An advantage of the coagulation analyzers that use the electromechanical technology is that they

• A. Are more sensitive
• B. Are not affected by colored or hemolyzed plasma
• C. Do not need calibration
• D. Use a smaller sample size

Answer: (B)

Electromechanical coagulation analyzers detect clot formation through mechanical changes in the sample, not by measuring light. Because the readout doesn’t rely on optical properties, substances that color the plasma or come from hemolyzed samples don’t skew the signal. This makes the system robust to colored or hemolyzed plasma, which is a practical advantage in real patient samples. Calibration is still a routine requirement, and sensitivity or sample size needs can vary by instrument, so those aspects aren’t inherent benefits of the electromechanical approach.