Types of Lab Supplies

In modern medicine, a variety of specialized equipment is required to ensure that health care professionals can effectively diagnose and treat their patients. In addition to diagnostic tools such as X-ray machines and imaging scans, medical labs also require a vast array of lab supplies to perform tests and provide analysis of samples.

The following are some types of lab supplies.

Blood Glucose Monitors

Blood glucose monitors are used to check the amount of sugar in a patient's blood. A drop of blood is typically taken from the fingertip and placed on a disposable test strip inserted into the glucose monitor. This lab supplies a reading of the sugar level in mmols/L or mg/dL. These monitors are important for people with diabetes who require daily testing to regulate their insulin levels. However, they are also used to check blood sugar levels in patients with high-risk factors associated with diabetes development, such as stress, obesity, high blood pressure, or family history.

Medical Gloves

Medical gloves are important lab supplies. The gloves are disposable latex or non-latex gloves worn by medical staff when in contact with patients to prevent cross-contamination. Gloves come in different sizes and strengths. The most common type of gloves is powder-free exam-grade gloves. These are strong yet still sensitive enough for use in delicate procedures. The gloves are typically worn by Nurses, doctors, and veterinary staff. They are worn when dealing with patients for examinations or surgery where contamination is high.

Surgical Tape

Although not an article of clothing, measuring instruments are considered one of the essential pieces of lab supplies. One important type of measuring instruments is the surgical tape. This tape is an adhesive surgical dressing that sticks directly to the skin without clips or pins. It does not require water to activate its sticking properties. This makes it an appropriate choice for dry areas of the body. The tape is used to hold stitches during surgery, secure face masks and hats when in a hospital. It is also used to fasten ostomy bags directly onto the skin under clothing to hide them.

Blood Collection Tubes

Lab supplies are very important in the medical industry. They have a wide range of uses. This includes helping physicians take care of patients to being used for diagnostic tests and other procedures. Other lab supplies include blood collection tubes, also known as Vacutainer needles. Tubes come in both glass and plastic varieties. Each has advantages and disadvantages. The blood collection tube typically contains a separator gel that separates the serum from the whole blood cells. Collection tubes come in various sizes, allowing for different volumes of blood to be collected.

Medical lab supplies are used by medical personnel in specimen collection, testing, and analysis. Lab supplies can also be used for diagnostic purposes. The lab supplies help identify unknown body fluids or substances, either physically by color or other physical properties, or chemically through reactions with chemicals added to a sample.