Specimen Temperature Detection on a Clinical Laboratory Pre-Analytic Automation Track: Implications for Direct-from-Track Total Laboratory Automation (TLA) Systems. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Roundy, Caleb S.; Lin, David C.; Klopping, Paul J.; Ence, Ammon T.; Krezel, Anthony C.; Genzen, Jonathan R.
• Is Part Of: SLAS technology. Volume 25:Number 3(2020)
• Page Start: 293
• Page End: 299
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: infrared -- temperature -- total laboratory automation -- pyrometer -- thermocouple -- specimen; Medical laboratory technology -- Periodicals; Laboratories -- Equipment and supplies -- Periodicals; Diagnosis, Laboratory -- Periodicals; 616.075
• DOI: 10.1177/2472630319881999
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2472-6303

Abstract

Clinical laboratory regulations require temperature monitoring of facilities, reagent and specimen storage, as well as temperature-dependent equipment. Real-time specimen temperature detection has not yet been integrated into total laboratory automation (TLA) solutions. An infrared (IR) pyrometer was paired with a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) laser sensor and connected to an embedded networked personal computer (PC) to create a modular temperature detection unit for closed, moving clinical laboratory specimens. Accuracy of the detector was assessed by comparing temperature measurements to those obtained from thermocouples connected to battery-operated data loggers. The temperature detector was then installed on a pre-analytic laboratory automation system to assess specimen temperature before and after processing on an integrated thawing and mixing (T/M) robotic workcell. The IR temperature detector was able to accurately record temperature of closed, moving specimens on a pre-analytic automation system. The effectiveness of the T/M workcell was independently verified using the temperature detector. Specimen reroute on the pre-analytic automation track was identified as a potential risk for frozen specimens being inadvertently delivered to future, connected instrumentation. Automated IR temperature detection can be used to verify specimen temperature prior to instrument loading and/or sampling. Such systems could be used to prevent frozen specimens from being inadvertently loaded onto analytical instrumentation in TLA solutions.