Evaluation of the Technicon Chem-1

We evaluated the performance of 15 colorimetric and three ion-selective electrode assays in the Technicon Chem-1 serum analyzer and briefly assessed the suitability of plasma and urine for analysis in the system. Within- and between-batch precision, accuracy, correlation, and linearity of all methods was acceptable but some assays, notably those for bicarbonate and creatinine, were susceptible to interferences. Except for the total bilirubin and lactate dehydrogenase assays, plasma can be assayed successfully in the instrument. Urine samples can also be assayed but specimens for phosphate analysis must be diluted in a polyvinylpyrrolidone solution before analysis, and the calcium method is sensitive to variations in urinary pH.