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
A laboratory consultant is reviewing a new molecular diagnostic platform that uses digital PCR (dPCR). What is the primary advantage of dPCR over conventional real-time qPCR?
Answer: Absolute quantification without requiring an external standard curve
Digital PCR partitions the reaction into thousands of individual compartments, enabling absolute quantification by counting positive versus negative partitions without a standard curve.
Which laboratory information system (LIS) interface standard is most widely used in the United States for transmitting orders and results between the LIS and instruments?
Answer: HL7 (Health Level Seven)
HL7 is the predominant messaging standard used in U.S. laboratories to electronically transmit orders, results, and patient data between the LIS and instruments or the EHR.
An immunoassay for a tumor marker exhibits a 'hook effect' at very high analyte concentrations. What is the underlying mechanism?
Answer: Excess antigen saturates both capture and detection antibodies, preventing sandwich formation
The hook effect occurs when excess antigen overwhelms both capture and signal antibodies, causing them to bind antigen independently rather than forming the signal-generating sandwich complex.
In laboratory automation, a 'total laboratory automation (TLA)' system differs from a 'workcell' primarily by:
Answer: Integrating pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical processes across multiple instruments via a track system
TLA connects specimen processing, sorting, analysis, and storage via a continuous conveyor track, integrating all phases of testing rather than automating only a subset of instruments.
A consultant notices that a flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS) is producing inconsistent results for serum lead. Which maintenance issue should be checked FIRST?
Answer: Burner head clogging and alignment
A clogged or misaligned burner head is the most common cause of poor precision and signal instability in FAAS because it disrupts the flame geometry and nebulizer efficiency.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels in the clinical laboratory require a 'minimum depth of coverage' specification. This parameter is critical for:
Answer: Reliably detecting low-frequency variants and ensuring statistical confidence in variant calling
Adequate depth of coverage ensures that low-allele-frequency variants (e.g., somatic mutations) are read enough times to be statistically distinguished from sequencing errors.
Which characteristic of a laboratory centrifuge is directly described by the term 'relative centrifugal force' (RCF)?
Answer: The gravitational force equivalent applied to the sample, expressed as a multiple of gravity (× g)
RCF (× g) expresses the actual force applied to the sample relative to Earth's gravity, calculated from both the RPM and the rotor radius, and is the standardized way to compare centrifugation protocols.