Selecting a diagnostic analyser for the laboratory workflow

Describe what the laboratory needs to deliver

Document the assays, specimen types, opening hours and reporting needs that the system will serve. Separate routine batches, urgent requests and seasonal peaks. A daily average can hide a busy morning period or an urgent result needed when the main batch has already started.

Discuss the workflow with the people who receive, prepare, test and report samples. Identify bottlenecks and record what would count as a useful improvement. Reducing manual preparation may matter more in one laboratory; another may need flexible access for a small number of urgent specimens.

Measure the complete sample-to-report interval

List preparation, waiting, instrument operation, result review and transmission as separate steps. Ask which can run concurrently and which require an operator. A quoted run time should not be presented as the laboratory’s guaranteed turnaround time because workload and the surrounding process affect delivery.

Include quality-control activity, invalid runs and repeats in a realistic demonstration plan. Use the proposed operating conditions and document any differences from routine practice. The demonstration helps understand operation; it is distinct from the laboratory’s required evaluation and authorisation for routine use.

Compare systems using the same assumptions

Prepare a common set of questions before comparing quotations. A low instrument price can be difficult to interpret if reagent commitments, maintenance, consumables or the work needed for installation are outside its scope. Keep quoted facts separate from estimates and items awaiting confirmation.

Plan installation and local acceptance before purchase

Confirm site requirements, delivery responsibilities, operator training and the documentation supplied with the system. Agree how installation issues will be recorded and who can answer application questions. Where data transfer is needed, define the intended interface and responsibilities rather than assuming every connection is included.

The laboratory should define its applicable acceptance and verification work through its quality system. Identify the records and approvals needed before reporting patient results. Keep manufacturer performance claims, installation checks and local evaluation results clearly distinguishable in the file.

Make support arrangements part of the decision

Ask how to obtain consumables, how service requests are raised and which information helps diagnose a problem. Record the relevant contacts and agreed scope. A support statement is more useful when it explains an actual process than when it uses an undefined phrase such as complete coverage.

For MCL60 immunoassay or iFIND molecular systems, begin with the product and assay information relevant to your workflow and confirm configuration and availability with the local team. These systems serve different diagnostic needs; they should not be treated as interchangeable alternatives simply because both are laboratory instruments.