Laboratory Equipment Flashcards
7 cards from real CABT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Laboratory Equipment flashcards as text
Which error in a clinical laboratory water purification system would most directly affect enzyme assays performed that day?
Answer: Elevated conductivity indicating ion contamination
Elevated conductivity signals the presence of ionic contaminants that can inhibit enzyme activity and alter assay results significantly.
What is the recommended action when an automated analyzer's QC result exceeds the 3-SD (3 standard deviation) Westgard rule?
Answer: Reject the run, investigate the cause, and do not report patient results until resolved
A 3-SD violation (1₃s rule) indicates random error and requires run rejection, root cause investigation, and re-running QC before releasing patient results.
Which component of a flame atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) produces the specific wavelength of light for the analyte being measured?
Answer: Hollow cathode lamp
The hollow cathode lamp contains the element of interest and emits its characteristic spectral lines used as the light source in AAS.
A biomedical technician is performing a leak test on an automated blood gas analyzer. Which analyte measurement is most sensitive to a small air bubble entering the measuring chamber?
Answer: pO₂ (partial pressure of oxygen)
pO₂ is most sensitive to air contamination because ambient air has a much higher oxygen tension (~160 mmHg) than blood, causing falsely elevated readings.
What is the purpose of a 'dead weight tester' in the context of biomedical equipment maintenance?
Answer: Calibrating pressure gauges and transducers using known gravitational force on calibrated masses
A dead weight tester applies precise, known pressure using calibrated masses and gravity to calibrate and verify pressure gauges and transducers.
When validating a new lot of control material for a chemistry analyzer, which statistical comparison is most important?
Answer: Performing parallel testing of old and new lots and comparing means and SDs
Parallel testing of old and new control lots allows statistical comparison of means and standard deviations to confirm acceptable lot-to-lot performance before transitioning.
A coagulation analyzer displays a 'clot detect error' on a patient sample. The MOST likely cause is:
Answer: Insufficient sample volume or presence of a fibrin clot in the sample
Clot detect errors are most commonly caused by insufficient sample volume or fibrin strands/microclots in the specimen that interfere with the optical or mechanical clot detection system.