Clinical tests provide objective information about a person's state of health and the causes or progress of disease. Examples include blood tests, urine tests, electrocardiograms and blood pressure measurements carried out during medical examinations. Clinical tests date back almost 2,400 years to the time of Hippocrates, when physicians would observe the color and odor of their patients' urine.
In the 20th century, advances in pathology further increased our understanding of the relationship between the symptoms displayed by a patient and the causes and progress of a disease. Meanwhile, improvements in measurement technology gave us the ability to detect trace substances and unusual substances, while new optical technology allowed us to make detailed observations inside the patient's body.
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Clinical testing systems have also evolved. Advances in mechatronics and computer technology have led to the development of systems that can process larger volumes of tests at ever increasing speeds. These systems are making a vital contribution to medical care throughout the world. Also significant is the emergence of commercial products, such as test equipment and test kits that allow people to carry out simple medical tests in their own homes. These products are making an important contribution to health management and the early detection of disease.
Clinical tests can be broadly divided into two categories. First, there are tests that obtain information directly from the body, such as electrocardiograms, blood pressure measurements, endoscopic examinations and electroencephalograms. These are known as "in vivo diagnostics." Second, there are tests that obtain information from specimens taken from the body, such as blood, urine, feces and cerebrospinal fluid. These are referred to as " in vitro diagnostics (IVD)". As described below, Olympus has made many important contributions in the field of specimen testing. |
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| Olympus has been involved in the development of specimen testing systems since the first modern systems started to emerge. We have used optical technology and other advanced technologies to develop a wide range of testing systems. Today, Olympus supplies the following types of IVD systems and laboratory automation/ information systems. |
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| Chemistry analyzers are used to measure concentrations of specific substances by analyzing color changes and other phenomena that occur when reagents are added to specimens of blood, urine or other materials. (Other functions include the measurement of electrolyte strength.) These systems are used to diagnose many diseases, including liver conditions, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver and fatty liver, as well as gout and kidney stones. |
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| 2. Electrophoresis Analyzers (Protein Fractionation Systems) |
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| Blood contains various types of proteins. When blood serum is applied to a wet filter paper or similar material and a voltage is applied, some types of proteins will migrate to the positive side and some to the negative side, while others will not migrate at all. Electrophoresis analyzers analyze the distribution of proteins and measure the percentage of protein substances in the blood. This information is used in the diagnosis of nephrosis, infections, malignant tumors and various other conditions. |
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| 3. Enzyme Immunoassay Analyzers |
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| Because chemistry analyzers rely on chemical reactions, their performance is sometimes affected by substances that interfere with those reactions. Enzyme immunoassay analyzers use the lock-and-key relationship between antigens and antibodies to measure concentrations of specific substances in the blood serum with higher accuracy. Uses for these systems include testing for tumors, thyroid stimulating hormones, fertility hormones, and viral infections such as HIV. |
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| 4. Blood Transfusion Testing Systems |
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| Blood transfusion testing systems use the antigen-antibody relationship to detect the presence of specific substances in the blood. Tests are carried out using the agglutination method, which measures the way that blood agglutinates when allowed to react with reagents in tiny reaction wells. These systems are used mainly in blood tests, including blood typing and the detection of infectious diseases such as syphilis. |
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| These are reagents used in chemistry analyzers. |
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Peripheral systems are used to enhance the speed and reliability of clinical testing. Pre-processing systems: These carry out a variety of tasks according to testing requirements, including specimen sorting and the division of specimens into multiple daughter tubes.
Post-processing systems: These carry out tasks after the completion of testing, such as the collection of used specimens and their preparation for storage.
Data processing systems: These inform analyzers which tests are to be performed, and compile test data into reports. |
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