Dr. hawker discusses thawing, mixing workcell
In 2007, with workload increasing, ARUP Laboratories installed the world's first two automated thawing and mixing workcells. Charles D. Hawker, PhD, scientific director of Automation and Special Projects, discusses automation in Advance for Administrators of the Laboratory. According to Dr. Hawker, the thawing and mixing workcells were built as the first step toward the creation of a total laboratory automation system (TLA) for ARUP's core laboratory.The workcell was a three-year collaborative effort of ARUP scientists, the Motoman Corporation, and engineers in the University of Utah's College of Engineering.
- The automated thawing and mixing workcells were built as the first step toward the creation of a total lab automation system (TLA) for ARUP's automated core laboratory. ARUP Laboratories is an esoteric reference lab that receives a large number of frozen specimens compared to most hospitals or regional reference labs with TLA systems. Reference labs also experience high incidences of specimens that may be hemolyzed, icteric, lipemic or have clots or fibrin present (from freezing and thawing). All of these present challenges for an objective of TLA.
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(Advance for Administrators of the Laboratory. “Automation Alert: Thawing, Mixing Workcell.” January 2008.)