System Overview; Qbc Star Blood Collection Tubes - QBC Diagnostics Star Operators & Service Manual

QBC STAR™ System User's Manual

System Overview

The QBC STAR Hematology System is a self-contained, whole blood, automated hematology system. Reported
results include hematocrit, hemoglobin, total white blood cell count, combined lymphocyte and monocyte
count, granulocyte count, platelet count, and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC). The
test can be performed from either venous or capillary blood specimens. The system is factory preset and
user calibration is NOT required. The system is powered by a universal voltage internal power supply that
plugs directly into an AC power source.
The QBC STAR Hematology System performs all tests using the QBC STAR tube. The QBC STAR tube is
described below. When the QBC STAR tube is placed into the instrument, it is automatically centrifuged
and analyzed. The results are computed, displayed, and printed on the internal printer.

QBC STAR Blood Collection Tubes

The QBC STAR Tube is a two-component device. The tube assembly represents the fi rst component. It
consists of a precision glass QBC tube and the plastic sleeve that serves as a carrier for the tube. A cap and
fl oat assembly comprise the second component. The fl oat expands the buffy coat region by a factor of ten.
It does this by reducing the cross section area of the tube. See Figure 1.
The QBC STAR tube is preassembled and consists of the following components :
• 3" long precision bore glass tube with dried coatings of acridine orange, heparin, K
sium oxalate, monoclonal antibody and reagents
• a vented plug at the end of the tube
• a tube carrier
Tubes are fi lled by capillary action with 65 to 75 µL of whole blood. (This is the volume when the tube is
fi lled between the 2 fi ll lines marked on the QBC STAR tube.) The blood can come directly from a fi ngerstick
or from a Vacutainer™ brand blood collection tube or equivalent (lavender top only). The plug has a vent
allowing air to escape during fi lling of the tube. The vent closes off when the tube is capped.
After the tube assembly is fi lled with blood, the tube is mixed and the cap assembly is placed on the tube.
The cap consists of the following components:
• A precision molded plastic fl oat
• A fl oat holder
The cap
•
1–2
Figure 1 – QBC STAR Blood Collection Tube
EDTA, potas-
2
L–000867(A)