M1 U3: Glassware, Equipment and Supplies Used in Clinical Chemistry Flashcards

1
Q

Volumetric Flask

A
  • class A quality
  • calibrated to contain (TC) one specific amount or volume of liquid
  • flasks label also indicated the nominal volume, tolerance, precision class and relevant manufacturing standard
  • used to bring a given reagent to its final volume with the prescribed diluent
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2
Q

Erlenmeyer Flask

A
  • aka titration or conical flask
  • measuring, mixing, heating, but better suited for swirling solutions and can easily be held at the neck in one hand
  • designed to hold different volumes rather than one exact amount
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3
Q

Beakers

A
  • can be heated to much higher temperatures compared to plastic counterparts, higher clarity and content visibility and measuring
  • graduated markings are accurate within 10%; not as precise as volumetric flasks or graduated cylinders
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4
Q

Graduated Cylinders

A
  • more accurate and precise for measurement purposes than flasks and beakers but should not be used for volumetric analysis
  • Plastic gc are impact resistant
  • polyethylene gc are transparent
  • polypropylene gc are chemically resistant
  • Glass gc are chemically inert
  • borosilicate gc greater resistance to thermal shock
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5
Q

Pipettes

A
  • usually used for 20 mL or less; larger volumes are transferred or dispersed by automated pipetting devices or jar-style pipetting apparatus
  • manual pipettes bulbs or pumps
  • semi-automatic pipettes similar device built into it
  • mouth pipetting, aspiration
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6
Q

Burettes

A
  • used to dispense and measure a variable amount o a chemical solution in analytical chemistry at the same time
  • stopcock valve
  • Gas measuring burettes, stopcock is at the top of the glass tube
  • Digital burettes, deliver at increasing accuracy and precision
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7
Q

Funnels

A
  • Buscher and Hirsch funnels can remove fine particles from a liquid
  • sintered glass frit is suggested for more demanding filtering applications
  • Plastic, generally used for transferring powders
  • polyethylene, aqueous solution transfers
  • glass, inertness
  • metal, won’t chip, break, corrode
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8
Q

Stirring Rod

A
  • used to mix chemicals and liquids for reaction purposes
  • glass with steel cores or in solid plastic
  • chemically resistant, inert, and non-abrasive
  • steel core, extra rigidity is required
  • solid plastic, tapered end
  • borosilicate, low thermal expansion values and feature flat ends
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9
Q

Glass Test Tubes

A
  • most commonly and widely used lab glassware
  • used to handle chemicals and allow you to observe the contents of the tube during the reaction
  • 12 x 75 mm, containing samples (plasma or serum)
  • 13 x 100 mm, containing protein-free filtrate
  • 15 x 100 mm, containing distilled water or diluent for reagent preparation, whole blood for serum and protein-free filtrate preparation
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10
Q

Centrifuge Tubes

A
  • used to contain liquids during centrifugation

- conical bottoms, help collect any solid or heavier parts of the sample being centrifuged

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11
Q

Cuvettes

A
  • aka analytical cell or sample cell
  • used to hold samples for spectroscopic measurement
  • glass, suitable for visible region and routine UV work; greater transparency and accuracy of measurement
  • quartz, UV far-infrared transmissions
  • plastic, one use and do not require cleaning
  • square, plane-parallel optical surfaces and a constant light path; advantage over round there is less error from the lens effect, orientation in the spectrophotometer, and refraction
  • scratched surfaces should be discarded as they scatter light
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12
Q

Reagent Bottles

A
  • excellent for storing powders and liquids
  • tinted amber or red, protect light sensitive contents from UV light, visible light, and infrared radiation
  • narrow mouths, better control while pouring
  • wide mouths, easy filling or content retrieval
  • caps or stoppers should be selected carefully, material or lining may interact negatively with the contents of the bottle
  • plastic, glass, borosilicate glass, or soda lime glass
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13
Q

Thermometers

A
  • utilization of laboratory refrigerators

- monitoring of temp of water baths, heating cells, and heating blocks

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14
Q

Liquid-in-glass thermometer

A
  • measure between 20C and 400C

Calibration:

  • calibrated against an NIST-certified or NIST-traceable thermometer
  • SRM with calibration points (0, 25, 30, 37)
  • calibrated against Gallium cell

Types:

i. Partial Immersion thermometer
ii. Total Immersion thermometer
iii. Surface Thermometer

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15
Q

Partial Immersion thermometer

A

used for measuring temps in units such as heating blocks or water baths

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16
Q

Total Immersion thermometer

A

used for refrigeration applications

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17
Q

Surface Thermometer

A

maybe needed to check temperatures in flat surfaces, such as an incubator or heating oven

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18
Q

Electronic Thermometer or Thermistor Probe

A
  • small size and millisecond response time
  • calibrated against SRM thermometer or the gallium melting point cell
  • when calibrated against gallium cell, it can be used as reference for any type of thermometer
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19
Q

