Have you ever wondered how your medical care provider can get so much medical information from such a tiny blood sample? Well, somewhere along the line, there was most likely a Clinical Chemistry Analyzer machine that did the heavy lifting in this medical miracle of technology.
These machines operate entirely behind the scenes of the average patient care experience. Still, their jobs are critical because the data they generate is routinely used to diagnose and monitor various medical conditions and diseases.
Let’s dig a little deeper to understand exactly how these machines work!
What is a Clinical Chemistry Analyzer?
Clinical Chemistry Analyzers, sometimes referred to as Biochemistry analyzers, are essential pieces of medical laboratory automation equipment.
In boiling the terms down to the simplest of explanations, these machines analyze and characterize the composition of fluid samples from biological samples such as blood or urine. They can achieve this by employing advanced chemical and optical techniques, but more on that in a minute.
The analyzer’s computers process vast quantities of this data to automate the measuring, counting, and reporting of cellular counts using advanced numerical techniques. These analyzers look for protein markers, enzymes, electrolytes, lipids, hormones, pharmaceutical products, or narcotics. On the macro scale, all of these identify certain clinical conditions within the patient.
So, how do clinical chemistry analyzers determine the composition of biological samples? The simple answer is that they employ various measurement techniques, depending on the test, with complicated names such as spectrophotometry and potentiometry. However, grasping what’s happening at a high level is beneficial.
Fortunately, the process can be broken down into a few key steps. First, in the sample preparation phase, the sample is spun in a high-speed centrifuge to separate/isolate unneeded debris. Next, a reagent chemical component is added to the sample specially formulated to produce a specific reaction.
After that, the analyzer performs the sample analysis using enzymes designed to produce a noticeable change in the appearance of the sample, such as a color change or a fluorescent light reaction. Next, the analyzer measures all the signals in real time against a known calibration. Finally, the analyzer generates a report detailing each component’s presence and concentration.
Common Clinical Chemistry Analyzer Applications
Therefore this “down-in-the-weeds” chemistry is essential for real-world medical and patient care applications. Most commonly, the clinical applications for this technology include monitoring critical diseases such as diabetes, but the applications also include testing for patients’ metabolic function. They can also be used to tag specific cardiac markers. They can even be used for drug testing.
These chemistry analyzers can be found in small and large clinics and laboratories. Specialized, compact models are also available for smaller settings. These are typically called benchtop analyzers because they are small enough to sit on a tabletop counter.
In modern clinics, hospitals, and laboratories, analyzers with user-friendly computational features such as touch screens and fully automated sample preparation functionalities are commonplace. These analyzers can be networked into other diagnostic or reporting IT systems for end-to-end, efficient integration of patient care.
Notable Developers and Machine Components that Power Clinical Chemistry Analyzers
It is also important to highlight some names you will see with clinical chemistry analyzers on the market today. Manufacturers include the following:
- Siemens Healthineers
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Beckman Coulter
- Roche
- Abbott
- Molecular Devices
- Nova Biomedical
You may not have realized that these compact machines comprise dozens of configurable machine components. Some of the most common components include:
- Linear Actuators
- Linear Guides
- Flanged Bushings for Locating Pins
- Spring Plungers
- Angular Contact Bearings
- Timing Pulleys
- Locating Pins
- Urethane Bumpers
- Floating Joints
- Slit Clamping Couplers
The power of configurability is what makes MISUMI stand out from other manufacturers, making it easy to find a part and configure it to your needs in minutes. MISUMI offers over 23.6 million part types and 80 Sextillion configurations. Above that, MISUMI is a distributor of hundreds of third-party brands.
To learn more about MISUMI’s offerings for the medical industry, click here.
