Quick Buying Guide About Choosing the Perfect Medical Laboratory Equipment

When you consult your doctor about your symptoms, he may direct you to conduct some tests to help guide diagnosis. These tests are carried out in the medical laboratory. But, to ensure accurate diagnosis, the right pieces of laboratory equipment must be available in the laboratory. 

Do you wish to set up a private laboratory? Or do you want to include one in your hospital plan? If yes, this guide will provide a list of must-have medical laboratory equipment. Also, you’ll know where to purchase these pieces of equipment in bulk at wholesale prices.

Medical Laboratory Equipment

The medical or clinical laboratory is a section of a healthcare facility where biological samples are tested to diagnose, prevent, or study diseases. For instance, fever and headache are common symptoms of most ailments. However, before a patient is directed to the pharmacy, the lab scientist must identify the exact cause of these symptoms. Could it be a bacterial or viral infection? Or is a Plasmodium species responsible? Answers to such questions or assumptions are clarified in the clinical laboratory. Therefore in most cases, the medical laboratory serves as a link in achieving collective healthcare. 

Examples of samples used for clinical laboratory analyses include blood, stool, synovial fluid, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, vagina fluid, etc. These samples are tested with various methods across several disciplines, including microbiology, biochemistry, hematology, etc.

In the hospital setting, the medical laboratory is structured such that it is easily accessible to various departments serving inpatient and outpatient needs. Besides being in the hospital, there are also private clinical laboratories that serve the public.

Whether private or in the hospital, medical laboratories should be well equipped with the essential equipment to serve diagnostic and research needs. These pieces of equipment include microscopes, autoclaves, biochemistry analyzers, incubators, centrifuges, refrigerators, water baths, etc.

What Does the Medical Laboratory Equipment Include?

Microscope

The microscope is one of the most popular pieces of equipment in a medical laboratory. Blood cells and microbes examined on different biological samples are usually too tiny to see with the naked eyes. But, with the microscope, lab scientists can view these cells up to thousand times their actual size. The major models are monocular, binocular, and trinocular microscopes.

Types: simple microscope, compound microscope, electron microscope.

Brands and Prices: Some brands of microscopes include Nikon, Leica, Zeiss, Olympus, etc. Below are some prices:

• The Biological Microscope DG2018 costs about $520.
• The TL3200B Multi viewing Microscope costs about $850.

qPCR for COVID19

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) amplifies and identifies DNA. This process has been applied in over the years in molecular biology. COVID19 is an RNA virus; therefore, when testing, the RNA needs to be converted to DNA through a process known as reverse transcription. The qPCR machine is then used to amplify the DNA. This machine can detect even the smallest amount of genetic information on the coronavirus.  As a result, researchers have identified the qPCR as the best available method for COVID19 testing.

Brands and Prices: Thermo  Fisher Scientific, Sigma.

• The qPCR Real-Time PCR Test Machine Accurate 96 costs about $23,800.

Biochemistry Analyzer

Biological samples like plasma, blood, or urine are not only tested for bacteria and parasites. These samples contain some chemicals whose levels must be regulated for healthy living. The Biochemistry analyzer is used to measure chemical levels in biological samples. It is also applied in therapeutic drug monitoring. This instrument uses optical and electromechanical techniques to determine the levels of chemicals like uric acid, electrolytes, enzymes, cholesterols, proteins, and others. Scientists use the biochemistry analyzer to analyze both human and animal samples.

Types: automated and semi-automated biochemistry analyzer.

Brands & Prices: Some brands of biochemistry analyzers include Siemens, Mindray, Biobase, etc. Below are some prices:

• The AG-120VP Veterinary Automated Chemistry Analyzer costs about $4,750.
• The BJPL-PUS-2018 Biochemistry Analyzer costs about $2,600.

Blood Gas Analyzer

The blood gas analyzer is used to measure the pH of the blood and partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Lab scientists also use it to measure plasma electrolytes and metabolites levels. Blood gas analysis is essential for patients with metabolic disorders and congestive obstructive pulmonary disorders (COPD).

Brands&Prices: Abbott Laboratories, Instrumentation Laboratory, Radiometer, Siemens. Here are some prices:

• The BG-800A Blood Gas Analyzer costs about $12,200.
• The BGE-800B pH, pCO2, pO2, Hct, B.P Test Machine, and Blood Gas Analyzer costs about $12,100.

Hematology Analyzers

A hematology analyzer is a machine used to count blood components, including the red blood cells, white blood cells, hematocrit levels,  platelets, and hemoglobin. In earlier years, these blood components were counted using microscopes. However, this process was tedious and not always accurate. But, with hematology analyzers, lab scientists can conduct a complete blood count (CBC) rapidly and accurately. The CBC aid in diagnosing different blood disorders like anemia, leukemia, lymphoma, etc. 

