PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Automation, Laboratory”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 793 records · Page 44Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Influence of blood collection in plastic vs. glass evacuated serum-separator tubes on hormone and tumour marker levels.

Introduction of preanalytical automation in our laboratory required the use of plastic blood collection tubes. Because of possible interference caused by adsorption of components to the plastic wall and because there is virtually no literature on this subject, we investigated the influence of collection of serum in plastic tubes on the results of nearly all our immunoassays for hormones and tumour markers. Blood from healthy volunteers was collected simultaneously in glass and plastic tubes, or sera prepared from blood collected in glass tubes were brought into the plastic tubes under investigation. Hormone and tumour marker levels were measured in the pairs thus obtained. Results were analysed using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed rank tests. We found small but statistically significant differences (p<0.05) between glass and plastic for free triiodothyronine, progesterone, prolactin, prostate-specific antigen and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A. Non-significant trends (0.05<p<0.15) were seen with alpha-foetoprotein, androstenedione, BR (an assay for carbohydrate antigen 15.3), human chorionic gonadotropin and testosterone. Passing and Bablok regression analysis, however, revealed no clinically relevant differences (slopes ranged from 0.89 for progesterone to 1.07 for pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, while intercepts were all small). We concluded that a switch to plastic blood collection tubes could occur without any implications for the interpretation of results.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1988

Rapid and inexpensive microdetermination of serum fructosamine results in diabetics, uraemics, diabetics with uraemia and healthy subjects.

This paper describes a simple, reliable and inexpensive method for rapid determination of serum fructosamine. The assay is based on commercially available reagents and utilizes equipment accessible in most laboratories (i.e. an automated ELISA-reader interfaced with an IBM computer). In contrast to HbA1c determination, the fructosamine method presented can be used in diabetes complicated by uraemia. In the clinically relevant measuring range, fructosamine is uninfluenced by serum albumin concentration in diabetics with or without uraemia. Eighty microlitres of non-haemolysed capillary serum suffices for a duplicate determination. One year's storage of normal serum induced no change in serum fructosamine estimates. s-Fructosamine in 18 healthy subjects was 2.1 +/- 0.3 mmol/l (mean +/- SD) in venous blood and 2.2 +/- 0.4 mmol/l in capillary blood. In diabetics 3.4 +/- 0.6 mmol/l and 3.3 +/- 0.6 mmol/l (n = 38) were found. The method is well-suited for routine use in the diabetic out-patient clinic.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Simultaneous detection of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) related antibodies by an immunochromatographic test method using synthesized oligonucleotide-bound protein probes, OligoFast].

An immunochromatographic test using synthesized oligonucleotide-bound protein probes, OligoFast (Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Tokyo) was developed and evaluated for simultaneous detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies related with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The color development of colloidal gold was visually read and easily interpretable for the respective antigen and antibody, positive or negative. When the performance panels of Boston Biomedica Inc. (BBI) for HBsAg and HCV-related antibodies were assayed, the results indicated; first, the most positive specimens with 1.2 IU/ml of HBsAg were correctly determined as positive, and secondly, all the positive specimens for HCV-related antibodies confirmed with Ortho RIBA 3.0 were consistently determined as positive and additional two undetermined specimens were interpreted as positive. However, when the seroconversion panel of BBI for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the seroconversion was delayed 20 to 30 days when compared to HBV DNA detection. When the clinical serum specimens were tested in comparison with the automated AxSYM (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, U.S.A.), both sensitivity and specificity were estimated to be 100% for HBsAg, and 91.3% and 99.0% for HCV-related antibodies, respectively. With these results, we can conclude that this newly developed immunochromatographic test will be applicable to simultaneous detection of HBsAg and HCV-related antibodies in a single device, and will be expected to be widely applied in a clinical setting.

Chromatography↗
PubMed2001

HTS Technologies--IBC Informa Conference.

In 1997, approximately US $6 billion were spent on worldwide screening technologies. The estimate for the total global market for high-throughput screening (HTS) products and services was about US $1.5 billion (source: Medical and Healthcare Marketplace Guide, 15th Edition, 1999-2000). Genomics and combinatorial chemistry demand a technological shift away from present-day laboratory to fully automated HTS and ultra HTS (uHTS), with over 100,000 compounds screened per day. The potential of new technology in miniaturization and automation will ensure faster and cheaper solutions to discovery. The conference explored the rapidly advancing field of HTS and examined numerous areas of HTS application. Identification and prioritization of viable targets, and the development of 'information rich' screens without reducing screening capacity, are important topics. Furthermore, the essential integration of all these screening, analytical and parallel synthesis systems in one coherent process is considered to be of significant interest. Focused sessions addressed the rapidly advancing areas of ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination), toxicity and formulation screening, including virtual 'in silico' screening.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1987

Time-resolved immunofluorometric assay for the ovarian carcinoma-associated antigenic determinant CA 125 in serum.

