé J. , Rodriguez J. , González F.
Published: March 2007

An evaluation of the Technicon Axon analyser was carried out following the guidelines of the ‘Sociedad Española de Química Clínica’ and the European Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards.

A photometric study revealed acceptable results at both 340 nm and 404 nm. Inaccuracy and imprecision were lower at 404 nm than at 340 nm, although poor dispersion was found at both wavelengths, even at low absorbances. Drift was negligible, the imprecision of the sample pipette delivery system was greater for small sample volumes, the reagent pipette delivery system imprecision was acceptable and the sample diluting system study showed good precision and accuracy.

Twelve analytes were studied for evaluation of the analyser under routine working conditions. Satisfactory results were obtained for within‐run imprecision, while coefficients of variation for betweenrun imprecision were much greater than expected. Neither specimenrelated nor specimen‐independent contamination was found in the carry‐over study. For all analytes assayed, when comparing patient sample results with those obtained in a Hitachi 737 analyser, acceptable relative inaccuracy was observed.
A fully automatic system for acid‐base coulometric titrations
Authors: Cladera A. , Caro A. , Estela J. M. , Cerdà V.
Published: March 2007

An automatic system for acid‐base titrations by electrogeneration of H+ and OH- ions, with potentiometric end‐point detection, was developed. The system includes a PC‐compatible computer for instrumental control, data acquisition and processing, which allows up to 13 samples to be analysed sequentially with no human intervention.

The system performance was tested on the titration of standard solutions, which it carried out with low errors and RSD. It was subsequently applied to the analysis of various samples of environmental and nutritional interest, specifically waters, soft drinks and wines.
Detection, signal processing, and calibration In lmmunoassay systems
Authors: Bonini P. A. , Banfi G. , Pazzagli M. , Messeri G. , Roda A.
Published: March 2007

The new trends in immunochemistry related to the replacement of
radioisotopic labels with non‐radioactive labels are presented. Immunoenzymatic, fluorescent and chemiluminescent techniques are described in terms of their basic principles and their most common applications. The advantages of computer‐controlled calibration are also discussed.
Versatile IEEE‐488 data acquisition and control routines for a diode arrayspectrophotometer
Authors: Shiundu Paul M. , Wade Adrian P.
Published: March 2007

The UV‐visible diode array spectrophotometer is a work‐horse
instrument for many laboratories. This article provides simple data acquisition and control routines in Microsoft QuickBasic for a HP‐8452A diode array spectrophotometer interfaced to an IBM PC/XT/AT, or compatible, microcomputer. These allow capture of full spectra and measure absorbance at one or several wavelengths at preset time intervals. The variance in absorbance at each wavelength is available as an option.
The hydrolysis of proteins by microwave energy
Authors: Margolis Sam A. , Jassie Lois , Kingston H. M.
Published: March 2007

Microwave energy, at manually‐adjusted, partial power settings
has been used to hydrolyse bovine serum albumin at 125 °C. Hydrolysis was complete within 2 h, except for valine and isoleucine which were completely liberated within 4 h. The aminoacid destruction was less than that observed at similar hydrolysis
conditions with other methods and complete hydrolysis was achieved more rapidly. These results provide a basis for automating the process of amino‐acid hydrolysis.
Laboratory evaluation of the COBAS MIRA S random access analyser
Authors: Kanluan Taweesook , Intaramanee Srisanit , Tangvarasittichai Surapon , Tangvarasittichai Orathai , Suwanton Lerson , Manochiopinij Sudarat , Tantrarongroj Soontharee , Leangphibul Pimpan
Published: March 2007

The random access analyser COBAS MIRA S (Roche Diagnostics) was evaluated for two months. The instrument is a computer‐controlled discrete analyser which can be run in a combination profile and single test mode. This instrument has
special features, including an automatic cuvette segment changer, a reagent rack cooling system, an external keyboard and monitor, as well as a bar‐code facility for the entry of test parameters, worklists and sample identification numbers. Study of within‐run and
between‐run precision gave values of % CV 0.54‐3.37 and 0.61‐3.65, respectively, for a variety of assays. Linearity testing to the upper limit of each test was also studied and were found to cover the necessary pathological range. Within the two‐month period, no major problems were encountered. The instrument required minimum operator attention during operation. Correlation studies with the Hitachi 705 using six clinical chemistry tests (glucose,
cholesterol, triglyceride, ALP, AST, ALT) gave correlation coefficients ranging from 0.95‐0.99 and slopes of 0.91‐1.17.
Automation of photochemical kinetic determinations without irradiation of thedetection cell
Authors: Tena M. T. , de Castro M. D. Luque , Valcarcel M.
Published: March 2007

