The selection of laboratory equipment

The last few years have seen dramatic changes in laboratory haematology. Technological developments with increasing levels of automation have resulted in a plethora of new instruments. The choice of which to buy, often confused by conflicting advice and persuasive salesmanship, must be balanced by the need for cost containment. This calls for an understanding of the principles of selection to ensure that the system that is chosen will provide reliable results in the most efficient manner at the lowest possible cost. Most of the instruments which are currently available perform their intended tasks reasonably well albeit with some inter-instrument differences, usually due to different operating procedures and different methods of calibration. The task is to find a system that performs the required tests correctly and reliably, fits into the work requirements of the laboratory and is accepted by the staff who will operate it, whilst its cost both capital and recurrent, should be within the department's financial constraints. The selection of laboratory equipment is thus a complex and time consuming task.