Automated Urinalysis Workstation

What is the Automated Urinalysis Workstation?

An automated urinalysis workstation combines strip chemistry and sediment analysis in one instrument with a shared sample path and single report. It suits hospital laboratories that report chemistry and microscopy results together for several hundred samples per day.

Overview

The workstation holds a sample rack, dips and reads reagent strips in the chemistry section and processes the same sample in the sediment section, which may use flow cytometry or digital imaging. A single software application merges the two result sets, applies review rules and communicates with the laboratory information system through one interface. Sample identification is by barcode, and mixing before analysis is performed automatically to resuspend cells. Combined throughput is typically 60 to 120 samples per hour for chemistry with sediment analysis, lower when many samples are flagged for manual review. The operator loads samples and consumables, reviews flagged cases and handles any reflex microscopy, which reduces the manual handling that separate instruments would require.

How does it work?

The platform links two analytical modules through one sample and one worklist. The chemistry module dips a reagent strip, reads the pads by reflectance photometry at defined wavelengths, applies colour and ascorbate compensation and reports semiquantitative categories. The sediment module either uses flow cytometry with a nucleic acid stain and scatter signals to classify particles by size, granularity and fluorescence, or images a sediment chamber or centrifuged slide and classifies particles by pattern recognition. The software merges both result sets into one report, applies review rules such as reflex microscopy for flagged samples, and transmits results to the laboratory information system. Sample barcode reading, mixing before aspiration and automatic washing between samples reduce operator handling and improve traceability, while quality control records and reagent lot tracking support accreditation.

What are the key features?

• Chemistry and sediment modules sharing one sample path
• Single software with merged result report
• Barcode sample identification with automatic mixing
• Review rules that trigger reflex microscopy
• Combined throughput of 60 to 120 samples per hour
• One interface to the laboratory information system

What are the technical specifications?

A typical automated urinalysis workstation configuration offers combined throughput of 60–120 samples/h, chemistry parameters of 10–14 parameters per sample, sediment method of Flow cytometry or digital imaging, sediment particles reported of RBC, WBC, epithelial cells, casts, crystals, bacteria, yeast, sample volume of 1–3 mL fresh urine and sample positions of 40–80 with continuous loading. Values are indicative of the product class; the exact figures for each configuration are confirmed on the quotation and the calibration documents supplied with the instrument.

Which applications is it used for?

The Automated Urinalysis Workstation is used in hospital routine urinalysis reporting, outpatient urine testing at volume, nephrology and urology sample review and antenatal and emergency urine screening. Across the wider Automated Urinalysis Systems class, laboratories also deploy it for hospital routine urinalysis with combined reporting, nephrology and urology outpatient testing and emergency department urine screening.

Which standards and certifications apply?

Relevant standards and methods include ISO 15189, CLSI GP16, CLSI EP05, CLSI AUTO10, CLSI POCT04, IEC 61010-1 and IEC 61010-2-101. Certification candidates for this model are CE, ISO 13485 manufacturing and NMPA class II registration; each is to be confirmed for the specific configuration before shipment, and certificates are supplied only where they have been issued.

Install the system on a level bench with controlled temperature, stable power and enough space for reagent and waste containers, and verify each module separately before validating the combined workflow with a set of normal and abnormal samples compared against manual microscopy. Define the review rules and test them before go-live, since rule errors affect which results are released automatically. Daily work includes running chemistry control strips and sediment control material, checking reagent and strip status and inspecting the flow cell or imaging chamber for deposits. Wash solutions, cuvettes and flow cells require scheduled cleaning, and results flagged by the system should be reviewed according to documented criteria. Treat all urine samples and waste as potentially infectious.

How do I select the right Automated Urinalysis Workstation?

Specify this variant when combined chemistry and sediment reporting is required for a few hundred samples per day and space allows a single workstation. In the RFQ confirm the sediment technology, the particle classes reported, whether images are retained for review, and the reflex rules the software supports.

How does it compare with other Automated Urinalysis Systems variants?

Choose an automated urinalysis system when sediment results are required routinely and the daily sample number exceeds a few hundred, or when manual microscopy cannot keep up with the workload. Compare systems by which sediment technology is used, the particle classes reported, whether a microscope image is available for review, and the review rules offered. Check the chemistry parameters, cross-contamination control between samples, barcode handling and the combined report format. Confirm the throughput on a realistic mixture of normal and abnormal samples, since flagged samples take longer, and the sample volume needed for both modules. Verify LIS integration and the traceability features, and plan a downtime procedure because a single platform carries both chemistry and sediment reporting.