Analytical performance of the selective, automatic multianalyser Olympus AU 5031

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Laboratory Medicine
• Analytical Performance Evaluation

Background:

• Automated clinical chemistry analysers are essential for efficient laboratory diagnostics.
• The Olympus AU 5031 is a selective, automatic multianalyser designed for routine testing.
• Evaluating analyser performance is critical for ensuring reliable patient results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the analytical performance and practicability of the Olympus AU 5031 multianalyser.
• To evaluate the performance of 20 routine parameters and sodium/potassium measurements.
• To determine the analyser's suitability for routine clinical laboratory use.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation followed European Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (ECCLS) guidelines.
• Analytical performance assessed over four months, with practicability evaluated for eight months.
• Included measurement of 20 routine parameters, plus sodium and potassium via flame photometry.

Main Results:

• Satisfactory agreement between photometers and temperature behavior in cuvettes.
• Very good imprecision: within-run <1.5% for most parameters; between-day <5% (except CK).
• Good recovery (95-105%) for 14 tests; minor deviations for ALT, AST, bilirubin; no drift or carry-over detected.

Conclusions:

• The Olympus AU 5031 exhibits strong analytical performance suitable for routine clinical chemistry.
• High precision and linearity were observed for most analytes.
• Corrections needed for some tests were attributed to methodological differences, not analyser deficiencies.