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Put to the test
Automation in an analytical laboratory
Analytical laboratories have to provide sound results in a short time.
Speed and
reproducibility play a significant role here. Modern automation technology saves
time, increases quality and reduces costs for the transport and distribution of
samples. Ready-to-install subsystems from Festo are opening up new possibilities
for efficient processes in laboratory automation.
I
t takes very little time to give a blood
sample at a doctor’s surgery. However,
the many different steps required in
a laboratory in order to reach an
accurate diagnosis demand a great deal of
time and concentration on the part of the
laboratory employees. When blood is
taken, for example, the first thing to be
done is capture the individual data, such
as the patient’s name or the analyses to
be carried out, which are then encoded in
a barcode on the sample vial. Once the
samples reach the laboratory performing
the analysis and the data have been
retrieved, the next step is centrifugation,
where high speed rotation is used to
separate the blood into solid and liquid
components. Only then can the laboratory
check the sample for specific antibodies
or viruses.
To obtain dependable results, precisely
defined laboratory processes must be
carried out in a reproducible, efficient and
reliable manner. Automation technology is
pivotal when it comes to achieving high
speed and precision for transport between
the individual processing stations. It
therefore plays an increasingly important
role in the medical and diagnostics sector.
Platform for individual solutions
The overall analytical process involves
Issue 28
trends in automation
Impulse
32
–
33