Pneumatic Tube Research Articles

Monte Carlo uncertainty quantification method of pneumatic measurement tube frequency response

Abstract The pneumatic tube plays a critical role in the frequency response of the pressure measurement system, which also greatly affects the accuracy of the measurement data. This paper applied the Monte Carlo uncertainty qualification method to the pressure measurement tube system frequency response and studied the effects of four parameters, including tube length, radius, temperature, and source pressure, on uncertainty characteristics for a given tube system configuration. The reported results show the technique's applicability and flexibility and the limitations of GUM. It is found that the frequency response and corresponding uncertainty are not directly related to frequency but are closely related to the natural frequencies. Comparative experimental results show that the longer tube significantly reduces the system's natural frequencies and intensifies the phase lag. In addition, larger tube radius and source pressure result in larger amplitude response peaks. Closed to the natural frequencies, with the increase of the parameter, the uncertainties of frequency response value and the corresponding variation range increase for tube radius and source pressure while decreasing for temperature and tube length.

Critical Value Reporting Performance Improvement Initiative: A Journey Towards Timely Patient Safety

Abstract Timely reporting of critical values serves as a quality indicator for the National Patient Safety Goal. Since the oncology inpatient unit at our institution has the highest number of critical values and often struggles to meet the targeted goal of timely results acknowledgement, this prompted a performance improvement initiative. By utilizing the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Model for Improvement, the study aimed to decrease the time from specimen collection to acknowledgment of a complete blood count critical values (overall TAT). Three key metrics were monitored, including unit turnaround time (time from collection to receipt in laboratory; uTAT), laboratory turnaround time (time from receipt in laboratory to verified results) and timely critical value acknowledgment rate (% acknowledgement within 30 minutes). Quality improvement tools such as process maps and fishbone diagrams were employed, and two areas for improvement were identified. Firstly, it was observed that samples collected by the phlebotomists were delivered in batch to the laboratory via carts. However, samples collected by nurses were sent to the laboratory via a pneumatic tube. Hence, the uTAT varied drastically due to the different delivery methods. Secondly, the mode of alerting providers regarding critical values, which was via telephone calls from telecommunication staff, was deemed disruptive and redundant, as the providers often were already aware of the results from the electronic medical record (EPIC). Two multi-cycle Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) interventions were implemented by a multidisciplinary team. The first focused on sending samples via pneumatic tube. The second PDSA intervention focused on a direct clinician acknowledgment of critical values within EPIC, by creating an auxiliary column on the EPIC patient list. Consequently, the overall TAT decreased from a median time of 167 minutes in July 2021 to 140 minutes by March 2022 in the oncology inpatient unit, with a sustained result (139 minutes) by October 2023. This reduction was driven by the standardization of pneumatic tube delivery system; the uTAT decreased from a median time of 104 minutes to 46 minutes by March 2022 and remained low at 52 minutes by January 2024. Notably, the rate of timely acknowledgment of critical value results worsened, dropping from 67% to as low as 51 % (March 2022) and improved to 64% by January 2024. It was realized that this unintended consequence was attributed to the decrease in uTAT, leading to more critical value results reported in early morning when there was less staffing. Despite the worsening in timely critical value acknowledgment, the overall TAT showed a discernible reduction. The application of IHI methodology played a pivotal role in expediting result reporting. Subsequent steps will focus on utilizing secure communication channels to augment the success rate of critical values acknowledgment within 30 minutes.