A time-resolved immunofluorometric assay (IFMA) is described for quantifying the ovarian carcinoma-associated antigenic determinant CA 125 in human serum. Monoclonal antibody to CA 125 is immobilized onto a microtiter well, and the same antibody labeled with a europium chelate is used as a tracer. After the immunoreaction the bound portion of the labeled antibody is quantified by dissociating the Eu3+ in a fluorescence-enhancement solution and measuring its fluorescence with a time-resolved fluorometer. The detection limit of the IFMA is 1.5 arb. units/mL, being about the same as that of a commercially available immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) for CA 125 (1.4 arb. units/mL). The analytical range of the IFMA extends to 2000 arb. units/mL, whereas the range of the IRMA is 500 arb. units/mL. For 29 serum samples from ovarian-cancer patients measured simultaneously in the IFMA and IRMA, orthogonal regression analysis gave the equation CA 125 (IFMA) = 0.9937 CA 125 (IRMA) - 1.211 arb. units/mL (Syx = 6.8681, r = 0.9932). Apparently, the IFMA for CA 125 is a convenient alternative to the IRMA for CA 125 because of short counting times, the use of nonradioactive, stable reagents, and the much-extended measuring range. Additionally, the microtiter format should lend itself to more fully automated procedures in laboratories doing many such analyses.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMed1989

An evaluation and survey of enzyme immunoassay and fluorometric enzyme immunoassay tests for TSH and HCG.

Assays for human choriogonadotropin (HCG) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) have typically been performed using radioisotopic procedures. Two newer, nonradioisotopic approaches, enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and fluorometric enzyme immunoassay (FEI), were evaluated for the determination of HCG and TSH. Two TSH EIA assays (Abbott, Hybritech) and one FEI assay (Dade) were compared with each other and an immunoradiometric (IRMA) assay. The FEI assay performed better than the EIA assays with a sensitivity of 0.3 microIU/ml, within-run closing volumes (CVs) of less than 4.5%, and a carryover of 0.7%. All of the assays correlated well with each other and the IRMA assay. Three HCG EIA assays (Abbott, Hybritech, Roche) and one FEI assay (Dade) were evaluated. Again, the FEI assay performed better than the EIA assays with a sensitivity of 1.3 mIU/ml, within-run CVs of 4.0% or less, and a carryover of 1.7%. The new generation of nonradioisotopic assays offers performance comparable to radioisotopic assays coupled with various degrees of automation. A clinical laboratory may not only take advantage of these methods but can choose an assay system that is well suited to its particular requirements.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗
PubMed1989

Efficacy of a home made quality control serum.

With increasing automation in Clinical Laboratories, the requirements for quality control material have greatly increased in order to monitor performance. The constant use of commercial control material is not economically feasible for many countries because of non-availability or the high cost of these materials. Here we describe a simple technique to prepare Home Made Quality Control serum using blood from polycythaemic patients. This preparation is stable for about six months without any alterations in the concentration of any of the chemical constituents. Extensive use of Home Made Quality Control sera in our laboratories have saved about 69% of the amount spent on the commercial material without any compromise in quality of the laboratory performance.

Blood↗
PubMed1981

Precision of "high-performance" liquid-chromatographic assays with sample pretreatment. Error analysis for the Technicon "FAST-LC" system.

A comprehensive theory has been presented elsewhere (Anal. Chem. 53: 877-884, 1981) for the various contributions to assay imprecision in procedures that are based on sample extraction followed by "high-performance" liquid chromatography. Experimental data (1800 assays, 8400 results) for the Technicon FAST-LC system are used with this theory in an effort to understand and control the precision of clinical-laboratory procedures, both automated and manual. This study provides specific conclusions and recommendations on matters such as: standardization procedures and protocols, physical properties requires in internal standards, the relative importance of different sources of imprecision and means for improving precision, the relative importance of temperature control in pretreatment and liquid-chromatographic analysis, and the precision obtainable with small sample volumes or with samples containing very low concentrations of analyte (e.g., in assays for free drugs). Automation evidently can lead to twofold greater assay precision, other factors being equal, for liquid-chromatographic procedures that include sample pretreatment. Similarly, internal standardization, properly applied, can decrease assay imprecision by twofold.

