Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Automation, Laboratory”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

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

At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

A novel ultra-sensitive method for the quantification of glycosaminoglycan disaccharides using an automated DNA sequencer.

Analysis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) is of increasing importance concerning alterations in extracellular matrix composition and selectivity of glomerular basement membrane. In this report we describe the analysis of chondroitin sulfate disaccharides as an example of GAG delta disaccharide analysis using standard DNA sequencing equipment (DNA sequencer-assisted GAG disaccharide separation, DSA-GAGS). The presented methodology allows nanomolar quantification of 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (APTS)-derived GAG disaccharides. In comparison to RP-HPLC the established method is much more sensitive, showing detection limits of 38 fmol/microL. Variation coefficients were approximately 10%, enabling exact quantifications after run times of 17 min at 30 degrees C and an electrophoresis voltage of 15 kV; using a capillary DNA sequencer, available in many molecular laboratories, presented advantages like automated sample injection, opportunity of high-throughput analyses, separation of even sulfated disaccharide epimers, and the possibility of using APTS-derived fucose as an internal standard. Furthermore, highly reproducible retention times rendered easy identification of specific signals (SD 0.02). With regard to these results, the described method is a useful tool for the quantification of GAG disaccharides in low amounts, indicating advantages of obverse RP-HPLC and slab gel polyacrylamide electrophoresis in sensitivity, error-proneness, automation, and handling.

Disaccharides↗
PubMed1997

Advantage of buffered solutions or automated capnometry in air-filled balloons for use in gastric tonometry.

OBJECTIVE: To test accuracy, reproducibility and time constants of pCO2 measurement with the tonometric technique, using different media for filling the silastic balloon (saline, phosphate buffer, citrate buffer, air) and employing different analyzer devices (ABL3, ABL330, Nova Stat 5, automated capnometry). DESIGN: Comparative laboratory study of different tonometric techniques, measuring test solutions with known pCO2 values due to pre-equilibration with three different pCO2 concentrations. SETTING: Clinical laboratory of a university hospital intensive care unit. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The use of saline, as suggested for routine tonometry, led to negative bias values throughout, i.e. underestimation of pCO2 values, the extent of which depended on the blood gas analyzer device employed. Registration of the equilibration kinetics showed that full equilibration demanded 90 min regardless of the environmental pCO2 level. Replacing saline by buffered electrolyte solutions resulted in a significant improvement of bias, but did not change the kinetics of pCO2 equilibration. The employment of air-filled balloons, combined with automated capnometry, led to very low bias values, approaching zero, for all pCO2 levels, along with excellent precision. Time constants of equilibration were dramatically reduced, with full equilibration being achieved within 12.5 min. CONCLUSIONS: Buffered electrolyte solutions are preferable to saline for achieving reliable pCO2 measurements in gastric tonometry. Air-filled balloons, combined with automated capnometry, present excellent accuracy and reproducibility together with short equilibration times, thus offering "on-line" monitoring of even rapid changes in environmental pCO2.

Bias↗
PubMed2002

Evaluation of the DPC IMMULITE 2000 assay for total homocysteine in plasma.

The present report describes an evaluation in three laboratories of the completely automated total homocysteine immunoassay adapted to the IMMULITE 2000 from DPC. The precision depended on the control materials used, but with quality control materials and patient samples imprecisions were found to be in the range of 5.3 to 6.1% and 5.4 to 6.0%, respectively. Dilution experiments proved the assay to be linear and correlations with HPLC and GC-MS methods were close (r=0.98 and 0.97, respectively). In addition, the samples from the Nordic program for external quality assessment of methylmalonic acid and homocysteine for 2000 were assayed in the three laboratories. Imprecision evaluated from these samples was 5.3% and the recovery of the added L-homocystine was equivalent to the mean recovery of the 58 participants in the program. The precision is close to the quality goals. In conclusion, the method is an attractive alternative when coping with an increasing number of requests for the analysis of total homocysteine.

Chemistry, Clinical↗
PubMed1977

From professional monopoly to corporate oligopoly:the clinical laboratory industry in transition.

Until the mid-1960s the nonhospital clinical laboratory industry was dominated by pathologists. The ethics of medical professionalism protected the pathologists' market from price competition and from any serious threat from new entrants into the market. Immune from the competitive pressures of the marketplace, pathologists exerted monopoly control in local markets. That power was eroded by laboratories operated by technologists and bioanalysts and was finally overcome by the entry of large corporations into the industry. The market power of the largest corporate laboratories is now growing to a point where competition may again be thwarted. The professional ethics of pathologists allowed high prices, but there was little push toward higher volume. The commercial ethics of the corporate entrants brought lower prices but resulted in strong pressure for greater test quantities. In either case, the power wielded by the dominant producer would seem to go against the consumer's interests.

