Resolving turbidity

Resolving turbidity is an analytical laboratory process focused on clearing the cloudiness or haziness of a liquid sample to facilitate accurate measurement, particularly in spectrophotometric and automated clinical assays. Turbidity is caused by the presence of suspended particles, such as lipids (lipemia), proteins, or microorganisms, which scatter light and interfere with the detection of light absorbance or fluorescence (StatPearls, 2023; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549806/). Common methods to resolve turbidity include ultra-centrifugation, filtration, or the addition of chemical clearing agents like detergents or enzymes to degrade the interfering particles. This term refers to a methodology in sample preparation and diagnostic medicine rather than a biological molecule, receptor, or enzymatic pathway. Because it is a physical or chemical procedure performed ex vivo on a specimen, it is not considered a therapeutic target. Therefore, it lacks specific biological functions, disease-modifying roles, or interactions with therapeutic drug classes.

Other names

Sample clarificationLipid clearingElimination of optical interferenceClearing of opalescence

Not applicable