Multichannel continuous flow analysis on the SMA-4--7A.

The exponential rise in laboratory requests has made it essential to develop scientific equipment capable of processing more efficiently the large number of repetitive tests. For this purpose, instruments which operate by continuous flow analysis have proved to be eminently successful. Although used primarily in departments of clinical biochemistry, they are also useful in diagnostic haematology in the single-channel mode for haemoglobinometry, serum iron measurement, and antibody screening, and in the multichannel mode for blood group determination and for routine haematological parameters. We have already reported (Nelson and Lamont, 1961) how the introduction of a single channel AutoAnalyzer for haemoglobinometry increased productivity when measured in terms of numbers of tests performed per techniciai per year. However, subsequent studies indicated that something of the order of half of the total work load consisted of four tests, namely, the determination of the haemoglobin, the haematocrit, and the total red and white cell counts. Thus while mechanization of individual tests may make a significant contribution to efficiency, the greatest benefit is likely to be achieved by the 'automation' of the four basic tests. The SMA-4/-7 is a commercially available item of multichannel equipment capable of determining these four basic parameters from a single sample of blood.