Instruments and equipment are essential for the functioning of any medical laboratory. The last twenty years have observed extraordinary development in the area of computerisation of medical laboratory technology. It has been witnessed that the progress has led to additional effective medical laboratory practice, and in the long run, less costly service. The producers of laboratory appliances are repeatedly bringing new ranks of products into the market. Most of these new devices are computerized. It has thus become compulsory for members of the laboratory staff to obtain minimum basic knowledge of computer operation.

In addition to the indispensable general tools and equipment, there are those which are of precise reputation, and used in, certain branches. Some of the important gadgets and equipment will be discussed below.

Laboratory Glassware and plastic wares

Most of the everyday laboratory apparatus used in the medical laboratory are glass, but recent progress achieved in the used of plastic resin to produce a wide varieties of plastic ware have pave way to spontaneous replacement of glass apparatus with plastic ware. High quality of plastic ware is expected to be used in the laboratory, so at no condition a substandard plastic ware should subjected for use in the medical laboratory. Plastic ware is less expensive and provide more safety compared to glassware. when used in the autoclave, glassware have little advantage, in terms of reused compare to plastic ware. Glassware is highly expensive and have more weight compare to plastic ware. In the advent of these new age of development, laboratory scientist are encourage to make use of plastic ware as result of the high risk of the hepatitis B and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). More also, most of the plastic ware produce are disposable once, as such reduce the cost of cleaning. plastic ware are design and shaped exactly the way glassware were produced.

 

Cleaning of Laboratory Glassware and Plastic ware.

Clean sterile and good shape glassware is one other priority to ensure unbiased result in the laboratory investigations. Varieties procedure of glassware cleaning is available,  but these varieties really on the type of glassware used. In addition for a glassware to be physically clean, glassware for clinical chemistry must be chemically clean, where that were involved in the infectious procedure must sterilized, such of the once used in the bacteriological department. Laboratory ware are produce to withstand high chemical and any other strong disinfectant. It is necessary that dirty should never allowed to dry on the glassware, because once dirty is permitted to dry out on the glassware the removal of the dirty will be cumbersome, as such it is advisable to make available of a soaking jar in the working area, where all the use used glassware will be soaked immediately after use. Know that new variety of glassware produce now are  made up slightly alkaline, with that it will be advisable that the used glassware should be soaked in approximately 1% hydrochloric acid or nitric acid solution for several hours, after then the glassware is wash and rings with distilled water. It is necessary that infectious glassware should be disinfected before commencement of washing. Disinfection are carried out either by pre-soaking the glassware in 5% hypochlorate solution or better still boiling, autoclaving or any reliable sterilizing method available. But disinfection is rendered so simple if the infected glassware is soaked in a detergent solution. There no exception for plastic ware, the little different is that plastic ware are soaked in a very dilute disinfectants, and some of the the plastic ware cannot stand autoclaving.