What Is an Automatic Analyzer?
An automatic analyzer is a device designed to automate routine analyses with predefined objectives. Common examples include biochemical automatic analyzers used in clinical settings to analyze blood, urine, and other body fluids for basic biochemical test items.
Other types encompass multi-parameter automated hematology analyzers for medical use, as well as automatic oil gas analyzers and total organic carbon (TOC) analyzers for various industries.
Uses of Automatic Analyzers
Primarily utilized in large medical facilities, automatic analyzers enable rapid and precise testing of patient specimens. They measure basic biochemical parameters and, in some cases, additional immunoassay items like tumor markers. These analyzers are pivotal for large-scale screenings, pre-treatment evaluations, and treatment effectiveness follow-ups, playing a critical role in medical diagnosis and clinical laboratories.
Principles of Automatic Analyzers
The principles of operation of automatic analyzers involve spectroscopic methods, such as absorption spectrophotometry, which adheres to the Beer-Lambert law. These analyzers prepare a calibration curve to relate absorbance with concentration, allowing the computer to automatically determine the sample’s concentration based on spectrophotometric data.
Types of Automatic Analyzers
While most automatic analyzers serve the medical sector, analyzing biochemical and hematological parameters, their application extends to other industries for specific analyses.
1. Clinical Devices
Automated biochemical analyzers assess basic biochemical and immunoassay parameters, available in various sizes for different settings. Multi-parameter automatic analyzers evaluate blood cell components, enhancing diagnostic capabilities.
2. Oil Gas Automatic Analyzer
These analyzers assess gases dissolved in insulating oil within transformers and other oil-filled equipment, aiding in fault diagnosis.
3. TOC Meter
TOC analyzers measure the total organic carbon content in environmental and industrial samples, with models suitable for both field and laboratory research.
Other Information on Automatic Analyzers
1. Measurement Process Overview
- Place the specimen into the instrument’s sampler.
- Dispense a small specimen amount into the reaction cell.
- Add required reagents, stirring with the mechanism provided.
- Maintain the reaction cell at a constant temperature for the necessary reaction time.
- Post-reaction, transfer the specimen for spectrophotometric analysis (analysis complete).
- Clean the probes and reaction cells for reuse.
2. Invasiveness
Biochemical testing’s invasiveness is limited to collecting small blood or urine samples, offering a less invasive alternative to radiographic or CT examinations. Advances in precision, speed, and functionality have further enhanced the efficiency and reduced the time required for analysis.