Total Laboratory Automation

Laboratory Testing is predominantly instrument-centric, high volume clinical work with in the healthcare laboratories that is aimed to provide necessary help to clinicians in curbing the diseases. Here Pre & Post analytic workflow which comprises of all laboratory steps including accepting clinical sample, processing, preparing for testing, concluding of the results and finally disposition of sample. 
In the total sample work flow, pre-analytic phase alone takes 60% of the time and efforts. This needs to be done with higher degree of accuracy because according to an estimate amongst the Total Laboratory work errors 30 to 86% of the errors are arising because of the pre-Analytic errors. 
Total Laboratory Automation is an automation system for the performance of highly repetitive tasks in laboratory. It replaces the human involvements in a great extent by using the robotic devices and consolidates controls of different instruments to a smaller no and thereby reducing the manual involvement as well as the possibilities of human error, enhancing accuracy & precision, reducing usage of costly reagents for overall benefits of the Laboratories.
Many clinical laboratories are converting to TLA. There are strong evidences that it not only raises profitability but also improves quality, timeliness workflow flexibility. Thus, TLA empowers Labs to meet changing needs with agility, streamline operational efficiency, advance workflow capacity and improves productivity at justifiable cost. 
The Laboratory Information Systems of today’s time are end-to-end platforms which governs the entire process and workflow of the Labs. These IT systems are mission-critical and works in concert with instruments and automation. 
The Pre and post analytic automations are today available in 2 different types, Open Systems and close systems. Out of these 2, the closed automation are more common since these are provided by the instrument manufacturers which can get connected with the instruments from the same manufacturers. On the other hand, the open systems are the ones which are designed by the companies that can be interfaced with different types of instruments in Laboratories. 
TLA is the correct approach in today’s time to improve the Lab workflow with enhanced accuracy, cost effectiveness and reducing TAT for advancing the total laboratory performance.