Anticonvulsants↗
PubMed1996

[Comparative human pharmacokinetic studies of 20 mg nifedipine-containing Cordaflex and Adalat film coated retared tablets].

Comparative pharmacokinetic studies have been carried out with two 20 mg nifedipine active substance-containing retard film coated tablets, Cordaflex produced by EGIS Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. and Adalat of Bayer AG. The pharmacokinetic parameters and the relative bioavailability were determined in 15 and 16 healthy male volunteers, respectively after single and repeated administration in open, randomized cross over study. The plasma concentration of nifedipine was determined by HPLC-ED method, using laboratory robot for automated sample preparation. On the basis of graphical and statistical comparison of the pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC0-infinity, AUCss,0-tau, tmax, Cmax, Css,min, Css,av, MRT, etc.) calculated from the time-plasma concentration curve, moreover on the basis of clinical results, there was no significant difference between the two preparations. In conclusion, the relative bioavailability of Cordaflex and Adalat 20 mg retard tablets did not show significant difference after single and repeated administration.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1997

Reliability of four methods for the diagnosis of acute infection by Epstein-Barr virus.

We studied the reliability of new indirect tests in the diagnosis of acute infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Studied for all samples were method 1, the heterophil antibodies (Abs) (Monolatex, Biokit, Germany); method 2, the IgM Abs to EBV with ELISA tests (antigen pools, Enzygnost, Behring-werke, Germany); method 3, EA (Biotest Diagnostics, Germany); and method 4, the IgG avidity test. The reliability of the four tests for the detection of primary infection by EBV was: sensitivity (method 1: 89.1%; method 2: 100%; method 3: 79.7%; method 4: 99%); specificity (method 1: 98%; method 2: 100%; method 3: 84%; method 4: 100%); positive predictive value (method 1: 97.6%; method 2: 100%; method 3: 73.6%; method 4: 100%), and negative predictive value (method 1: 90.7%; method 2: 100%; method 3: 84%; method 4: 99%). The IgG avidity test (method 4) is simple and automated in the laboratory and is very useful for ascertaining, from a single sample, the time since infection. It is criteria of recent primoinfection higher levels than 55% of IgG with low avidity for the antigen. The investigation of the Abs to antigen pools (method 2) by ELISA of virus had a high reliability, but the investigation of heterophil Abs by latex (method 1) and the Abs IgM to EA (method 2) were lacking in sensibility regarding their use in the diagnosis of the primoinfection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Is quantitative angiography sufficient to guide stent implantation? A comparison with three-dimensional reconstruction of intracoronary ultrasound images.

Intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) frequently reveals stent underexpansion despite a satisfactory angiographic result by visual assessment. Whether on-line quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) alone can guide optimal stent deployment is still unknown. The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of quantitative coronary angiography in the evaluation of optimal stent expansion, confirmed with a new on-line system of 3-D reconstruction of ICUS. The results obtained with 3-D ICUS were compared with the measurements achieved with QCA analyses in 49 patients (70 stents: 31 Palmaz-Schatz, 22 Wallstent, 7 Cordis, 6 Micro-stent, 2 Gianturco-Roubin, 2 Multi-Link). Following delivery of the stent, high pressure intrastent balloon inflation (14.2 +/- 3.3 atmospheres) was performed in all 70 stents. Optimal stent implantation by QCA was defined as minimal lumen diameter post-stenting > or = 90% of the reference diameter preintervention. Percent diameter stenosis (% DS) post-stenting was defined as minimal lumen diameter divided by the reference diameter post-stenting. The on-line 3-D ICUS reconstructions and measurements were performed processing the images on-line in the catheterization laboratory with an automated contour detection algorithm based on acoustic quantification. ICUS criteria for optimal stent expansion were defined as: 1) complete apposition of stent struts to vessel wall; 2) minimal stent lumen cross-sectional area > or = 80% of the average lumen area of the proximal and distal reference segments; 3) symmetry index (minimum divided by maximum lumen diameter) > 0.7. Ninety-seven percent of the deployed stents met the QCA criteria. Whilst 3-D ICUS documented complete stent apposition to the vessel wall in all cases and a symmetric expansion in 65 of 70 lesions (93%), the stent minimal lumen area was > or = 80% only in 30 out of 70 stents (43%). The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity at 10% residual diameter stenosis provided by QCA for optimal stent expansion compared to 3-D ICUS criteria were 86 and 45%, respectively. In conclusion 3-D ICUS criteria of adequate stent expansion were achieved only in 43% of patients despite the application of aggressive strategies of stent deployment leading to optimal results with quantitative angiography. Ten percent residual diameter stenosis provided by QCA may be an acceptable alternative for optimal stent deployment in clinical practice. The clinical benefit of an ICUS guided approach of stent deployment and of a lower cost strategy using on-line QCA guidance should be compared in large prospective randomized studies.

