How to keep your refractometer in good condition?
Refractometers are optical instruments that are used to determine the percentage of soluble solids in a liquid solution. For this, the refractometer makes use of the principle of total refraction of light (caused by the type and concentration of substances dissolved in a liquid solution such as sugar), which takes place in the boundary layer between the prism and the sample. The refractive index of the prism determines the upper limit of the measuring range, since this should always be greater than that of the sample. The refractometer therefore measures the density of liquids, the denser a liquid the greater the refraction.
What should I do when a spill occurs on my apparatus?
Semi-automated chemistry analyzers, in general, are very specialized and expensive equipment. Its conservation depends largely on the way of installation and use. This team is one of the main diagnostic and research instruments developed by humans. It is used in the laboratory in order to determine the concentration of a substance in a solution, thus allowing quantitative analysis.
What are Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes?
They are inherited connective tissue disorders of varying severity. They are characterized by fragility of the skin, joint hypermobility and rupture of blood vessels and internal organs.
What is a thermal cycler?
The thermal cycler or thermal sequencer is a device that allows polymerase chain reaction (PCR) efficiently and quickly, by automatic and cyclic realization of the temperature changes that are required for the amplification of a deoxyribonucleic acid chain ( DNA), from a thermostable enzyme.
Do you know what the clinical utility of blood tubes is?
The objective of the clinical laboratory is to obtain information about the health status of a person. This information can be used to establish a diagnosis, evaluate an evolution and / or prognosis of a disease, assess the effectiveness of a treatment, perform a screening in a population.
How does a turbidimeter work?
Turbidity is one of the parameters that define the degree to which water loses its transparency quality as a consequence of the suspended solids particles found in it. The higher the concentration of particles in the water, the higher the turbidity level. Turbidity is calibrated with laboratory materials such as turbidimeters that determine the amount of suspended solids. The turbidimeters are of maximum utility in wastewater treatment operations for their purification and subsequent supply to urban centers, as well as to artificially recharge aquifers.
What is the importance of the laboratory refrigerator?
The refrigerator in a laboratory is one of the most important equipments. Its function is to maintain, in a controlled environment (refrigerated space), various fluids and substances, so that they are kept in good condition the lower the temperature, the lower chemical and biological activity. To achieve this it is required that the internal temperature of the refrigerator be lower than the ambient temperature.
What should you consider when using a balance?
The balance is used to measure the mass of a body or substance or also their weight, since between mass and weight there is a well defined relationship. In the laboratory the balance is used to carry out quality control activities, to prepare mixtures of components in predefined proportions and to determine specific densities or weights. Its origins lie more than 3500 years before Christ, in Egypt.
The incubators: an ideal atmosphere
The incubator is a device that uses various means of heat transfer and environmental control, to obtain conditions under which specialized laboratory procedures can be performed. In general, they have a system of electrical resistances that are controlled by devices such as thermostats or microprocessed controls. As for heat transfer systems, incubators basically use conduction and natural or forced convection.
pHmeter: Technology and accuracy
The measurement of pH (hydrogen potential) in the laboratory is one of the most important parameters that are performed for quality control and, according to specialists in the field, it is the second most important after temperature. The determination of the pH has a great field of application: research, industry, teaching, among others. In laboratories where it is relevant to know the potential of hydrogen, a pH measuring device will always be found as a primary instrument.