Important Concepts in Quality Control: Standards and Calibrators

Calibration Curve

  • Standards are also used to determine the linearity of the testing instrument. This is done by plotting a calibration or standard curve.
  • Most testing instruments must be operated within a linear range.
  • The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute or NCCLS defines linearity as “the measure of the degree to which a curve approximates a straight line.
  • The examples to the right show linearity because a change along the x-axis shows a corresponding change along the y-axis, whether the x-value is low or high.

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