[Advances in the clinical laboratory automation system of Akita University Hospital]

Abstract

Abstract Clinical laboratory automation, which was widely discussed in the 1960's, was developed in late he 1970's. The computerized automatic analyzing system for clinical laboratories spread nationwide in the 1980's. Akita University Hospital was established in 1971. We have been making efforts to establish the automated clinical laboratory system. The hematological and clinical chemistry divisions were automated in 1981. In 1988, in order to establish a fully automated clinical laboratory, we introduced sample-conveying systems in each division including hematological, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, serological and immunological divisions. In 1998, we connected the sample-conveying systems which had been separately established in each division to create a fully automated clinical laboratory with an integrated sample-conveying system.