Types: 3-Part Differential Cell Counter and 5-Part Differential Cell Counter.

Brands and Prices: Mindray, Erba, Medtronic. Here are some prices:

• The Medtronic M32 Cell Counter, 3 Part cell counter, costs about $4,300.
• The Mindray BC-20 Cell Counter - 3 part costs about $3,400.
• The Erba H360 CBC Machine, 3 part cell counter, costs about $3,700.
• BK-6190 3 Parts Hematology Analyzer, costs about $3,800.

Medical Incubator

A medical incubator is used to grow and preserve cell and tissue culture and store biological fluids. It is mostly applied in microbiology and other disciplines like hematology and genetic engineering. With a medical incubator, lab scientists can regulate environmental factors like humidity and temperature to facilitate the growth of cell cultures and store specimens. 

Types: anaerobic incubator, cooling incubator, shaking incubator, and CO₂ incubator. 

Brands & Prices: THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC, REVCO Elite, Binder, etc. Here are some prices:

• The BFW-1060A Thermostatic Cabinet costs about $9,600.
• The LBI-80 Cooling Incubator costs about $1,000.

Centrifuge

A centrifuge is a machine used to separate a mixture of fluids of different densities. To achieve the separation, the desired fluid, for instance, blood in a tube, is placed in the enclosed chamber of the centrifuge. Then, the centrifuge rotates the fluid at high speed employing centrifugal force. The resulting force separates the denser portion to the bottom of the tube and the less dense portion to the top. The centrifuge is used to separate blood cells from plasma in medical labs.

Brands & Prices: Medline, hero lab, Thermo Scientific. Here are some prices:

• The JY-80-2c Intelligent Digital Display Centrifuge costs about $900.
• The JY-TDL-5 Centrifuge For LAB and Clinical Trial In Hospital costs about $2,300.

Medical Refrigerator

A medical refrigerator is a well-known appliance used to store medical and laboratory supplies within a cold chain. Some reagents and specimens can be stored at low temperatures to preserve their integrity in the refrigerator. 

Types: countertop, under-counter, explosion-proof, and large capacity refrigerators.

Brands & Prices: Panasonic Biomedical, Biobase, Thermo Scientific. Here are some prices:

• The AG-LC02 Refrigerator costs about $5,800.
• The BCD-270 Integrated Freezer costs about $3,300.

Water Bath

A water bath is used to incubate lab specimens and reagents at a constant temperature for a certain period. It is also applied when there is a need to melt substrates or heat is needed to trigger a chemical reaction. The device is equipped with a vessel filled with water and a temperature regulator. The water bath is a useful heating chamber for materials that combust upon exposure to an open flame.

Types: shaking, circulating, and non-circulating water bath.

Brand & Prices: Biobase, Medline, Thermo Scientific. Here are some prices:

• The HS-TK7218 Water Bath - Slide Drier costs about $2,300.
• The ZJ-SHA-A Water Bath Shaker costs about $600.

Autoclave Steam Sterilizer

Sterilization is a daily activity in medical laboratories, and the autoclave is an instrument for the activity. An autoclave is a steam sterilizer that uses high pressure and temperature conditions to eliminate microbes from the sterilized materials. Items that can be sterilized with an autoclave include surgical instruments, medical waste, glassware, etc.

Types: desktop and vertical autoclaves.

Brands & Prices: Thermo Fisher Scientific, benchmark, Spectrum Chemical. Here are some prices:

• The ZJ-B8C Automatic Table Top Autoclave costs about $1100.
• The Portable Pressure Autoclave Steam Sterilizer YX-LM costs about $165.

Others

The list of medical laboratory equipment is exhaustive. Others include Elisa Reader/Washer, Hotplates, Analysis Balance, Spectrophotometer, Flame Photometer, PH Meter, Pipette, Hygrometer, etc.

Where To Buy Medical Laboratory Equipment in Bulk With Wholesale Pricing

Medwish.com is an international supplier of medical laboratory equipment and other medical devices.

Medwish.com can customize the hospital solution project for your hospital and private laboratories if you have no idea which medical laboratory equipment to buy. Interestingly, Medwish.com offers financing services that allow you to pay by installment for all products. 

In addition, Medwish.com ensures your payment is stress-free as there are multiple payment options available from Paypal, credit cards, Money Gram, etc. Also, your set of laboratory equipment is delivered with quality insurance and logistics services.

Conclusion

The medical laboratory is a key link between hospital and pharmaceutical care for inpatients and outpatients. Hence, when setting up a new medical laboratory, ensure the above pieces of equipment are on your checklist to facilitate accurate diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases.

Contact Medwish.com today for your medical laboratory equipment and other medical supplies.