Validating a Pneumatic Tube System for Blood Product Delivery

Abstract Introduction/Objective Timely delivery of blood products can be of utmost importance to providing quality care. We aimed to validate the use of a high-speed pneumatic tube system (PTS) that was already installed at our hospital. By reducing delivery times, patient resuscitation and survivability can be increased. Methods/Case Report We followed the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) guidelines to validate a PTS in a large tertiary academic medical center. The requirements include: verifying product suitability, ensuring product integrity, temperature monitoring, transportation time measurements, and proper packaging and tracking of product receipt. We validated the transfer of packed red blood cells (PRBC), plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate from the central blood transfusion services lab (BTS) to nursing stations in a separate building up to 1500 feet (>1/4 mile) away using a Swisslog Translogic® PTS Inclusion with foam inside the PTS carriers helped reduce bumps during transit and insulated products from heat. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) The mean temperature of the PRBC was 6.6 degrees Celsius and none exceeded the AABB maximum of 10 degrees Celsius. The mean time for blood products transit to the nursing stations was 3 minutes (m) and 33 seconds (s). The median time was 3m 31s, and it ranged from 2m 18s to 5m 38s. The PTS reduced delivery times of blood products by up to 10-12 minutes compared to manual porters. Conclusion Transporting blood products via PTS is an efficient method that reduces the required manpower and leads to better utilization of resources. However, it is essential to validate the PTS system before implementing it operationally.

Manual flagging failed to identify pseudohyperkalemia in acute myeloid leukemia: case report

BackgroundPseudohyperkalemia is well known in acute or chronic lymphocytic leukemia, but it is very rare in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The lab flagging system for leukocytosis to prevent pseudohyperkalemia may not work.Case presentationA 55 year-old white man with AML was sent to emergency department for transfusion due to severe anemia. Blood test showed severe leukocytosis and elevated potassium. Repeated blood test showed his potassium was even higher. Anti-hyperkalemic medical treatment was given. He was then diagnosed with pseudohyperkalema.InvestigationI was repeatedly reassured that the lab’s manual flagging system for leukocytosis was the key in reaching the correct diagnosis. My persistent inquiries, however, revealed that the flagging system was not functioning in the care of this patient. It was clinicians’ suspicion of pseudohyperkalema that led to the correct diagnosis, although the clinicians’ recommendation of obtaining a heparinized plasma for test did not play a role because all blood samples were already heparinized. The cause of pseudohyperkalemia was pneumatic tube transport. After this incident, our laboratory is investigating the options of using the Laboratory Information System to automatically flag the results and Clinical Laboratory Scientists to make the chemistry team more aware of potentially erroneous potassium results due to pseudohyperkalemia.ConclusionsPseudohyperkalemia associated with leukocytosis still occurs. This is the first case of pneumatic tube transport causing pseudohyperkalemia associated with AML. When significant leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, hyperproteinemia, or hyperlipidemia is present, whole blood should be utilized for potassium measurements and walked to the lab instead of sent by pneumatic tube transport. Even in a lab with a manual flagging system, there is still room to improve by implementing an automatic flagging system.

Impact of pneumatic tube transportation on the aggregation of monoclonal antibodies in clinical practice

Postproduction handling and in-hospital transportation of antibody drugs cause mechanical stress, including interfacial and shear stress, that can induce antibody unfolding and aggregation. The handling practices differ significantly between hospitals and the impact on protein stability is unknown. For example, the mechanical stress caused by transport via pneumatic tube systems (PTS) on therapeutic antibody aggregation is a potential safety and quality gap.The aim of this study was to investigate whether mechanical stress and PTS transportation in a hospital cause aggregation of five commonly used antibody drugs diluted in infusion bags.Orthogonal analytical methods showed that the handling and PTS transportation in this hospital did not cause aggregation of the investigated mAbs. The absence of aggregation could be explained by the reduction of interfacial stress due to headspace removal from the infusion bags and a mechanical sensor indicated that there was also only a moderate amount of mechanical stress caused by transportation with this particular PTS.Although this case study focuses on five antibody drugs and the practices in one hospital, the work demonstrates how to evaluate whether other handling and transportation practices cause significant mechanical stress that could compromise the quality and safety of antibody drugs.

Pneumatic tube transport-induced pseudohyperkalemia in patients with extreme leukocytosis: a retrospective study from a single medical center.

