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Nonanalytic Laboratory Automation: A Quarter Century of Progress
1ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, UT; hawkercd@aruplab.com.
Clinical Chemistry
|April 12, 2017
Summary
Clinical laboratory automation offers significant benefits, including labor savings and improved turnaround time and quality. This report reviews available automation options and provides a process for selecting and implementing solutions.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Laboratory Science
- Medical Technology
- Automation Engineering
Background:
- Clinical laboratory automation has evolved significantly since its introduction in 1989.
- Vendors now offer diverse automation solutions for laboratories of all sizes.
- Automation adoption is driven by benefits in labor, turnaround time, and quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review available clinical laboratory automation options.
- To present a recommended process for evaluating and implementing automation.
- To discuss practical considerations and emerging technologies like machine vision.
Main Methods:
- Review of task-targeted automation modules and total laboratory automation systems.
- Analysis of vendor offerings and their integration with analyzers.
- Discussion of a structured approach for laboratory automation needs assessment.
Main Results:
- Automation options range from single-task modules to comprehensive total laboratory automation systems.
- A systematic evaluation process is crucial for successful automation implementation.
- Practical considerations and machine vision are important factors in modern automation.
Conclusions:
- Clinical laboratory automation provides substantial benefits for efficiency and quality.
- Careful planning and requirement identification are key to selecting appropriate automation solutions.
- Emerging technologies like machine vision offer future advancements in laboratory automation.