Medical laboratory

A medical laboratory is a facility staffed by trained professionals for the treatment of patients and the study of infectious diseases. Medical laboratories may exist as either independent institutions or associated with larger medical treatment centers such as hospitals and clinics. Pharmaceutical companies and other R&D firms will usually own one or more medical laboratories, though these labs are almost always a detached facility and not part of the company's corporate headquarters. Many science fiction stories deal with themes relating to medical science.

In the Star Trek television and film franchise, medical laboratories are referred to as Sick Bays. Nearly every starship featured in the franchise is equipped with a Sick Bay. In the original Star Trek series, the USS Enterprise was staffed by Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy. He was assisted by Nurse Christine Chapel. The Sick Bay was featured in many episodes of the series as well as the Star Trek animated series. The Enterprise Sick Bay was featured in the first three installments of the Star Trek film series. The 5th and 6th movies included the Sick Bay from the Enterprise 's successor, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A. On Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D was Doctor Beverly Crusher. Doctor Katherine Pulaski served as CMO aboard the ship during a brief stint when Crusher was absent. On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Doctor Julian Bashir served as Chief Medical Officer of the Deep Space 9 space station. Star Trek: Voyager had a unique dynamic in that it was the only series in the franchise where the ship's medical center was manned by an emergency medical hologram, the EMH Mark-1. Lieutenant Tom Paris and the Ocampan known as Kes occasionally served as nurses. Star Trek: Enterprise featured the second starship sick bay coordinated by a non-human. It was manned by Doctor Phlox, a Denobulan.