Pseudohyperkalemia (falsely elevated serum potassium) must be distinguished from true hyperkalemia to avoid unnecessary treatment. Some case reports suggest that pneumatic tube transportation may increase the risk of pseudohyperkalemia, but comprehensive research on the topic is lacking. Here, we aimed to assess the association between WBC levels, pneumatic tube transport, and pseudohyperkalemia prevalence. We analyzed 1188 samples collected from 240 patients between 2019 and 2022. Samples with elevated WBC counts (≥ 100 × 103/μL) and potassium levels were included in this study. The method of specimen transportation was documented. Pseudohyperkalemia was observed (7/390) in specimens transported using pneumatic tubes. No pseudohyperkalemia was identified with manually transported specimens (0/132). Every increase in WBC count by 100 × 103/μL in the specimens multiplied the odds ratio of pseudohyperkalemia by 3.75 when delivered with pneumatic tube. The prevalence of pseudohyperkalemia increased as WBC count increased, especially at WBC counts greater than 200 × 103/μL. Pneumatic tube transport poses a risk for pseudohyperkalemia in patients with extreme leukocytosis. Physicians should anticipate odd potassium levels when interpreting blood test results. Redrawing of blood samples, manual specimen transportation, or point-of-care testing are suggested to prevent further misdiagnosis.

An automated method for thrombocyte counting in capillary microsamples.

We aimed to develop an automated, low-volume method for thrombocyte counting in capillary blood using the Sysmex predilution (PD) mode. Microsamples were prepared by resuspension of 50 μL blood in 300 μL DCL CellPack. Thrombocyte counting was done in the impedance (PLT-I) and fluorescence (PLT-F) channels. The imprecision and bias was evaluated in >394 microsamples from adult blood. Preanalytical factors (skin-piercing, storage, and transportation in our pneumatic tube system) was assessed, and studies on pediatric microsamples were made for comparison. The improvement in analytical quality and turnaround time was examined. For PLT-F, the imprecision was 1.1%-3.7%, and the bias was 10.1% (95% CI: 8.8-11.3). After skin-piercing, the bias was 8.1% (95% CI: 5.6-10.6) and the imprecision 1.9% (95% CI: 1.3-2.5). Thrombocyte counts kept stable after 4 h at room temperature (94.8% [95% CI: 93.2-96.4]) and after pneumatic tube transportation [6.7% (95% CI: 4.8-8.6)]. The bias of the PD mode for pediatric microsamples was 13.0% (95% CI: -8.4-34.4) in the PLT-F channel. The automated method had a considerably lower imprecision than the existing manual thrombocyte counting method and reduced turnaround times. The automated microsample method offers a low-volume alternative for measurement of thrombocytes. The method appears useful also in pediatric samples.

Validation of a single specimen pneumatic tube system in the clinical laboratory.

The single-specimen pneumatic tube (PTS) is a commonly used rapid specimen delivery system in modern clinical laboratories. However, its impact on sample integrity and laboratory test results remains controversial. The installation and configuration of single-specimen PTS are unique to their institution. We sought to validate our single-specimen PTS by comparing routine chemistry, immunology, and hematology results with a repeat sample integrity index for manual transport. In 2023, 30 employees were randomly selected from the company medical examination, and three tubes of procoagulant serum samples and three tubes of EDTA anticoagulant blood samples were collected from each of them. Group A uses a single specimen PTSat 8m/s, Group B uses a single specimen PTSat 15m/s, and Group C uses manual transfer. Specimens from all three groupswere simultaneously analysedfor ALT, AST, TG, TC, LDL, K, NA, CI, TSH, hs-cTnT, NSE, Cyfra21-1 and haematological analysis. The differences between the three groups of NSE and Cyfra21-1 were statistically significant (P <0.05). The differences of the rest of the items were not statistically significant. The difference in NSE was not statistically significant between groups A and B (P =0.401), B and C, and C and A (P <0.05). The difference in Cyfra21-1 was not statistically significant between groups A and B (P =0.897), B and C (P =0.052), and C and A (P =0.145). Individual sample PTS should be validated for testing prior to use to ensure the results' accuracy.

Jerk (d(acceleration)/dt) as an operative variable in pneumatic tube transport (PTT).

