You Wouldn’t Buy a New TV Without Reading Reviews, What About a $10,000 Analyzer?

Clinical scientists, your expertise is required! Review your equipment for your peers

17 Oct 2017
Sonia Nicholas
Managing Editor and Clinical Lead

Editorial article

Products reviews help scientists to make informed purchasing decisions
Image: Shutterstock


As busy clinical scientists and healthcare professionals, you know just how important it is to have accurate, efficient and reliable equipment in your laboratory. Product reviews allow you to begin evaluating a potential purchase right at the beginning of the product selection process, using the genuine experiences and opinions of professionals who are currently using the equipment. 

Your experience can help your peers to make important purchasing decisions

Is your analyzer user friendly, easy to troubleshoot, quick to maintain and high-throughput? Do you have minimal downtime and good service support?

Are you a mass spec specialist? An experienced molecular biologist? A clinical biochemist with immunoassay knowledge? Whatever your field of expertise, your experience could help a fellow professional to make an important purchasing decision.

You wouldn't buy an expensive television, computer or phone without reading unbiased, third-party product reviews. Shouldn't you use reviews for expensive and essential laboratory equipment too?

Leave a review on SelectScience® today and you will be entered into a prize drawing to win an iPad Air® or $400/equivalent currency Amazon.com voucher! You will be communicating your expertise to over 250,000 fellow scientists and your experience is valuable.

Leave a review today

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Blood TransfusionBlood Transfusion involves giving donor blood to a recipient patient. Screening is essential to avoid transfusion reactions. Blood banks use immunohematological techniques to determine rh and ABO blood group, and screen for antibodies using specific antisera. Blood Banks use Direct Coombs Tests (DCT) and Indirect Coombs Tests (IAT) to detect hemolysis and Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN).HematologyIn Haematology / Hematology, complete blood cell counts (or full blood counts) are obtained using automated blood count analyzers to enumerate blood cell types.  Hematology also encompasses haemostasis and coagulation, thrombophilia and hemophilia, plasma viscosity and ESR analysis, hemoglobinopathies, cell morphology and haematinic measurement.ImmunologyImmunological techniques measure and characterize immune responses. Immunology kits and analysis systems often use techniques such as ELISA, radioimmunoassay (RIA) and immunodiffusion assays, Immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry. Immunologists use equipment such as flow Cytometers, plate readers, plate washers and fluorescent microscopes.Cellular PathologyCellular Pathology deals with the microscopic analysis of tissue samples and cells. Sample preparation and processing includes fixation, staining, sectioning and slide mounting, using equipment such microtomes and cryostats. In choosing immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry kits, consider chromogens, staining method, antibodies, microscopes and imaging.Point-of-CarePoint-of-Care Testing (POCT) or Near Patient Testing (NPT) products are available for urine, blood and other clinical chemistry analyses. POCT includes: blood glucose testing, blood gas and electrolytes analysis, rapid coagulation testing (PT / INR), rapid cardiac markers diagnostics, drugs of abuse screening, urine strips testing, pregnancy testing, fecal occult blood analysis, food pathogens screening, hemoglobin diagnostics, infectious disease testing and cholesterol screening.Clinical ChemistryBiochemistry (or clinical chemistry) involves the analysis of bodily fluids using chemical tests. Techniques used include HPLC, chromatography, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, immunochemical, electrophoresis, turbidometric / spectrophotometric assay, MRI and ISE analysis. Tests are often carried out on plasma or serum but urine (urinalysis) and fecal specimens are also processed.Clinical GeneticsMolecular Genetics covers the analysis of hereditary genetic disease and chromosomal abnormalities. Genetics can be analysed using DNA, RNA, and protein microarrays, PCR, RT PCR and DNA sequencing. Genetic equipment includes genetic workstations, thermal cyclers, cooling blocks and electrophoresis products. Diagnostic kits are used for DNA / RNA extraction and purification.Clinical MicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms including protists, prokaryotes, fungi, and, often, viruses. Microorganisms are a useful research tool as genetic vectors and, in immunology, for antibiotic susceptibility testing, cellular biology and genetics. Microorganisms commonly grow readily in incubators with microbial culture media; this can contain chromogenic supplements to differentiate between cell lines. Estimate your culture’s density of microorganisms with colony counters, or screen and select colonies for desirable clones with automated colony pickers. Additionally, equipment is available to monitor environments for the presence of microbes and identify with microbial identification instruments. Find the best microbiology products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Embryology / IVFEmbryology refers to the development of an embryo resulting from the fertilization of the ovum, to fetus stage. In vitro fertilization (IVF) refers to the fertilization of the egg outside of the human body, and is an important treatment for infertility.Clinical Mass SpectrometryMass spectrometry is emerging as a superior method of analysis over the longstanding, gold standard of immunoassay. Clinical mass spectrometry systems are increasingly accessible to medical laboratories and are capable of providing results with more speed and less expense than traditional methods. From simple mass spectrometers to IVDR class A compliant, highly sophisticated systems performing liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), find the latest product news, reviews and resources to make a purchasing decision for your laboratory. ReviewsClinical Laboratory Automation