Lab Equipment Use

What is a centrifuge used for?

It is used to separate substances of different densities that are in a solution.

Supernatant

Liquid portion of a component after being in the centrifuge.

Sediment

Solid portion of a component after being in the centrifuge.

Three rules of the centrifuge are?

1. Always balance before turning on

2. Always lock the lid

3. Never attempt to stop the centrifuge as it is rotating

What is a refractometer?

A tool used to measure how much light bends (or refracts) as it passes through a liquid or substance. For example, it aids in hydration by measuring how concentrated urine is compared to pure water. Or, it can measure how much protein in the blood by using separated plasma.

Baseline specific gravity for distilled water?

1.000

Don or donning

Put on or apply PPE

Doffing

Take off or remove PPE

Donning in order

1. Lab coat

2. Mask

3. Goggles

4. Gloves

Doffing in order

1. Remove gloves

2. Remove goggles

3. Remove coat

4. Remove mask

How long should you rinse your eyes if exposed in a lab?

15 minutes

What does quality assurance do?

Ensures that results are reliable and accurate by instilling procedures and standards for maintenance.

SDS

Safety Data Sheet.

A list of all chemicals, risks, procedures, and how to properly dispose.

What should be on a Reference Lab Requisition Form when sent out to external labs?

1. Patient’s full name/ID#

2. Date of sample collection

3. Test needed to run

4. Method of sample collection

5. Patient’s medical history

6. Presenting clinical signs

7. Method of and to whom will be receiving results

What is the ocular system on a microscope and how much is it magnified?

The lenses in the eye pieces, it is magnified by 10x.

What are the lenses that are a part of the objective system?

4x - scanning

10x - low dry

40x - high dry

100x - oil

What is the 4x lens used for?

Finding a field of interest, used for larger specimen like ectoparasites such as dog ticks, bugs, and fleas.

What is the 10x lens used for?

Parasite eggs, ear mites, or crystals in urine.

What is the 40x lens used for?

Urine sediment (UA), RBC morphology (state of cells like size, color, shape, after getting an abnormal CBC), WBC distribution, and fungus.

What is the 100x lens used for?

RBC/WBC morphology and bacteria. The oil prevents the light from bending off the glass slide and captures more light so the image is the most detailed. This must be the last lens used to avoid damaging the other lenses with the oil, and must be cleaned off afterward.

What does the condenser do on a microscope?

The condenser focuses the light into a tight beam and directs it through the slide up to the stage. Turning the condenser knob will move the condenser itself closer or further away from the light, closer to the light condenses the light source and makes it brighter and further away makes it darker.

What does the iris diaphragm do?

The iris diaphragm is an attachment below the condenser and right above the light bulb at the base. It controls how much light reaches the slide through the condenser. Control it by using the small lever attachment right next to the condenser knob. It opens or closes, more open is brighter and more closed is darker.

What does the course focus adjustment do?

Moves the stage up and down during initial adjustments of finding the sample. Only use with 4x or 10x so the slide doesn’t doesn’t accidently hit the lenses.

What does the fine focus adjustment do?

Makes very small and precise adjustments to the stage moving up or down to get a clearer image.

How do you hold a microscope?

Hold the arm with one hand and hold the base with the other.

Steps in using oil lens

1. With the 40x lens, center the slide

2. Turn the objective to land between 40x and 100x

3. Place a drop of immersion oil on the area of slide being examined

4. Turn to 100x

5. Once finished, turn halfway again for the cleaning process, do not switch to any other lens without cleaning first

What does stage controls do on a microscope?

It moves the slide left to right and forward and backward to place the slide in the correct area over the light.

What do you use to clean the stage of the microscope?

Alcohol and tissue.

What do you use to clean the ocular lenses of he microscope?

Kimwipes and lens cleaner.

Steps in cleaning and putting away microscope

1. Lower stage all the way and remove slide

2. Use kimwipes and lens cleaner to wipe oil of lens

3. Get new lens paper/cleaner to wipe dry lenses and eyepieces

4. Use alcohol tissue to wipe stage, arm and base

5. Put on 4x

6. Turn light to the lowest setting and turn off

7. Power off and unplug

8. Loop cord and put dust cover on

With hematocrit tubes (Hct) which end faces out when in the centrifuge?

The clay end.

What do you need to spin hematocrit tubes (Hct)?

The inner lid.

What are the 3 speed procedures for the centrifuge?

Blood separation - 5 minutes

Micro-hematocrits - 3 minutes

Urine sedimentation - 6 minutes

What is a chemistry analyzer for/do?

They measure the concentration of chemical substances in bodily fluids like blood, plasma, and urine. They keep track of conditions, measure how well medications are working, and measure substances like glucose, protein, enzymes, electrolytes, and cholesterol.