Jerk, the rate of change of acceleration (d(acceleration)/dt), is a known operative variable in public transportation safety, but this term has never appeared in the literature regarding pneumatic tube transport (PTT) and specimen integrity. We investigated profiles of acceleration and jerk for 2 PTT routes within our hospital system. Acceleration data were collected for PTT for 2 routes (A, B) using an accelerometer. Acceleration vectors (a) were analyzed in terms of distributions of jerk (da/dt), and distributions of θ, the angle between successive acceleration vectors. Routes A and B had transit times of approximately 300s. Acceleration vectors (a) ranged in magnitude from 0 to 8 g. For B, a > 1.2 g comprised 29.0% of results, compared to 13.5% of results for A (ratio = 2.1). Jerk ranged from 0 to 94 g/s. For B, jerk > 0.5 g/s comprised 71.9% of results, compared to 32.5% of results for A (ratio = 2.2). θ ranged from 0 to 180 degrees. For B, θ > 5 degrees comprised 59.3% of results, compared to 26.6% of results for A (ratio = 2.2). Differences in distribution in acceleration, jerk, and θ ran in parallel as variables for comparison between 2 PTT routes. Jerk and θ are likely to be operative variables in effects of PTT.

Advancing safety in short-term utility work zones: Assessing the role of work zone intrusion alert technologies (WZIATs)

Work zone safety is significantly impacted by vehicle intrusions, which are challenging incidents to control. Although the Federal Highway Administration and US state transportation agencies have implemented safety procedures to enhance worker and motorist safety, the rate of intrusions in work zones remains high, necessitating the development of additional solutions. Work zone intrusion alert technologies (WZIATs) have shown promise in highway work zones; however, their application in short-term utility settings remains insufficiently studied. This research aims to characterize the features of intrusion alert systems that can enhance the safety of workers in utility work zones. To achieve this aim, the study adopted a mixed-method design approach, relying on literature review, archival data analysis, experimental assessments, and a case study. The study reveals that motorist/driver behavior is a primary safety risk factor in utility work zone intrusions. Insights from deploying two technologies, AWARE and Alpha SafeNet, in experimental and live utility work zones indicate that an effective WZIAT must be able to alert both drivers and workers, be deployable in less than three minutes, integrate audio, visual, and haptic alarms, have an adjustable warning light, incorporate a pneumatic tube triggering mechanism, and be waterproof. This study contributes to both knowledge and practice by characterizing the safety risks associated with utility work zones and identifying key performance and operational features for deploying WZIATs in short-term work zones.

Reaping Benefits and Overcoming Challenges in Pneumatic Tube System Adoption for Hospital Logistics: Learnings from a Decade of Utilization

Reaping Benefits and Overcoming Challenges in Pneumatic Tube System Adoption for Hospital Logistics: Learnings from a Decade of Utilization

Comparison of the speed and quality of innovative and traditional pneumatic tube system transport outside of an emergency laboratory

BackgroundEnsuring the rapidity and accuracy of emergency laboratory test results is especially important to save the lives of patients with acute and critical conditions. To better meet the needs of clinicians and patients, detection efficiency can be improved by reducing extra-laboratory sample turnaround times (TATs) through the use of innovative pneumatic tube system (PTS) transport for sample transport. However, concerns remain regarding the potential compromise of sample quality during PTS transit relative to that occurring with manual transportation. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of an innovative PTS (Tempus600 PTS) relative to a traditional PTS in terms of sample transit time, sample quality, and the concordance of analytical results with those obtained from manually transported samples. MethodsIn total, 30 healthy volunteers aged >18 years were recruited for this study, conducted for five consecutive days. Venous blood samples were collected from six volunteers per day at fixed timepoints. From each volunteer, nine blood samples were collected into tubes with tripotassium ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid anticoagulant, tubes with 3.2 % sodium citrate, and serum tubes with separation gel (n = 3 each) and subjected to all tests conducted in the emergency laboratory in our hospital. 270 blood samples from 30 healthy volunteers were transported and analyzed, yielding 6300 test results. The blood samples were divided randomly into three groups (each containing one tube of each type) and transported to the emergency laboratory manually and with Tempus600 PTS and conventional Swisslog PTS, respectively. The extra-laboratory TATs, sample quality, and test results of the transported blood samples were compared. ResultsThe sample quality and test results did not differ according to the delivery method. The TAT was much shorter with the Tempus600 than with the other two transport modes (58.40 ± 1.52 s vs. 1711.20 ± 77.56 s for manual delivery and 146.60 ± 1.82 s for the Swisslog PTS; P = 0.002). ConclusionBlood sample transport with the Tempus600 PTS significantly reduced the extra-laboratory TAT without compromising sample quality or test result accuracy, thereby improving the efficiency of sample analysis and the services provided to clinicians and patients.

