Instrumentation & Technology Applications Flashcards
7 cards from real CLC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Instrumentation & Technology Applications flashcards as text
Which detection principle do most modern hematology analyzers use to differentiate cell populations by size?
Answer: Electrical impedance (Coulter principle)
Modern hematology analyzers primarily use electrical impedance (Coulter principle), measuring the change in electrical resistance as cells pass through an aperture.
In mass spectrometry-based clinical assays, what does the term 'internal standard' most directly address?
Answer: Matrix effects and extraction variability
An internal standard, typically a stable isotope-labeled analog of the analyte, compensates for matrix effects and variability introduced during sample preparation and extraction.
A laboratory consultant evaluating a new automated coagulation analyzer notes it uses clot-based detection. Which physical principle underlies this method?
Answer: Change in optical absorbance or turbidity as fibrin forms
Clot-based coagulation analyzers detect fibrin clot formation by monitoring the increase in optical turbidity or the change in absorbance as the clot develops.
Which chromatographic technique is most commonly used in clinical laboratories for therapeutic drug monitoring via LC-MS/MS?
Answer: Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)
Reversed-phase HPLC is the predominant separation technique paired with tandem mass spectrometry for therapeutic drug monitoring due to its versatility with small hydrophobic molecules.
A laboratory's point-of-care blood gas analyzer produces a result that differs significantly from the central laboratory result on the same sample. Which factor is MOST likely responsible?
Answer: Pre-analytical differences including air bubble exposure and time delay
Blood gas values are highly sensitive to pre-analytical variables such as air bubble contamination, delay in analysis, and improper sample handling, which commonly explain POC vs. central lab discordance.
In flow cytometry, the parameter 'side scatter' (SSC) primarily provides information about which cellular characteristic?
Answer: Internal complexity and granularity
Side scatter (SSC) reflects light scattered at 90° to the laser beam and correlates with internal cellular complexity, such as granularity and nuclear lobularity.
When validating a new automated urinalysis system, which parameter is MOST critical to verify using urine reference materials of known composition?
Answer: Linearity and carryover for quantitative analytes such as glucose and protein
Validating linearity and carryover for quantitative analytes ensures the analyzer accurately measures across the reportable range and that high-concentration specimens do not contaminate subsequent samples.