Abstracts/Sommaires/Zusammenfassungen

s/Sommaires/Zusammenfassungen

which enables the costs of carrying out analyses for a given workload using different instruments to be compared. The procedure is kept as simple as possible by only considering those costs which may vary from one analyser to another, in so doing a number of assumptions are made which have to be justified. Each part of the costing analysis is described in detail and then applied to ten instruments which are capable of carrying out similar analyses. Examples of analytical systems, using combinations of these instruments, are compared to illustrate the usefulness of the costing procedure. The conclusions are that a relatively simple costing analysis has been devised whereby instrument running costs may be compared fora given workload. However, its full application can only be realised through a computer program which then enables many instruments in different analytical systems to be compared and applied to different Workloads.

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Design considerations for an automated hydride evolution system based on continuous flow principles A.L. Dennis and D.G. Porter Because of their potential toxicity, it is necessary to be able to accurately measure environmental concentrations of certain elements, such as arsensic. It has been found that adequate sensitivity can be achieved using an automated hydride evolution procedure, and the development of an automated system using this method is described.

Page 139
An automatic method for the determination of bromide in water R.E.D. Moxon and E.J. Dixon An indirect method for the determination of bromide in natural waters has been automated. The method is based on the catalytic effect of bromide on the oxidation of iodine to iodate by permanganate, the excess iodine being extracted into carbon tetrachloride and measured colorimetrically. Problems associated with the automation of a system involving solvent extraction were examined and the method was applied to a range of United Kingdom drinking waters. The method has a precision in the order of five percent, a detection limit of 4 /zg per litre, a recovery of added bromide ranging from 95 to 108 percent and an output of 20 samples per hour. The effect of possible interfering substances has been investigated.
Une m6thode automatique pour la dter- An evaluation has been made of the Beckman ASTRA-8, a seven-channel, automatic discrete analyser, which will analyse serum for urea, sodium, potassium chloride, total carbon dioxide, glucose and creatinine. Apart from creatinine, all analyses are made by electrochemical methods.

Une valuation de l'analysateur Beckman Astra 8
Une 6valuation a 6t6 faite du Beckman ASTRA-8, analysateur automatique discret h sept canaux qui analyse le s6rum pour l'urea, le soude, la potasse, le chlorure, le dioxyde de carbone total, le glucose et la cr6atinine. Mise h part la cr6atinine, routes les analyses sont faites h l'aide de mthodes blectrochimiques.  (PACIA) has been applied to the determination of human placental lactogen using a complete-' ly automated system, with a total throughput time of 31 min. The threshold sensitivity in the best conditions was 0.1 tg/1 and the practical range in serum from 0.5 mg/l to 20 mg]l the correlation coefficient with radioimmunoassay was 0.99; the inter-assay coefficient of variation was less than 6.5%. lmmunoassay par comptage de particules (PACIA) V-son application pour la dtermination de lactogne humain placentaire Immunoassay par comptage de particules (PACIA) a bt appliqu6 pour la d6termination de lactogne humain placentaire, en employant un systme compltement automatique, avec un temps de passage total de 31 min. La limite de dtection dans les meilleures conditions btait de 0.1 tg/1, et la rang6e pratique de srum de 0.5 mg/1 20 mg/l; le co6fficient de corrblation avec radioimmunoassay tait 0.99" le coefficient de variation entre diff6rents essais tait de moins de 6.5%.

Page 153
Evaluation of the C parallel analyser R. Puukka and M. Puukka A new analyser, C Parallel Analyser, was evaluated for the routine clinical measurement of seven laboratory tests. The factors evaluated for ALP, AST, alpha-amylase, albumin, cholesterol, creatinine and triglycerides were as follows: 1. rate of analysis of patient sample, 2. overall precision (within-day and day-to-day), 3. analytical linearity, 4. correlation of values with those obtained by methods used routinely in our laboratory, 5. error detection messages, 6. reliability.
Experience indicates that the C Parallel Analyser can analyse about 40-60 patient samples for one component in 15 minutes, incubation periods excluded. It is also easy to operate. The within-day and day-to-day precisions (coefficient of variance) obtained were good, generally less than 3.0% and 5.0%, respectively. The ranges of linearity were wide enough for every analysis and the correlation studies indicated a good agreement with normal routine laboratory methods. Furthermore, the free choice of dispensing order and volumes, incubation times and measuring mode enable a great flexibility of the analyser in chemical methods.

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An improved automated colorimetric analysis of fructose in fermentation media.

R.B. Roy and A. Buccafuri
An automated method is described for the rapid analysis of glucose-isomerising activity in fermentation broths. It retains the accuracy of previous methods (such as the 'Dische reaction') while using fewer modules and milder reaction conditions. Twenty samples per hour may be analysed, with fructose in the range of 0.01-0.1 mg]ml. Une analyse colorimetrique automatique amiliore de fructose en milieu de fermentation Une mthode automatique est dcrite pour analyse rapide d'activit d'isomrisation de glucose en fermentation de bouillon. Elle a la precision des mthods ant6rieures (p.e. la "r6action Dische") parce qu'elle utilise moins de modules et des conditions de raction plus I(geres. Vingt chantillons par heure peuvent itre analyss, avec un fructose de 0.01-0.1 mg/ml.