Physicochemical and biological stability of diluted vedolizumab in intravenous infusion bags

IntroductionIntravenous vedolizumab is a widely used monoclonal antibody for outpatients with inflammatory bowel disease. Drug preparation is performed on the day of administration, but is time consuming, causing unnecessary in-hospital...

Towards a Digital Predictive Maintenance (DPM): Healthcare Case Study

This paper presents a global approach for implementing Digital Predictive Maintenance (DPM), based on the principles of the digital industry. The proposed approach is applicable at both academic and professional scales, across all sectors and all sizes of organisations. This approach consists of four main phases: the identification of the system or work environment, the identification of the specific targets that justify the adoption of digital maintenance, the choice of appropriate digital technologies for predictive maintenance and the implementation of maintenance X.0 at all levels (i.e., strategic, tactical and/or operational). To validate this approach, the healthcare sector was chosen as a field of application. The uninterrupted operation of facilities and equipment in this sector is paramount. The adoption of maintenance X.0, which has already demonstrated significant benefits in other sectors, would be of great value in the healthcare sector. By applying our approach to the Pneumatic Tube System (PTS) at the Ibn Sina University Hospital Center (actually) in Rabat, Morocco, we have succeeded in introducing a structured and streamlined implementation of DPM in the healthcare sector.

Comparative Validation Study between Pneumatic Tube System and Hand Carried Blood Sample

Rapid delivery of specimens is crucial in today's clinical laboratories, and pneumatic tube systems are commonly utilized for this purpose. The validation of sample stability through pneumatic tube system (PTS) is essential. The use of Pneumatic Tube System can improve specimen turnaround time; allowing more effective time management of the porters by reducing the need to physically take specimens from one department to another. Prior to use, the Pneumatic tube system must be validated to ensure the reliability of laboratory test results, particularly those impacted by movement, such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), potassium (K+), complete blood count (CBC), particularly hemoglobin and coagulation tests. The most common way of validating pneumatic tube systems is to compare blood samples transported by pneumatic tube systems to blood samples transported by hand. High speeds and rapid acceleration of blood samples can increase the risk of hemolysis and negatively affect sample quality and test results. Moreover, the installation and design of each pneumatic tube system exhibit unique characteristics that are exclusive to each individual institution. The established protocol necessitated the use of either a human courier or pneumatic tube technology in order to transport a collection of replicated samples to the laboratory. Comparative research will be conducted on a sample size of twenty healthy adult volunteers to assess the integrity of the sample. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the effects of PTS transportation on laboratory results and whether is there any difference as compared to hand courier method.

Influence of pneumatic tube delivery system on laboratory results.

The pneumatic tube system (PTS) is an automated and fast modality of transportation of biological samples, but it has been reported to induce preanalytical errors. To study the influence of transportation by PTS on biochemistry tests which are particularly sensitive to haemolysis and atmospheric pressure variation. We compared laboratory results of arterial blood gas, sodium, potassium, chloride, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, glucose and haemolysis index of samples conveyed simultaneously by PTS and by courier. We recruited 30 patients from the sampling room and 40 patients from the intensive care unit. Transport through PTS resulted in a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase and potassium without exceeding the limits of acceptability. Potassium was significantly more increased for samples transported in a higher speed line (p = .048) but without exceeding the limits of acceptability. No significant impact was noted on haemolysis indices. The pO2 variations due to PTS transportation exceeded the limit of acceptability with significant intra-individual variations. Our PTS is validated for biochemistry tests results. It reduces turnaround times without affecting sample quality. However, the interpretation of arterial blood gas results should be careful for samples transported by PTS.

