Core Laboratory

The Clinical Core Laboratory, of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, John Dempsey Hospital has just completed phase four of a laboratory automation initiative. The core laboratory concept combines the disciplines of clinical hematology, chemistry, immunochemistry, toxicology and coagulation into one automated contiguous process.

The robotic process sorts, tests and stores patient specimens without human manipulation thereby reducing handling and transcription errors. The automation is able to locate a single vial of blood for additional or repeat testing in a matter of seconds.

An integrated data-management system identifies specimens that require intervention by a technologist and allows results that fit preprogrammed guidelines per individual patient to be reported immediately.

This laboratory of the future enables a continuous work-flow process that reduces specimen wait times, ensures accurate timely electronic reporting of laboratory results and reduces biohazard exposures for laboratory staff. At present accurate results can be obtained in a matter of a few minutes for 84 laboratory tests performed on one or at most two small vials of blood.