Klinisk Biokemi i Norden Nr 3, vol. 17, 2005 - page 5

| 3 | 2005
Klinisk Biokemi i Norden
HUSLAB is the laboratory organ-
isation of Helsinki University
Central Hospital. It provides clin-
ical laboratory services at the
capital area to a population of
1,4 million people serving both
hospitals and primary health
care. HUSLAB has approximately
1500 employees (850 at the divi-
sion of clinical chemistry) at
more than 45 different sites in the three biggest
towns (Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa) in the capital
area. More than 10 million laboratory tests are
produced annually, which is 20-25% of all clini-
cal laboratory testing in Finland. During the last
years the strategy for clinical chemistry has been
to centralise and simplify the processes. Half of all
testing takes place in one single core laboratory. A
common laboratory information system (LIS) and
high capacity laboratory automation have made
this consolidation possible. Production of the core
laboratory is based on preanalytical automation
connected to high capacity analysers. The pre-
analytical automation system (TCAutomation from
Thermo Electron) is a single tube, scalable and open
system, where analysers from different vendors can
be connected online. We have chosen Roche/Hitachi
Modular PP800 instruments for chemistry, Abbott
Architecht for immunochemistry and Sysmex HST
as stand-alone automation for haematology. The
number of test tubes handled with preanalytic
automation exceeds 5000 daily. In addition to the
core laboratory, there are 9 satellite laboratories at
different acute hospitals in the capital area with a
7 day/24 hour emergency room. These laboratories
are equipped with harmonized instrumentation for
basic chemistry, haematology and point-of-care
testing. Because the laboratories share the same
LIS as the core laboratory, the satellite laboratories
serve as back-up capacity for the core laboratory.
Effective automation has been a key element for the
success of our laboratory. We are prepared that the
number of tests in the core laboratory will increase
with 20-25% within the next 1-2 years. This will be
possible with the current analytical capacity.
Experiences in implementing automation in HUSLAB -
Helsinki University Central Hospital Laboratory
Martti Syrjälä, MD, PhD Head, HUSLAB, Division of Clinical Chemistry
e-mail martti.syrjala@hus.fi
Structure of the automation system
1 2
3
3
4
5 5
6
7
8
6
9 9
10
Preanalytic zone
Chemistry zone
Immunochemistry
1. Aliquoting
6. On-line connected Roche Modular
2. Sorting
7. Exit for manual work stations
3. Sample loader
8. Automatic rack loader for off line instruments
4. Centrifugation
9. On-line connected Abbott Architecht
5. Cap removal
10. Exit/storage of analysed samples
1,2,3,4 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,...31
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