Portable/field Instrument
Definition
A handheld or transportable analytical device, such as a Raman spectrometer, XRF analyser, or rapid-DNA cartridge system, designed for use outside a fixed laboratory. Validated performance under field conditions may differ significantly from laboratory performance.
- Examples
- Raman spectrometer, XRF analyser, rapid-DNA cartridge system
- Design purpose
- Use outside a fixed laboratory
- Key concern
- Field performance can differ from validated lab performance
Common questions
Why can't a field result always be treated the same as a lab result?+
Temperature swings, lighting, vibration and less controlled sample handling in the field can degrade an instrument's accuracy compared with the conditions under which it was originally validated.
Do field results still need laboratory confirmation?+
For most evidentiary purposes yes, since a field instrument's result is typically treated as investigative or presumptive rather than a substitute for validated laboratory analysis.
Related terms
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- Rapid DNA
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