Enhanced time-saving extraction procedure for the analysis of fecal fat by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

tended time is not equal to the sum of unattended times. The length of the unattended time depends on the laboratory organization. In some laboratories, workers can use short periods of walkaway time to leave the analyzer unattended while they perform other tasks. The maximum labor productivity (maximum RPI) is obtained when all walkaway periods can be used to perform other tasks. Therefore, theoretically even periods of ,1 s are usable to leave the analyzer unattended and perform other tasks. Finally, Quinn et al. state that the variability in RPI calculations was also highlighted when we simulated the effect of automated sample handling systems on RPI. They state that we neglected to mention whether processing time and reportable results were corrected for reflex and autodilution testing and that this is relevant when using an automated sampling system because specimens would be transported away from the instrument after sampling. This means in practice, according to Quinn et al., that all instruments would require “either (a) operator intervention to locate specimens that required reflex or dilution testing, or (b) the instrument to wait for the automated system to return the samples for testing“. They also state that in this case, efficiency analysis would favor instruments with larger reagent storage capacities, greater reagent stability, and efficient waste management capabilities. However, they neglect to mention another possible option in which the instrument does not have to transport the specimen away to perform reflex and autodilution testing: the analyzer has the possibility of holding the samples until all assays, including reflex and autodilution testing, have been performed. In all situations (with or without the automated sampling system, with or without the ability of the analyzer to hold the specimen on board until all tests have been performed), the total number of reportable results are the same, and in all situations, the influence of larger reagent storage capacities, greater reagent stability, and efficient waste management capabilities on the efficiency analysis is equal. In conclusion, we evaluated the efficiency and productivity of immunoassay analyzers by application of the same standardized workload protocol. The RPI values, as a result of this evaluation, depend on instrument characteristics and are useful when performing an independent comparison of the efficiency and productivity of immunoassay analyzers.