Digital Thermometer

A
  • widely used

- overhauls and updates the traditional liquid-based thermometer

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20
Q

Syringes

A
  • sometimes used for transfer of small volumes (less than 500 microliters) in blood gas analysis
  • used in separation techniques such as chromatography or electrophoresis

Expected inaccuracies:

  • < 5 microliter : 2% inaccuracy
  • > 5 microliter : 1% inaccuracy
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21
Q

Rubber Bulb

A
  • used with serological or volumetric pipettes
  • silicone, natural or synthetic rubber
  • allow safe, manual control of filling or discharging hazardous liquids
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22
Q

Parafilm/ Sealing Film

A
  • thermoplastic, self-sealing film, it is ideal for the scientific laboratory
  • stretchable, moldable, waterproof, and self-adhering, holds moisture loss to a minimum
  • commonly used for sealing or protecting vessels as it offers excellent protection for the contents of tubes, flasks
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23
Q

Dessicants

A
  • used to keep other chemicals from becoming hydrated
  • most effective when placed inside a desiccator (closed and sealed containers)
  • majority of which are hygroscopic
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24
Q

Hygroscopic

A
  • substances that take up water on exposure to atmospheric conditions
  • can remove moisture from the air as well as from other materials
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25
Q

Deliquescent substances

A

Substances capable of absorbing enough water from the atmosphere to cause dissolution

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26
Q

Hydrate

A

Compound with the associated water molecules

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27
Q

Anhydrous

A

When the water of crystallization is removed from the compound

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28
Q

Wash Bottles

A

used to supply precise and small quantities of various liquids

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29
Q

Test Tube Rack

A

help keep a lab organized and keeping test tubes up right

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30
Q

Disposable pipette tips

A
  • designed to fit securely and tightly around a pipette barrel
  • accuracy can be affected if not fit properly to the barrel
  • poor seal, drawn-in air can escape and the correct volume of liquid is not aspirated
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31
Q

Spectrophotometer

A
  • measures amount of photons (intensity of light) absorbed after it passes through sample solution
  • amount of a known chemical substance (concentration) can also be determined by measure of intensity of light detected
32
Q

Water bath

A
  • incubate samples at constant temp
  • temp may be controlled digitally or by dial
  • water bath cycles on and off to ensure constancy of temp
33
Q

Clinical centrifuge

A
  • separation supernatant from a precipitate, two immiscible liquids and expelling of air
  • centrifugal force is used to separate solid matter from a liquid suspension
  • consists of a head or rotor, carriers, or shields that are attached to the vertical shaft of a motor or air compressor and enclosed in a metal covering
  • some have a tachometer, indicates speed
34
Q

Types of centrifuge

A
  • according to designated area of placing

- according to rotor head/ speed

35
Q

Types of centrifuge according to designated area of placing

A
  • benchtop/ table-model
  • floortop/ floor-model
  • refrigerated centrifuge: -15C to -25C, permits centrifugation at higher speeds because the specimens are protected from the heat generated by the rotors of the centrifuge
36
Q

Types of centrifuge according to rotor head/ speed

A
  • horizontal-head centrifuge / swinging-bucket centrifuge
  • angle-head centrifuge / fixed angle-head centrifuge
  • microhematocrit centrifuge / microfuge
  • cytocentrifuge
  • ultracentrifuge
37
Q

horizontal-head centrifuge / swinging-bucket centrifuge

A
  • at rest: tubes are held at vertical position
  • during centrifugation: horizontal
  • 3000 rpm, 1700g
  • no excessive heat production produced caused by friction between head and air
38
Q

angle-head centrifuge / fixed angle-head centrifuge

A
  • cups held at rigid position at fixed angle
  • during centrifugation, particles travel along the side of the tube to form a sediment that packs against the bottom and side of the tube
39
Q

microhematocrit centrifuge / microfuge

A
  • suited for capillary tube
  • used in hema lab for packing rbc
  • speed 10,000 rpm - 15,000 rpm
40
Q

cytocentrifuge

A
  • uses a motor with very high torque and low inertia to spread monolayers of cells rapidly across a special slide for morphologic studies
41
Q

ultracentrifuge

A
  • high-speed generally used for research projects
  • air driven ultracentrifuge available for clinical use 90,000 to 100,000 rpm max RCF of 178,000g
  • often refrigerated
42
Q

Centrifugal force

A
  • expression of how many > force applied by centrifuge is compared to force of gravity
  • expressed in relative centrifugal force (RCF) or g
43
Q

Formula for centrifugal force

A

RCF = 1.118 x 10^-5 * r * (rpm)^2

44
Q

Factors affecting Centrifugal force

A
  • mass
  • radius of centrifuge
  • speed in revolutions per minute
45
Q

General lab centrifuge operates at speeds of up to ___, generating RCF up to ____ time the force of gravity (g)

