39GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Cholestech LDX System Procedure Manual
< TABLE OF CONTENTS
Capillary (capillary action) – attraction between a liquid and a solid that causes the liquid to
rise, as for example, into a capillary tube.
Centrifuge – instrument that separates the lighter portions of a solution, mixture, or
suspension from the heavier portions by centrifugal force.
Coagulation – how various coagulation factors in the blood interact to form a clot.
Coefficient of Variation – statistical measure of the ratio of the standard deviation of a series
of measurements to the mean of the measurements. Expressed as a percentage, the
coefficient of variation (CV) shows the precision of measurements.
Colorimeter – measurement and analysis of color by comparison with a standard in terms of
brightness, hue, or purity.
Contaminant – microorganism, chemical, or other material that makes something impure by
contact or mixture with it.
Control – material, solution, lyophilized preparation, or pool of collected serum designed to
be used in the process of quality control. The concentrations of the analytes of the interest
in the control material are known within limits ascertained during its preparation, and
confirmed in use.
Data – numerical or quantitative results of a test that conclusions are made from.
Diagnostic Test – laboratory test or measurement that helps determine the cause or nature
of a disease. Laboratory tests are often called “
in vitro
diagnostic tests.”
Diluent – liquid (usually distilled water) used to reconstitute a freeze-dried control or
reagent.
Dilution – mixing of a diluent and a calibrator, or control, or patient sample. A serial dilution
is the progressive dilution of a substance in a series of tubes in predetermined ratios.
ELISA – enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; a diagnostic test used to detect either
antigens or antibodies in a patient’s specimen.
Enzyme – compound produced in a cell and capable of greatly increasing the rate of a
chemical reaction.
Erythrocyte – red blood cell, one of the elements in peripheral blood.
Etiologic Agent – agent that causes disease.
False Negative (Result) – negative test result for a patient who is positive for the condition or
constituent in question.
False Positive (Result) – positive test result for a patient who is negative for the constituent
or condition in question.
Glycolysis – lowering of glucose concentration in a blood sample by the action of enzymes
in the red blood cells.
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