Equipment Maintenance Flashcards
7 cards from real CMLA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Equipment Maintenance flashcards as text
Which standard is most commonly referenced for biological safety cabinet certification and testing in the United States?
Answer: NSF/ANSI 49
NSF/ANSI 49 is the U.S. standard governing the design, construction, and field testing of Class II biosafety cabinets.
What does a 'delta check' failure on a patient result indicate in the context of analyzer maintenance?
Answer: The current result differs significantly from the patient's previous result, suggesting a possible specimen or instrument error
Delta checks compare sequential patient results to flag unlikely changes that may indicate a mislabeled specimen, wrong patient, or instrument malfunction.
A laboratory balance fails its linearity check with a certified weight set. What is the appropriate next step?
Answer: Remove the balance from service, recalibrate or send for repair, and recheck with certified weights before returning to use
A failed linearity check means the balance cannot be trusted for accurate measurement and must be removed from service until verified.
What is the purpose of running a 'carry-over' test on an automated chemistry analyzer?
Answer: To detect contamination of a low-concentration sample by a preceding high-concentration sample in the same analyte
Carry-over tests use alternating high and low samples to quantify how much residual analyte from a high sample contaminates the next low sample.
Which document specifies the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule for a laboratory instrument?
Answer: The instrument's operator or service manual
The operator or service manual provided by the manufacturer contains the recommended PM schedule, cleaning procedures, and part replacement intervals.
What is the primary risk of operating a centrifuge with a rotor that has exceeded its manufacturer-specified maximum run count?
Answer: Metal fatigue can cause rotor failure or explosion during high-speed operation
Rotors have finite fatigue life; exceeding the maximum run count increases the risk of catastrophic rotor failure, which can be fatal.
If a laboratory freezer alarm activates at 3 AM, what is the most appropriate first action for the on-call staff member?
Answer: Check the actual freezer temperature and assess whether specimens must be moved to a backup unit
Verifying the actual temperature first determines whether a true excursion has occurred and guides the decision to relocate specimens.