MEDICAL ENGINEERING Medical Engineering encompasses a broad range of activities, and is alternatively called Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering.

the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes. has only recently emerged as its own discipline, compared to many other engineering fields. Medical Laboratory Instrumentation part of Clinical Engineering a specialty within medical engineering responsible primarily for applying and implementing medical technology to optimize healthcare delivery. deals with the actual implementation of medical equipment and technologies in hospitals or other clinical settings. Importance: Accuracy and precision, because many critical patient-care decisions are based on test results supplied by the clinical laboratory. Excellent equipment design and effective quality control programs are essential. Fast response, because in many critical clinical situations, the therapy selected by the physician depends on the test results. The application of electronics in the clinical laboratory has greatly reduced the time required to perform a wide variety of crucial tests. A major application of electronics in the clinical laboratory is the use of computer systems for information management. The current design trend in laboratory instrumentation is to include data-processing capability in essentially every instrument. Most applications of electronic instrumentation in the clinical laboratory take place in the chemistry section. Spectrophotometer - an instrument that measures the amount of light absorbed by a sample. - spectrophotometer techniques are used to measure the concentration of substances in solution by measuring the amount of light that is absorbed by the solution in a cuvette placed in the device. Source - supplies the radiant energy used to analyze Wavelength selector - allows energy in a limited Cuvette - holds the sample to be analyzed in the path Detector - produces an electric output that is proportional Readout - indicates the received energy Types: Single beam - measures the relative light intensity of the beam before and after a test sample is inserted. the sample. wavelength band to pass through. of the energy. to the amount of energy it receives

- test sample and reference sample are measured separately Double beam - compares the light intensity between two reference sample and the other, the test sample. light paths simultaneously, one path containing a travels down the reference sample and the test

- uses a chopper to transmit and reflect the light beam so it sample along the same optical paths to a single detector.

Split beam similar to the double beam spectrophotometer, but uses a beam splitter to send light along the reference sample and test sample paths simultaneously to two separate but identical detectors. Spectrophotometer Automated Chemical Analyzer - a medical laboratory instrument designed to measure different chemicals and other characteristics in a number of biological samples quickly, with minimal human assistance. - automation of laboratory testing does not remove the need for human expertise, but it does ease concerns about error reduction, staffing concerns, and safety. Examples: Hematology analyzer - used to perform complete blood counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESRs), or coagulation tests. Immuno-based analyzer

- used to detect detect many substances by immunoassay and other reactions that employ the use of antibodyantigen reactions. Routine biochemistry analyzer - used for tests such as those for indication of enzyme levels (such as many of the liver function tests), ion levels (e.g. sodium and potassium), and other chemicals (such as glucose, serum albumin, or creatinine). Chromatology - a group of methods for separating a mixture of substances into component parts: One phase is xed (liquid or solid) and the other is mobile (gas or liquid). When a liquid stationary phase is used, the process is called partition. When a solid stationary phase is used, the process is called adsorption. Example: GasLiquid Chromatography (GLC) - used primarily for the detection of complex substances such as drugs and hormones (what drug or drugs have been taken in overdose cases). Electrophoresis - the movement of a solid phase with respect to a liquid (the buffer solution). - devices based on electrophoretic principles are used in the clinical laboratory to measure quantities of the various types of proteins in plasma, urine, and CSF; to separate enzymes into their component isoenzymes; to identify antibodies; and to serve in a variety of other applications. Zone electrophoresis Also called, capillary electrophoresis. In this technique, the sample is applied to the medium; and under the effect of the electric eld, groups of particles that are similar in charge, size, and shape migrate at similar rates. This results in separation of the particles into zones. Laboratory Information System History Up until the late 1970s, the management of laboratory samples and the associated analysis and reporting were timeconsuming manual processes often riddled with transcription errors. In 1982 the first generation of LIS was introduced in the form of a single centralized minicomputer As personal computers became more powerful and prominent, a third generation of LIS emerged in the early 1990s. These new LIMS took advantage of the developing client/server architecture, allowing laboratories to implement better data processing and exchanges. By 1995 the client/server tools had developed to the point of allowing processing of data anywhere on the network or Web-enabled LIS As of 2012, some LIS have added additional characteristics such as electronic laboratory notebook(ELN) Definition: A laboratory information system (LIS) is a series of computer programs that process, store and manage data from all stages of medical processes and tests. Physicians and lab technicians use laboratory information systems to supervise many varieties of inpatient and outpatient medical testing, including hematology, chemistry, immunology and microbiology. Basic laboratory information systems commonly have features that manage patient check in, order entry, specimen processing, result entry and patient demographics. A LIS tracks and stores every detail about a patient from the minute they arrive until they leave and keeps the information stored in its database for future reference. Test results reporting system: Timely Accessible Accurate Legible

Easily understood Secure Confidential Private Computerized LIS Software options in-house developed systems using commercial database software fully developed commercial systems Look for: permanence computer system maintenance, backups security access confidentiality traceability system speed, flexibility Data Protection: schedule regular backup of data Benefits Very fast report access and queries Reduction in paperwork Improved data quality (reduction in errors) Improved operational efficiency Increased productivity (reduction of routine tasks) Reduces transcription errors Track instrument maintenance and calibration Advantages Disadvantages Process of Laboratory Information System Open-LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) Open-LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) Main aim of Open-LIMS is to image all IT-supported laboratory processes with one software. This software increases the efficiency of laboratory processes. The members become more productive and save time by managing, viewing or finding relevant data. The concept is based on a work-flow circle with different experiment phases.