Chemistry analyzer
A chemistry analyzer is a type of automated analyzer that processes a large portion of the samples going into a hospital or private medical laboratory. Automation of the testing process has reduced testing time for many analytes from days to minutes. The history of discrete sample analysis for the clinical laboratory began with the introduction of the "Robot Chemist" invented by Hans Baruch and introduced commercially in 1959.
The types of tests required include enzyme levels (such as many of the liver function tests), ion levels (e.g. sodium and potassium), and other tell-tale chemicals (such as glucose, serum albumin, or creatinine).
Simple ions are often measured with ion selective electrodes, which let one type of ion through, and measure voltage differences.[1] Enzymes may be measured by the rate they change one colored substance to another; in these tests, the results for enzymes are given as an activity, not as a concentration of the enzyme. Other tests use colorimetric changes to determine the concentration of the chemical in question. Turbidity may also be measured.
References
- ↑ Rundle, Chris C. (5 May 2000). "A Beginners Guide to Ion-Selective Electrode Measurements". Nico2000.net. http://www.nico2000.net/Book/Guide1.html. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
