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 difficult 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 Listen and decide what the following numbers refer to: 6 million 3 5^th 4200 1200 5 million Quality Control in the Laboratory Worksheet A Vocabulary Warm-up Word Formation Make nouns using these suffixes: -acy; -ing; -ence; -ness; -ion; -ity; -ison 1 precise → 7 appropriate → 2 accurate → 8 conclude → 3 subdivide → 9 valid → 4 refer → 10 stable → 5 compare → 11 time → 6 repeat → 12 probable → B Match the collocations 1 repeat a) measurements 2 provide b) information 3 report c) results on a patient 4 perform d) QC procedures 5 affect e) results C Westgard’ Rules The Westgard rules can be applied __ (1) see if the results from the samples can be released, or if they need to __ (2) rerun. The formulation of Westgard rules was based ___ (3) statistical methods. Westgard rules are commonly ___ (4) to analyse data in Shewhart control charts. Westgard rules are used to define specific performance limits for a particular assay and can be used to detect ___ (5) random and systematic errors. Westgard rules ___ (6) programmed into automated analysers to determine when an analytical run should be rejected. ____ (7) rules need to be applied carefully ___ (8) that true errors are detected and false rejections ___ (9) minimized. The rules applied ___ (10) high volume chemistry and haematology instruments should produce low false rejection rates. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laboratory_quality_control) E Grammar Point A Numerals Read out in full the correct forms of numerals: 1. There are 11 students on the list, so you are 12th. 2. We have 5 samples of frozen material available for analysis; could you get another 6? 3. The temperature first rose to 5 °C and then suddenly dropped to -10 °C. 4. You first dial 7050 and then ask for extension 92. 5. Mice were administered tap water at 3h intervals. 6. Today is 6 November 2006. 7. The early 70s saw the boom of the Beatles. 8. The population of Brno is now 367 729 inhabitants, of which 174 520 are men, 193 209 women. 9. Hippocrates, known as the Father of Medicine, lived in the years 460 – 377 B.C. 10. Please wake me at 05:45 a.m. (Dastych, M. – English for Lab.techs.) 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. Relative clauses 1 The microscope is broken. I was using it yesterday. – The microscope ____________________________is broken. 2 I work in a lab. The lab is going to close. – The lab _______________________________ is going to close. 3 The doctor showed me the results. I didn’t understand the results. – I didn’t understand the results ________________________________________ me. 4 You were talking to a person. The person seemed nervous. – You talked to a person __________________ nervous. 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.