Automation in Clinical Laboratories + Revision A Lead-In 1 Can you describe the usual day in your laboratory? 2 What are the instruments you usually work with? Are they difficult to run? 3 What do you think is the most challenging part of a laboratory technician’s workday? B Vocabulary Warm-up. Match the words on the left with those on the right. 1 fully-automated a biohazards 2 state-of-the-art b a test 3 process c the barcode 4 improve d laboratory 5 transport via e a tube system 6 to be exposed to f efficiency 7 to read g control 8 turn-around h instruments 9 quality I samples 10 perform k time C Listening I Listen and decide what the following numbers refer to: 6 million 3 years 5^th 1200 5 million II Complete the gaps: 1 The journalists report on the ___________ fully-automated laboratory in America. 2 The modernisation took place in order to _____________ efficiency, provide test ____________ more quickly and to improve patient _____________ and patient ________________. 3 A tube system ____________ samples coming from every department. 4 There’s a lot of _______________ of the specimens, so that people aren’t exposed to biohazards 5 Everything is ______________ so that computers can read that and then determine which _____________ are going to hit for more _______________ turn-around time 6 There’s also a _____________ for quality control and maintenance 7 The results can be obtained in a ______________ of less than hours 8 The rate of ____________ is increased and the ______________ of patient care is improved. D Use of English Automated Solution for Pre-analytical Procedures Tecan, a leading player in the fast-growing Life Sciences _____(1) industry, announced today that the Genesis FE500 Workcell is proving ____(2) be a highly attractive option for its customers. Pre-analytic processing is ____(3) of the most labor-intensive aspects of clinical laboratory testing and some studies say that specimen processing accounts for up ____(4) 65% of the average total time spent by personnel on clinical laboratory procedures. To address the pre-analytical needs of its customers, Tecan offers the Genesis FE500 Workcell, a totally automated solution to meet the sample ____ (5) requirements of hospitals, research institutes and other clinical laboratories. Pre-analytical processing includes a range of activities ____(6) laboratory technicians must do before analytical testing and results reporting. The Genesis FE500 Workcell has many functions to ____ (7) efficiencies and productivity in the laboratory, including: specimen sorting; centrifugation; decapping; secondary tube labelling; serum volume verification; aliquoting; barcode labelling; and placing tubes in sample ____(8) that come from a wide variety of manufacturers. The Genesis FE500 Workcell brings flexibility to customers and allows them to select analyzers of their _____(9). This is important to the concept of having a stepwise modular approach to laboratory automation as ____(10) to providing total solutions that limit the options of clinical diagnostic professionals. 1 A apply B supply C multiply D play 2 A to B as C onto D into 3 A the B some C one D many 4 A on B to C over D more 5 A labouring B manufacturing C proving D processing 6 A that B where C who D whose 7 A invite B increase C intake D input 8 A stacks B hacks C wracks D racks 9 A choice B choose C willing D decision 10 A opposed B contrary C adversely D contrasted E Grammar Point – Revision Tenses – Use your own ideas to complete the sentences. 1 A: How did the accident happen? B: I ___________________ too fast and couldn’t stop in time. 2 A: Is that a new microscope? B: No, we _________________________ it a long time. 3 A: Is that a new computer? B: Yes, I ______________________ a few weeks ago. 4 A: This is a nice restaurant. Do you come here often? B: No, it’s the first time ___________________ here. 5 A: I can’t talk to you right now. You can see I’m very busy. B: OK. I ___________________ back in 20 minutes. Verb Patterns 1 I can’t make a decision. I keep _______________ my mind. (change) 2 He had made his decision and refused ______________ his mind. (change) 3 Why did you change your decision? What made you _____________ your mind? (change) 4 It was really a good experience. I enjoyed ______________ the assays. (run) Clauses (if and temporal) 1 Before you ____________ the lab, can you switch off all electrical appliances? 2 I ______________ (do) the Gram stain as soon as she _________________ (give) me the counterstain. 3 You’ve burnt yourself! If you __________ (follow) the rules, you ____________________ (get injured). 4 If you _______________ (pass) the written test, you ____________________ (be able) to sit the oral exam. Articles 1 When __ unemployment is high, it’s difficult for __ people to find __ work. It’s __ big problem. 2 There was __ accident in __ lab yesterday. Joe tripped over __ cable, fell down and broke __ microscope. 3 In __ microbiology, __ researchers come with __ new discoveries every ___ week. 4 __ human immune system is __ very complicated structure. For example, for __ B-cells to work, they have to… 5 __ job of __ lab technicians is dangerous – that’s why they have to wear __ protective clothing, such as __ glasses.