The Journal of Automatic Chemistry 
Volume 11 (1989), Issue 2, Pages 64-69
doi:10.1155/S1463924689000131

Application of robotics In the clinical laboratory

R. A. Bunce,1 P. M. G. Broughton,1 D. M. Browning,1 J. E. C. Gibbons,1 and L. J. Kricka2,3

 1Department of Clinical Chemistry, Wolfson Research Laboratories, Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK
2Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK
3Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, William Pepper Laboratories, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA

Abstract

The basic types of robot are explained, and the performances and costs of some commercial examples are given. The potential advantages and problems of introducing robots into clinical laboratories are identified and the specifcation of a suitable robot is developed. None of the commercially available robots meets all aspects of the specificalion, and currently the purchase of a robot is considered premature for most clinical laboratories.