Automation↗
PubMed2006

High interlaboratory reproducibility of DNA sequence-based typing of bacteria in a multicenter study.

Current DNA amplification-based typing methods for bacterial pathogens often lack interlaboratory reproducibility. In this international study, DNA sequence-based typing of the Staphylococcus aureus protein A gene (spa, 110 to 422 bp) showed 100% intra- and interlaboratory reproducibility without extensive harmonization of protocols for 30 blind-coded S. aureus DNA samples sent to 10 laboratories. Specialized software for automated sequence analysis ensured a common typing nomenclature.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Validation of automated behavioral test systems.

A positive control study was conducted as part of the ongoing validation program for developmental neurotoxicity testing in our laboratory using a standard battery of automated systems, consisting of rotorod, motor activity, acoustic startle, and two-way active avoidance. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were given 10 mg/kg diazepam (DZ) by SC injection or 20 mg/kg methimazole (MET) by gavage from gestation day 15 (DZ) or 17 (MET) through postpartum day 10; a group of control animals remained untreated. Offspring were assessed for growth, survival, developmental landmarks, and behavior. Although this study was considered useful for obtaining historical data, it offered few advantages in terms of validation of automated behavior test systems. Perinatal treatment with DZ resulted in no maternal toxicity and no adverse effects on growth or development of F1 offspring; a deficit in acoustic startle responding was the only behavioral effect observed. Treatment with MET resulted in maternal toxicity, reduced neonatal body weights, and developmental delays. Behavioral effects included impaired rotorod performance and acoustic startle responding (neonates), and enhanced motor activity and acoustic startle responding (young adults). However, effects on shuttle avoidance were not observed for either drug, and only one direction of behavioral effect occurred for the rotorod and motor activity systems. These results, as well as those from subsequent studies in our laboratory, suggest that it may be preferable to validate automated behavior systems using short-term studies in which young adult animals are treated directly with positive control agents.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Laboratory and field evaluation of three desktop instruments for assay of cholesterol and triglyceride.

We evaluated three desktop instruments suitable for decentralizing the assays of blood cholesterol and triglycerides to satellite and physician's office testing. The instruments, Ektachem DT 60 (E), Reflotron (R), and Seralyzer (S), were used according to their manufacturers' instructions to assay serum or capillary blood from outpatients at two physicians offices. Accuracy was assessed in the centralized laboratory by using an automated centrifugal analyzer (A). The bias of A was monitored with an international quality-control material. We found all instruments easy to handle. Regression equations for cholesterol determinations were: E = 0.92A + 0.7 (n = 331, r = 0.94), R (capillary blood) = 0.96A + 0.3 (n = 256, r = 0.95), and S = 0.93A + 0.6 (n = 260, r = 0.92). For triglycerides we obtained E = 1.02A (n = 331, r = 0.97), R (cap. blood) = 0.88A (n = 213, r = 0.97), R = 0.94A + 0.1 (n = 90, r = 0.99), and S = 0.96A (n = 266, r = 0.98). Duplicate and within-day precision was less than 8%. Between-day precision (during a month) was less than 10%. We stress the need of both laboratory and field evaluation and emphasize the benefit of quality control.

Autoanalysis↗
PubMed2001

IgG antibodies typical for extrinsic allergic alveolitis--an inter-laboratory quality assessment.

BACKGROUND: Determination of specific IgG antibodies is important for the diagnosis of extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA). Various evaluations have however shown, that current methodology lacks sufficient standardization in that the employment of different sources of extracts and techniques makes a comparison of data from one laboratory to another almost impossible. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to establish an external quality control system and to analyse, what the explanations for the different outcomes from various laboratories might be. METHODS: In the past 4 years 5 sera from patients suffering from EAA or healthy controls were sent every 6 months to 11 different allergy laboratories in Austria. The determination of specific IgG antibodies against antigens that are typical for this disease were requested. Results were gained with the method routinely used in the respective laboratory, and then sent back to the reference center for statistical evaluation. Precipitating techniques were used in 8 laboratories during the first mailings, but were gradually exchanged by automated ELISA systems being employed in 8 laboratories in the last mailing. RESULTS: 1127 values were determined in 105 expectedly positive sera and 1003 in 94 negative samples. Of the 562 values obtained with precipitation techniques in positive sera, only 52.0% were reported to be positive, and the results varied considerably among laboratories and antigens. In contrast, 93.3% were positive with commercially available ELISA techniques, with 92.3% for the EnzyDex System and even 95.5% for the UniCAP System. Regarding the specificity however, 93.0% of the expected negative results were correct negative using precipitation methods, whereas merely 75.2% were negative with the EnzyDex System and only 22.5% using the UniCAP System. Moreover 35.8% of the results using this latter method were false-positive. CONCLUSIONS: The traditional precipitation techniques proved not only technically difficult to perform, but also unreliable, difficult to reproduce, insensitive and impractical in daily laboratory work. They suffer from that many draw backs, that their use in daily routine cannot be recommended any more. Automated ELISA systems seem to fulfill the criteria for a routine technique concerning handling, automation, and quality criteria like sensitivity quite well, but not for specificity. Both techniques urgently need external standardization in order to make the results comparable among the different systems and methods; the danger of potentially false-positive results, pretending sensitizations that might be clinically irrelevant in several cases, is high.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗
PubMed1984

A microprocessor-based system for measurement of gas exchange.