Angiocardiography↗
PubMed1990

Automated blood-sample handling in the clinical laboratory.

The only significant advances in blood-taking in 25 years have been the disposable needle and evacuated blood-drawing tube. With the exception of a few isolated barcode experiments, most sample-tracking is performed through handwritten or computer-printed labels. Attempts to reduce the hazards of centrifugation have resulted in air-tight lids or chambers, the use of which is time-consuming and cumbersome. Most commonly used clinical analyzers require serum or plasma, distributed into specialized containers, unique to that analyzer. Aliquots for different tests are prepared by handpouring or pipetting. Moderate to large clinical laboratories perform so many different tests that even multi-analyzers performing multiple analyses on a single sample may account for only a portion of all tests ordered for a patient. Thus several aliquots of each specimen are usually required. We have developed a proprietary serial centrifuge and blood-collection tube suitable for incorporation into an automated or robotic sample-handling system. The system we propose is (a) safe--avoids or prevents biological danger to the many "handlers" of blood; (b) small--minimizes the amount of sample taken and space required to adapt to the needs of satellite and mobile testing, and direct interfacing with analyzers; (c) serial--permits each sample to be treated according to its own "merits," optimizes throughput, and facilitates flexible automation; and (d) smart--ensures quality results through monitoring and intelligent control of patient identification, sample characteristics, and separation process.

Blood Specimen Collection↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The quality of medical laboratory practice in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies.

The introduction of automated chemical analyzers in the laboratory service has the potential of adversely affecting professionalism in laboratory practice. The present study assesses the quality of medical laboratory technicians in Trinidad and Tobago using structured questionnaires. Some of the critical questions included job status, years of experience, training, qualification(s) and knowledge of quality assurance and its application. About 82% of laboratory technicians responded to the study. The majority of technicians (62%) had diploma certificates while only one (1.2%) had a postgraduate degree. Although the majority (91.7%) of technicians knew about quality assurance, 36% learnt on the job and 59% knew they were not professionally trained. The results showed that there is paucity of highly trained laboratory technicians in Trinidad and Tobago and this has significant implications on the technical initiative and quality of medical laboratory practice in this country. We recommend the establishment of appropriate professional institutions for training medical laboratory technologists and regular expert inspection and accreditation of all medical laboratories in the country.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Performance evaluation of the immature granulocyte parameter on the Sysmex XE-2100 automated hematology analyzer.

Recently, St. Anthony's Medical Center Laboratory (SAMC) in St. Louis, Missouri, installed a new automated hematology analyzer, the Sysmex XE-2100. The XE-2100 has an additional differential parameter, the immature granulocyte (IG) parameter. Prior to implementation, the IG parameter was evaluated by comparison to the manual immature granulocyte count. Immature granulocytes counted manually, as well as the automated count, included metamyelocytes, myelocytes, and promyelocytes. Manual differentials were performed on each specimen by 2 experienced medical technologists using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) document H20-A. In addition to evaluating the IG parameter, St. Anthony's laboratory plans to report the automated IG count from the XE-2100, with or=5% and an absolute IG number of >or=0.5 x 103 will require differentiation by a manual differential count. An IG percentage <5% and an absolute IG number of <0.5 x 103 will not require differentiation by manual slide review. In this comparison of the IG count on the XE-2100 to the manual count, the correlation coefficient was 0.83. The XE-2100 IG results showed significant correlation with the results from the manual immature granulocyte count. We concluded that the XE-2100 IG demonstrated comparable performance to the manual IG count.

Granulocytes↗
PubMed1982

Automated intelligent microscopy (AIM) and its potential application in the clinical laboratory.

The microscope is the most ubiquitous instrument in the clinical laboratory. We discuss improvements in its use, in terms of "front-end" automation of specimen handling and "back-end" automation of image analysis: automated intelligent microscopy. Examples of spatial and spectral differentiation illustrate the potential of this automated version of microscopy as a useful tool with very powerful analytical capabilities for the clinical laboratory.

Animals↗