Introduction: Clinical Laboratory Science
Medical Technology or Clinical Laboratory Science, as a prevailing new wave of thinking now referrs to it, is an inter-disciplinary science dedicated to diagnostic testing of samples from human beings. Samples may be blood, urine, feces, secretions, serous fluids, spinal fluid, seminal fluid, stone, skin, nail, hair, bone or tissue. Testing may be quantitative, semiquantitative, qualitative or descriptive physical or chemical analyses.
CLS uses many of the tools and instruments used throughout all science. It uses simple to complex analytical and measurement devices - simple tools such as rulers, hydrometers, thermometers; complex instruments such as microscopes, photometers, fluorometers and chromatograms.
CLS measures components such as blood glucose, serum cholesterol, red and white blood cell counts, serum iron, urine protein and fecal fat. Microbiology detects and identifies pathogenic microorganisms and identifies specific antibiotics effective in combating infections. Immunohematology identifies immunological antibodies and antigens and provides compatible blood for transfusion. These and a host of other tests are performed in thousands of clinical laboratories on a routine or emergency basis 365 days per year.
The people who perform these tests and procedures are specialists in their disciplines and are certified and liscensed by government or independent agencies. Additionally, the labs in which these tests are performed are certified and regulated by government agencies to perform standard methods with quality results, so that tests results from Seattle, WA are comparable to those from Miami, FL.
CLS is applied in a variety of laboratories. Labs are found in out-patient clinics, hospitals, medical centers, reference laboratories and state health departments. The CDC in Atlanta, GA has one of the worlds largest laboratories with thousands of specialists.
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