The basic physical measurements for determining gas exchange are difficult to make accurately even in a well-equipped, human-performance laboratory with experienced personnel. A fully automated system has been developed to achieve the accuracy of standard laboratory measurements. The application of this instrument extends from critical care to stress-testing. Real-time, multitasking software integrates the data collected from several transducers and analyzers and calculates up to several dozen physiological variables, which are range-checked for reasonableness. The operator is provided with user-friendly means to tailor the data-reporting and- collection functions of the system to his own needs and requirements. Because the instrument is controlled by software, the functions of calibration, measurement, timing, reporting, plotting, and data quality assurance are highly cost-effective. Extensive use of formal test procedures permits verifying all systems and data reliability; it also assures meeting the desired specifications. The ease of operation and high-quality results inherent in this system make it unsurpassed in gas-exchange measurements.

Computers↗
PubMed2001

[Comparison of various reticulocyte counting methods and the standardization of reticulocyte counting].

The reticulocyte count has been conventionally determined using a visual method. Recently, due to technological advances an automated method has come into general use in laboratories. The precision in terms of reproducibility of automated reticulocyte counters has also made rapid progress compared with the visual method. The measurements of reticulocyte counts showed good correlation among the five automated reticulocyte counters and the visual method although the accuracy of an automated method is problematical since it is not sufficient to find the true value. It remains difficult to standardize reticulocyte counting because automated reticulocyte counting is performed in accordance with the procedure specified by the respective manufactures; thus, an external quality control survey was performed for an accuracy assurance of reticulocyte counts with the participation of many laboratories. In the future, it is necessary to develop biological reference materials equal to the true value or to establish other standardization using new technology.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Further validation of LABORAS using various dopaminergic manipulations in mice including MPTP-induced nigro-striatal degeneration.

The automated behavioural apparatus, LABORAS (Laboratory Animal Behaviour Observation, Registration and Analysis System), has been further validated with respect to the ability of the system to detect behavioural impairments in mice, following various dopaminergic manipulations. Initially data were obtained from mice administered with amphetamine, haloperidol, SCH23390, apomorphine and L-DOPA, with the focus on locomotor and grooming activities. The data recorded by LABORAS on administration of these pharmacological tool compounds, is comparable with published findings using standard LMA systems and conventional observer methods. In addition the home cage behaviour of mice administered with the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) using an acute dosing regimen was also investigated. In LABORAS, mice subjected to MPTP lesioning showed deficits in spontaneous motor activity at day 6-7 post-MPTP administration, over a 24 h test period, as compared to saline treated controls. The data captured and analysed using LABORAS, suggests that the automated system is able to detect both pharmacologically and lesion-induced changes in behaviour of mice, reliably and efficiently.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation of ready-to-use liquid reagents for clinical chemistry in laboratory animals.

We evaluated the ready-to-use liquid reagents for clinical chemistry (6 tests), to assess their suitability for use in the toxicology laboratory setting. Hitachi 736 automated analyzer was used for the analyses. The evaluation included the following studies: Precision, Linearity, Effects of interference substances such as hemolytic hemoglobin, bilirubin, turbidity to the analytical values and correlation to the solid reagents, which are prepared each time they are needed. The precision and linearity data were within the reagents' specifications. Results of comparison of the liquid reagents and the solid reagents in analyzing plasma samples of rats, dogs and monkeys were generally good except for a bias in results for GOT and GPT, regardless of the animal species tested. It is concluded that these types of liquid reagents can be used in clinical pathology examinations in animal studies.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

What happens when automated blood culture instrument detect growth but there are no technologists in the microbiology laboratory?