Transportation of mAb Dosing Solution in Intravenous Bag: Impact of Manual, Vehicle, and Pneumatic Tube System Transportation Methods on Product Quality.

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) products for intravenous (IV) administration generally require aseptic compounding with a commercial diluent within a pharmacy. The prepared dosing solution in the IV bag may be transported to the dosing location via manual, vehicular, pneumatic tube system (PTS), or a combination of these methods. In this study, the type and level of physical stresses associated with these three methods and their product quality impact for relatively sensitive and stable mAbs were assessed. Vibration was found to be the main stress associated with manual and vehicle transportation methods, although this was at a relatively low level (<1 GRMS/Root-Mean-Square Acceleration). Shock and drop events, at relatively low levels, were also observed with these methods. PTS transportation showed substantially more intense shock, vibration, and drop stresses and the measured levels were up to 91 G/force of acceleration or deceleration, 3.7 GRMS and 39 G, respectively. Using a foam padding insert for PTS transportation reduced the shock level considerably (91 G to 59 G). Transportation of mAb dosing solutions in IV bags via different methods including PTS transportation variables caused a small increase in the subvisible particle counts and there was no change in submicrometer particle distribution. No visible particles and no significant change to soluble aggregate levels were observed after transportation. Strategies such as removal of IV bag headspace prior to transport and in-line filtration poststress reduced the subvisible particles counts. All tested transportation conditions showed negligible impact on other product quality attributes tested. Removal of IV bag headspace prior to PTS transport prevented formation of micro air bubbles and foaming compared to the unaltered IV bag. This study shows examples where manual, vehicle, and PTS transport methods did not significantly impact product quality, and provides evidence that mAb products that are appropriately stabilized in the dosing solution (e.g., with a surfactant) can be transported via a PTS.

Improving the Logistics of Institutional Postal Services

Postal services are often considered by the different institutions as a back-up service. Taking into account that in case of large geographical coverage these services can generate significant costs, it is important to optimize the postal service functions within these institutions and to develop the already existing conventional postal services. Within the frame of this article the authors review the logistics processes of the postal services at the University of Miskolc to propose improvements to the processes of postal services focusing on delivery. The main regulatory elements and the logistics processes of the institutional postal services are discussed and some critical remarks are described focusing on three main areas: the facility location optimization of the institutional postal services, the lack of use of modern technologies and the lack of modern administrative facilities. On the basis of these criticisms, the authors define recommendations for improving institutional postal services. Regarding the facility location optimization problem, a mathematical model and an optimization algorithm is described to evaluate the efficiency of the logistics processes of delivery services. The proposed methodology supports a cost-based analysis of different solution variants and a priority-based differentiation between institutions and offices. The suggested approach is tested with a real scenario, where the numerical results validate the efficiency of the evaluation of optimization algorithm. The second improvement direction is the application of a pneumatic tube system. The authors show the most important parts of the proposed pneumatic tube system, which can lead to decreased labor cost and increased service level.

Diagnostic sample transport via pneumatic tube systems: data logger and their algorithms are sensitive to transport effects.

