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Clinical Chemistry 51: 1116-1122, 2005. First published April 28, 2005; 10.1373/clinchem.2004.047423
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Right arrow Molecular Diagnostics and Genetics
(Clinical Chemistry. 2005;51:1116-1122.)
© 2005 American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc.

Molecular Diagnostics and Genetics

Time-Motion Analysis of 6 Cystic Fibrosis Mutation Detection Systems

Amy E. Kraffta and Jack H. Lichy

Department of Molecular Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rockville, MD.

aAddress correspondence to this author at: 1413 Research Blvd., AFIP Annex, Department of Molecular Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rockville, MD 20850. Fax 301-295-9507; e-mail Amy.Krafft{at}afip.osd.mil.

Background: A dramatic increase in requests for routine cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier screening prompted us to conduct a time-motion analysis comparing commercially available CF testing platforms. Questions addressed in the study included: (a) How much time is required to perform each step involved in carrying out the assay procedure? (b) Which system requires the minimum number of manual manipulations to complete a typical run? (c) What workflow benefits can be achieved by automation?

Methods: We used a 96-sample run for comparisons and analyzed each of the 6 methods to determine the number of pipetting steps and manual manipulations, the labor and instrument time, and the total time required to perform the assay. The survey participants included a staff of 4 technologists who perform complex molecular assays regularly. Time required for each procedure was determined by direct observation and from work logs completed by the technologists.

Results: The total number of pipetting motions varied from 78 to 344. Labor time ranged from 2.6 to 8.4 h, and total assay time from 7.6 to 13.7 h.

Conclusion: Time-motion analysis allowed identification of a method that minimized pipetting motions and thus reduced the risk of repetitive stress injury.




The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:


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M. A. Johnson, M. J. Yoshitomi, and C. S. Richards
A Comparative Study of Five Technologically Diverse CFTR Testing Platforms
J. Mol. Diagn., July 1, 2007; 9(3): 401 - 407.
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F. M. Hantash, S. C. Olson, B. Anderson, A. Buller, R. Chen, B. Crossly, W. Sun, and C. M. Strom
Rapid One-Step Carrier Detection Assay of Mucolipidosis IV Mutations in the Ashkenazi Jewish Population
J. Mol. Diagn., May 1, 2006; 8(2): 282 - 287.
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