We investigated blood cultures that revealed growth at night when no technologists were in the microbiology laboratory and at other times when the laboratory was staffed. On average, it took 7 h and 26 min and 2 h and 12 min for laboratory personnel to report positive blood culture Gram stain results to physicians when growth was detected by automated instruments during the former and latter time periods, respectively. When positive blood culture results led to a change in therapy, it took an average of 8 h and 21 min and 5 h and 26 min in the former and latter groups, respectively, from detection to when the order was written.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1994

Detection of a genetic locus encoding resistance to rifampin in mycobacterial cultures and in clinical specimens.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and automated DNA sequencing were used to detect a genetic locus, rpoB, associated with rifampin resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) in clinical isolates and directly in clinical specimens. Primers derived from the sequence of a TB rpoB gene fragment were used to amplify DNA from bacterial and mycobacterial isolates. An rpoB-specific PCR product was obtained for five of five TB, seven of eight other mycobacterial species, Nocardia sp., Corynebacterium sp., Streptomyces sp., Actinomyces sp., and Rhodococcus sp., but not for 15 isolates (eight genera) representing usual bacterial flora. Sequence comparison of the amplified rpoB region revealed the occurrence of TB-specific "signature nucleotides" at three positions. PCR yielded amplification products for seven of 16 clinical specimens. Five of the seven contained TB-specific DNA, as well as sequences that predicted rifampin susceptibility in accord with agar dilution results. None of ten specimens that were culture negative for TB yielded TB-specific PCR products. These results with a limited number of clinical specimens demonstrate the feasibility of direct detection by PCR of rifampin-resistant TB in clinical specimens. Such testing may serve as a rapid surrogate test for multidrug-resistant TB in laboratories with PCR and automated sequencing capability.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Laboratory medicine in France. A jeopardized situation.

The expenses for health care in France have risen considerably during the present decade, ranking third after USA and Canada in the Western world. In spite of the very low cost of laboratory medicine (2.4% of the total expenditure in 1995), clinical laboratories have undergone a severe squeeze, due to two limiting factors; a decrease in the ordering of laboratory tests from private physicians and a reduction in the total expenses for laboratory services from the Social Security. Consequently, there has been unemployment of technical and secretarial staff and severe restriction in investment for buying new equipment. However, hospital laboratories will manage to assume their challenge in developing robotics, automation, molecular pathology techniques and expert systems. Private laboratories, in spite of their efforts to follow the technological advances in automation, will survive thanks to consolidation of regional networks that operate in a cooperative rather than competitive mode. Therefore, the challenge will be not in the adaptation of clinical laboratories, but in the limitation of overspending at the national level and in modification of the behaviour of irresponsible citizens accustomed to spending freely on health care services.

Clinical Laboratory Techniques↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Automation solutions: what to look for and what to avoid.

The author's intention in this article is to share some of the knowledge and experience gained by an organization from the successful implementation of automation tools in two different laboratory locations. The article examines the application of these tools from a strategic and business prospective rather than from a technical point of view. It is intended that the information provided will reduce some areas of risk for the reader when considering or installing automation tools.

Automation↗
PubMed1984

An assessment of environmental contamination arising from the use of some automated equipment in microbiology.

The generation of aerosols and the contamination of surfaces arising from some equipment used to automate tasks in the microbiology laboratory have been assessed using a microbiological test method. When used for the designed purposes none of the equipment is likely to present any significant aerosol hazard. Some of the equipment gave rise to surface contamination, and it is recommended that decontamination of work surfaces should be carried out at frequent intervals.

Aerosols↗
PubMed2002

Clinical virology in real time.

The ability to detect nucleic acids has had and still has a major impact on diagnostics in clinical virology. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques, whether signal or target amplification based systems, are currently used routinely in most if not all virology laboratories. Technological improvements, from automated sample isolation to real time amplification technology, have given the ability to develop and introduce systems for most viruses of clinical interest, and to obtain clinical relevant information needed for optimal antiviral treatment options. Both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) can currently be used together with real time detection to generate results in a short turn-around time and to determine whether variants relevant for antiviral resistance are present. These new technologies enable the introduction of an individual patient disease management concept. Within our clinical setting, we have introduced this e.g. for quantitative detection of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) in T-dell depleted allogeneic stem cell transplant patients. This enabled us to develop models for pre-emptive anti B-cell immunotherapy for EBV reactivation, thereby effectively reducing not the incidence of EBV-lymphoproliferative disease but the virus related mortality. Furthermore, additional clinically relevant viruses can now easily be detected simultaneously. It also becomes more feasible to introduce molecular testing for those viruses that can easily be detected using classical virological methods, like culture techniques or antigen detection. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the clinical importance of the additional positive samples detected. It should however be made clear that a complete exchange of technologies is unlikely to occur, and that some complementary technologies should stay operational enabling the discovery of new viruses. The implementation of these molecular diagnostic technologies furthermore warrants the use and introduction of standardized materials as well as participation in international quality control programs. Finally, the use of an internal control throughout the whole procedure not only ensures the accuracy of the results generated, but also is necessary to enable precise quantification of these results and to determine detection thresholds more accurately. Since so many targets do have clinical implications, laboratories might prefer to use universal internal controls before the in-house developed assays should be introduced in clinical virology.

Disease Management↗