This paper reports on the development of an open‐closed
configuration for continuous kinetic methods based on photochemical reactions; the configuration removes the need to use special flow cells for simultaneous irradiation and detection. The sample plug was recirculated through a circuit including the detector and a coil irradiated with an ultra‐violet source. A multipeak recording per injected sample was obtained which allowed signal increments between peaks (whether successive or not) to be measured. The configuration was applied to the fluorimetric determination of
thioridazine. The log‐log calibration curve obtained was linear in the range over 0.1‐20.0 μg/ml of the analyte. The sampling frequencies achieved were between 24 and 13 h-1, depending on the peaks which were selected for measurement. The method was applied to the determination of the analyte in pharmaceuticals.
Editorial: The necessity of adult learning methods in programs of intensive study
Authors: Ferriter Mary E.
Published: March 2007

This article presents the educational methodologies that prove
effective in adult educational programmes of intensive study. The many facets of a quality educational programme are discussed and I will focus on four topics that any adult educational programme must have: an adult learner, an instructor of adults, a curriculum,
and a response to outside forces.

These topics become increasingly critical when one examines the components of technical education and, especially, an intensive training programme in laboratory automation systems. The adult will be discussed as a learner and the associated myths and
principles. Next, I will focus on the instructor and his/her necessary personal and professional qualities, including essential skills and psychological elements required. Aspects of curriculum will then be studied. The conventional and the innovative approaches to curriculum design, development, and delivery differ markedly. Development and delivery are so closely linked to the curriculum that both will be discussed under the one title of ‘curriculum’. The final discussion will focus on the outside forces that directly and indirectly affect adult education; since these are many, they are limited to a few salient ones.
A computer‐controlled data acquisition and analysis system for use in thecharacterization of plasma atomic emission sources
Authors: Shields James P. , Piepmeier Edward H.
Published: March 2007

The characterization of new spectroscopic plasma sources for use in
atomic emission spectroscopy often presents the need for information about the spatial emission characteristics of the source. In addition, information about the variation of the emission over time is often beneficial. It is also useful to be able to graphically see, in real‐time, the effects of varying a particular experimental parameter. This paper describes a flexible data acquisition system in which an echelle spectrometer is interfaced to an IBM‐PC compatible microcomputer. The FORTH‐based ASYST software, which proves real‐time display of acquired data, allows any point in the emission source to be imaged on the entrance slit of the spectrometer by using the cursor keys of the PC and a computer‐controlled mirror. The different acquisition modes of the system are illustrated
with examples of two‐dimensional spatial profiles of the plasma and monitoring of plasma stability over time. In addition, an illustration of the optimization of the echelle′s aperture plate and photomultiplier tube positions in the focal plane is presented.
A novel approach to non‐segmented flow analysis: Part 4. Aluminium in river waters
Authors: Malcolme-Lawes D. J. , Wong K. H.
Published: March 2007

A rapid and precise method is developed for the determination of
aluminium in water. The results demonstrate that the calibration range of the assay can be extended by a simple manipulation of the control program of the flow analyser. An RSD of 1.8% is achieved for injection of standards and the theoretical limit of detection is
estimated at 0.33 ppm alum (equivalent to 18 ppb Al3+). The
method is applied to monitoring of environmental samples.
CAEv–A program for computer aided evaluation
Authors: Bablok W. , Barembruch R. , Stockmann W. , Brauer P. , Graber P. , Michel R. , Vondersehmitt D.
Published: March 2007