A

6000 rpm, 7000

46
Q

Balances

A

Essential in producing high-quality reagents and standards

47
Q

Classification of Balances

A
  • Based on the number of pans (single or double)
  • Based on whether they are mechanical or electronic
  • Based on operating ranges
    a. Precision balances: 2 microgram
    b. Analytic balances: 0.001 g
    c. Microbalances: 0.1 microgram
48
Q

Analytic balances

A
  • preparation of primary standard
  • common model: mechanical analytic balance; aka substitution balance
  • enclosed by sliding transparent doors, minimize environmental influences on pan movement
49
Q

Electronic balances

A
  • use an electromagnetic force to counterbalance the weighed sample’s mass
  • fast response time
50
Q

Classification of test weights (Conventional NIST Classification)

A
  • Class S weights
  • Class M weights
  • Class S-1 weights
  • Class P weights
  • Class J weights
51
Q

Classification of test weights (ASTM Classification)

A
  • ASTM Class 1 weights
  • ASTM Class 2 weights
  • ASTM Class 3 weights
52
Q

Class S weights

A

used for calibrating balances (prior to 1993)

53
Q

Class M weights

A

Primary standard quality and used only to calibrate other weights

54
Q

Class S-1 weights

A

greater tolerance than class S and used for routine analytical work

55
Q

Class P weights

A

greater tolerance than S-1

56
Q

Class J weights

A

intended for microanalytical work and range from 50 - 0.5 mg

57
Q

ASTM Class 1 weights

A
  • highest precision

- used to calibrate high-precision analytical balances weight range 0.01 mg to 0.1 mg

58
Q

ASTM Class 2 weights

A
  • equiv to former NBS S standard weights

- calibration weight range 0.001 to 0.01g

59
Q

ASTM Class 3 weights

A
  • equiv to former S-1 weights

- calibration weight range 0.01 to 0.1 g

60
Q

Hot air sterilizer

A
  • sterilizing instruments which can tolerate high temperature and need to remain in sterilized condition
  • commonly for glassware and stainless steel
61
Q

Pipet washers

A

thoroughly clean pipets quickly and easily

62
Q

Laboratory refrigerators

A

cool or store samples or specimens for preservation

63
Q

General washing routine procedure

A
  • Soak in soapy or dilute bleach soln
  • Wash using lab ware designed detergent
  • Rinse 3 times (tap), 1 time (distilled)
  • Dry in oven less than 140C
64
Q

Acid Dichromate Method washing

A
  • soln useful until green colour develops
  • soak overnight and rinse with dilute ammonia
  • rewash according to routine procedure
65
Q

Nitric Acid (20%) washing

A
  • soak 12-24 hrs

- wash according to routine procedure

66
Q

Washing pipets (SI alkaline)

A
  • rinse with 5% HCL or 5% HNO3

- wash routine procedure

67
Q

Dirty pipets

A
  • pipettes placed into cylinder containing a cleaning soln with tips up for 30 mins
  • rinse with tap water using an automatic washer (pipette washer) for 1 to 2 hrs
  • rinse with deionized or distilled water 2 - 3 times and dry oven
68
Q

Blood clots

A
  • soak 10% sodium hydroxide for 12-24 hrs
  • routine wash
  • dry micropipettes use acetone rinse (or acid chromate)
69
Q

Metal ion determination

A
  • 20% nitric acid 12-24 hrs

- rinse distilled 3-4 times water should be fresh with each rinsing step (or acid chromate)

70
Q

Permanganate stains

A
  • soak 50% HCl or mixture of 25% H2SO4 and 1% FeSO4
  • rinse tap water
  • wash
71
Q

Grease

A
  • soak in organic solvent or 50% KOH or Conrad 70 (manufactured by Harleco)
72
Q

Iron determination

A

soak in HCL soln (1:2) or HNO3 soln (1:3) followed by thorough washing

73
Q

Cleaning plasticware

A
  • easy to clean because non-wettable surface
  • wash with powder or liquid detergent
  • distilled rinses
  • check pH of final rinse water to check if all detergent has been removed from labware
  • should be alkaline
  • brush or abrasive shouldn’t be used
74
Q

Drying glassware

A
  • air-dry oven below 140C bottoms up

- occasionally rinse with water-miscible organic solvents (eg acetone) then expose to stream of air or nitrogen

75
Q

Main purpose of regular maintenance ?

A

Ensure that all equipment required for production is operating at 100% efficiency all the time

76
Q

What are the various procedures and routines ensuring that lab equipment is well maintained and cared for ?

A
  • develop standard operating procedures
  • prepare documentation on each specific equipment, repairs and maintenance undertaken
  • outline preventive maintenance program
  • train both technical and managerial staff on proper use and care