Laboratory Professionals Member Community

This community is for ASCP laboratory professional members and is aligned with those membership categories.

 View Only

 Centrifuge validation

Mark Shattuck's profile image
Mark Shattuck posted 08-14-2025 10:16

What is required/best practice for validating new centrifuges?  How many samples to compare?  Full test menu, representative samples, all tube types?

Alaa Rida's profile image
Alaa Rida

In evaluating centrifuge performance, it is essential to determine the appropriate speed and duration for spinning samples. After centrifugation, assess the integrity of the samples with a particular focus on potential hemolysis and the temperature. To improve correlation and validation, use paired samples, aiming for a total of 20 to 30 specimens.

Conducting a correlation analysis between the current centrifuge and the new model is crucial to ensure that results remain consistent. For example, when testing coag, spin a blue top tube and verify that the plasma platelet count falls below 10000. Additionally, process paired samples through both centrifuges, current and new, and conduct tests for PT, PTT, and fibrinogen levels and then compare results. The same steps are taken for any test menu used in the lab. Detailed documentation is required including test, tube type used, speed and time for spinning, room temperature.