The evaluation of new reagents and instruments in clinical chemistry leads to complex studies with large volumes of data, which are difficult to handle. This paper presents the design and development of a program that supports an evaluator in the
definition of a study, the generation of data structures, communication with the instrument (analyser), online and offline data capture and in the processing of the results. The program is called CAEv, and it runs on a standard PC under MS‐DOS. Version 1 of the
program was tested in a multicentre instrument evaluation. The concept and the necessary hardware and software are discussed. In addition, requirements for instrument/host communication are given. The application of the laboratory part of CAEv is described from the user′s point of view. The design of the program allows users a high degree of flexibility in defining their own standards with regard to study protocol, and/or experiments, without loss of performance. CAEv′s main advantages are a pre‐programmed study protocol, easy handling of large volumes of data, an immediate validation of the experimental results and the statistical evaluation of the data.
The effects of common matrices for assay standards on performance of ‘ultra sensitive’ immunometric assays for TSH: Report of a joint WHO/IFCC collaborative study
Authors: Gaines-Das R. E. , Bristow A. F. , Brettschneider H.
Published: March 2007

This report describes the results of a collaborative study organized by a joint working group of the IFCC and WHO and involving nine manufacturers of TSH immunometric assay kits. The study was designed to determine whether a calibrator with a common matrix gives better between‐laboratory agreement for calibration of serum samples than the various kit calibrators, and to assess various materials for their suitability for use as common matrices. Kit calibrators, or calibrators consisting of the IRP for TSH made up in two common matrices: (a) serum from patients with untreated thyrotoxicosis or (b) serum taken from subjects treated with suppressive doses of triiodothyronine, gave similar results for the between‐laboratory variation of estimates of TSH concentration for a range of serum samples. Dose‐response curves for the two calibrators in ‘common’ matrices were similar to one another and to those for the kit calibrator. However, the occurrence of non‐specific serum effects is shown by the comparison of results for these calibrators with results for calibrators made up in a third common matrix: serum treated with wheat germ lectin. Dose response curves for this calibrator were dissimilar to those for the other calibrators and between‐laboratory variation for estimates in terms of this latter calibrator showed a substantial increase. Moreover, although the between‐laboratory variances for estimates of the TSH concentration in terms of each of these calibrators (except those made up in serum treated with the wheat germ lectin) were similar for any one sample from five hyperthyroid patients, the variances were not consistent between samples, even for samples with similar mean TSH concentrations. These results suggest that a major factor in the between‐laboratory variation, especially in the region near ‘zero dose’, is sample‐related, and is caused by particular samples interacting differently with different assay systems.

In general, it would appear that for the well‐controlled ‘ultrasensitive’ TSH immunometric assay kits, included in this study, between‐laboratory agreement of estimates of the TSH concentration in serum samples is not likely to be substantially improved by use of a common matrix for the standards.
IFCC recommendation on sampling, transport and storage for the determinationof the concentration of ionized calcium in whole blood, plasma and serum
Authors: Boink A. B. T. J. , Buckley B. M. , Christiansen T. F. , Covington A. K. , Maas A. H. J. , Müller-Plathe O. , Sachs Ch. , Siggaard-Andersen O.
Published: March 2007

The substance concentration of ionized calcium (cCa2+) in blood, plasma or serum preanalytically may be affected by pH changes of the sample, calcium binding by heparin, and dilution by the anticoagulant solution.

pH changes in whole blood can be minimized by anaerobic sampling to avoid loss of Co2, by measuring as soon as possible, or by storing the sample in iced water to avoid lactic acid formation.
cCa2+ and pH should be determined simultaneously.

Plasma or serum: If centrifuged in a closed tube, and measured immediately, the pH of the sample will be close to the original value. If a delay has occurred between centrifugation and the measurement, causing substantial loss of Co2, equilibration of the sample with a gas mixture corresponding to pCO2= 5.3 kPa prior to the measurement is recommended. Conversion of the measured
values to cCa2+ (7.4) is only valid if the pH is in the range 7.2‐7.6.

Ca2+ binding by heparin can be minimized by using either of the
following:

(1) A final concentration of sodium or lithium heparinate of 15 IU/ml blood or less

(2) Calcium titrated heparin with a final concentration of less than 50 IU/ml blood.

Dilution effect can be avoided by use of dry heparin in capillaries or syringes. When heparin solutions are used, errors due to dilution or calcium binding can be reduced by using syringes with a heparin solution containing free calcium ions corresponding to the mean concentration of ionized calcium in normal plasma.

Conditions for blood collection, storage, and transport to avoid preanalytical errors are described in this paper.