( racks on a small footprint instrument...)Lab Automation Networks Proliferating,Health

This system handles 500 tubes per hour and is easily reconfigured for a mix of clinical chemistry, immunoassay, hematology and other specimen tubes.

As an example of pre-analytical equipment that offers options for various configurations of computer and network controls and integration with analytic devices, Roche Diagnostics, a division of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland, says that its RSD 800 and RSD 800A Preanalytic Systems Manager (PSM) products offer state-of-the-art sample handling functions and powerful data management all from one system. The systems sample flow management functions can support different levels of automation: manually via PC workstation and barcode scanner; automated with one or more connection to Roche Task-Targeted Automation devices, or; fully automated with the companys modular pre-analytics systems.

The systems can automate pre- and post-analytic steps including: pre-sorting by tube type; selective decapping; aliquoting into bar code labeled secondary tubes; sorting of tubes into analyzer specific sample carriers, and; recapping and archiving

Several firms are enabling both pre-analytic and analytic automation options with a considerable range of production capacity, but require the use of their own equipment, thereby enabling a robust, but essentially closed system approach. The Japanese conglomerate Olympus and its U.S. division, Olympus America Inc. Melville, N.Y., offer, for example, the Olympus OLA4000 workcell lab automation system This system fully automates labor-intensive specimen processing tasks within the chemistry-immunochemistry work area including sample identification, centrifugation, decapping and output sorting of specimen tubes. It also integrates two Olympus AU analyzers for automated rack loading and unloading along with centralized data processing.

System throughput is 400 tubes per hour for pre-analytical processes. Th
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