Many hospitals use pneumatic tube systems (PTS) for transport of diagnostic samples. Continuous monitoring of PTS and evaluation prior to clinical use is recommended. Data loggers with specifically developed algorithms have been suggested as an additional tool in PTS evaluation. We compared two different data loggers. Transport types- courier, conventional (cPTS) and innovative PTS (iPTS)- were monitored using two data loggers (MSR145® logger, CiK Solutions GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany, and a prototype developed at the University Medicine Greifswald). Data loggers differ in algorithm, recording frequencies and limit of acceleration detection. Samples from apparently healthy volunteers were split among the transport types and results for 37 laboratory measurands were compared. For each logger specific arbitrary units were calculated. Area-under-the-curve (AUC)-values (MSR145®) were lowest for courier and highest for iPTS and increased with increasing recording frequencies. Stress (St)-values (prototype logger) were obtained in kmsu (1,000*mechanical stress unit) and were highest for iPTS as well. Statistical differences between laboratory measurement results of transport types were observed for three measurands sensitive for hemolysis. The statistical, but not clinical, differences in the results for hemolysis sensitive measurands may be regarded as an early sign of preanalytical impairment. Bothdata loggers record this important interval of beginning mechanical stress with a high resolution indicating their potential to facilitate early detection of preanalytical impairment. Further studies should identify suitable recording frequencies. Currently, evaluation and monitoring of diagnostic sample transport should not only rely on data loggers but also include diagnostic samples.

B-153 Acceleration vs Time Data for Two Pneumatic Tube Specimen Transport Routes: Comparison of Distributions of Jerk (d(acceleration)/dt) and Theta (Change in Angle)

Abstract Background As part of a Quality Assurance investigation regarding specimen integrity, we had occasion to compare properties of pneumatic tube transport (PTT) of specimens between a collection site of origin and two different laboratory destinations. We obtained acceleration vs time data using an accelerometer. Borrowing from public transportation safety literature, we examined these profiles in terms of distributions of jerk, which is the first derivative of acceleration (d(acceleration)/dt ≡ g/s), and distributions of theta, the angle between successive acceleration vectors. Methods Primary data for acceleration vs time were collected using a USB accelerometer (X16-1E, Gulf Coast Data Concepts LLC, Waveland, MS). The device produces a CSV file for acceleration along 3 mutually orthogonal axes in three dimensions (x, y, and z) as a function of time (rate = 12 Hz). For data collection, the device was wrapped in bubble wrap and placed within a PTT carrier. Data were collected for transport from the collection site to destination laboratory 1 (Route A), and from the collection site to destination laboratory 2 (Route B). Each acceleration datapoint represented a 3-dimenstional vector (having both magnitude and direction). We calculated jerk as the magnitude of the vector representing the difference in the acceleration vectors between successive data points. We calculated angular changes in direction of acceleration (theta) from the dot product of successive acceleration vectors. Variation in theta may be thought of as a measure of “rattling”. Results Routes A and B had practically identical transit times of approximately 300 s (5 min). Accelerations ranged in magnitude (M) from 0–8 g. Route A demonstrated a 2 min interval of essentially constant velocity, whereas Route B demonstrated nearly continuous variation in acceleration. For Route B, M &amp;gt; 1.2 g comprised 29.0% of results compared to 13.5% of results for Route A (ratio = 2.1). Jerk ranged from 0 to 7 g per time interval of 1/(12 Hz). For Route B, jerk &amp;gt; 0.1 g per time interval comprised 63.0% of results compared to 28.3% of results for Route A (ratio = 2.2). Theta ranged from 0 to 180 degrees. For Route B, theta &amp;gt; 5 degrees comprised 59.3% of results compared to 26.6% of results for Route A (ratio = 2.2). By measures of acceleration, jerk, and theta, Route B is a “rougher” ride for specimens compared to Route A. The similarity of the ratios given above (range 2.1–2.2) indicate that differences in acceleration, jerk, and theta run in parallel as variables for comparison between these two PTT routes. Conclusions In transportation safety literature, jerk is a primary variable in the category of “conditions in which people get knocked down.” For specimen transport, the analogy is that jerk might be a variable with respect to “conditions that may activate or disrupt cells.” In our example, comparisons of distributions for acceleration, jerk and theta ran in parallel. Thus, in evaluation of effects of PTT on test results, analysis of acceleration data alone might mask identification of cumulative effects of jerk and theta as possible primary variables. Experimentally, however, it would be very difficult to establish distinction between acceleration, jerk, or theta as primary variables.