The latest addition to the Stat Profile product line, Stat Profile Prime ES, has gained CE mark certification for release in CE regulated countries. Prime ES incorporates Nova Biomedical’s innovative no-maintenance sensor card technology for a smaller, faster, and less expensive electrolyte analyser. Compact and lightweight, Prime ES provides a comprehensive electrolyte profile including Na, K, Cl, iCa, and iMg in just 60 seconds from 50 microliters of whole blood. Stat Profile Prime’s no-maintenance technology comprises a single MicroSensor Card that contains all sensors for Na, K, Cl, iCa, and iMg with a 32-day use life, and a reagent cartridge containing all calibration reagents. The MicroSensor Card and reagent cartridge are both maintenance free and easily replaced in seconds. This design optimizes the life of each, improves analyser uptime, and reduces costs. Credit card-sized, the MicroSensor Card is always calibrated and ready to deliver a stat electrolyte profile. Stat Profile Prime’s Clot Block sample flow path protects the MicroSensor Card from blockages and downtime caused by blood clots. A safety sample port aspirates samples directly from syringes, tubes, cups, and ampoules, eliminating sample transfer steps and saving time. Acceptable samples include whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid. Simple to operate with a colour touchscreen and built-in barcode scanner for positive patient ID, Stat Profile Prime ES may be used in a fixed location virtually anywhere in a hospital/clinic or operated on a mobile cart with a battery back-up. An optional 10-sample removable tray provides serial batch testing for serum, plasma, and urine samples. Prime ES patient results can be easily interfaced to the LIS/HIS with the industry standard POCT 1-A2 connectivity format.
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Safety hypodermic needle
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaFor many healthcare workers, needlestick injuries carry a high risk of infection with blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis C and HIV, with recent studies revealing significantly higher levels of affliction amongst people in hospitals than in the wider population. Given the trauma experienced by those affected as well as the substantial consequential costs, Greiner Bio-One has added another new product to its range of safety solutions in an attempt to eliminate this risk as far as possible. The new VACUETTE CLIX Safety Hypodermic Needle can be used for taking venous blood samples and for giving injections. This versatile product comes with a wide range of needle thicknesses and lengths, easily distinguishable thanks to their colour-coded safety shields. Its intuitive use requires only minimal training. The needle has an integrated safety mechanism, which can be activated using a solid surface or the user’s thumb. When the users hear a click, they know that the safety shield is positioned securely around the needle and they can proceed without any risk of a needlestick injury. This product has been designed to be used with the VACUETTE HOLDEX tube holder, which has an eccentric luer fitting for a flatter puncture angle and thus increased comfort for the patient and user.
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Fully automated histology tissue embedder
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaThe AutoTEC a120 is a secondgeneration, fully automated tissue embedder that eliminates the labour intensive need to manually orient and embed tissue specimens and form tissue or cell paraffin blocks. The AutoTEC technology, combined with the Paraform Sectionable Cassette System ensure that the orientation of specimens is locked from grossing to microtomy for all routine tissue types, thereby eliminating the risk of orientation mistakes and tissue loss for increasing patient safety. The new AutoTEC a120 with the Paraform Sectionable Cassettes remains the industry’s first and only fully automated embedding system. Enhanced features include the incorporation of a cassette barcode reader for LIS connectivity and traceability of specimen blocks, and the SMARTair technology to optimize block quality. A larger 15 inch touch screen monitor and the enhanced, intuitive operating system both deliver user convenience. Based on customer feedback, the input and output doors, the paraffin reservoir and access to the base molds are redesigned providing improved ergonomics while requiring minimal user maintenance and further increasing up-time. When used in conjunction with the Tissue-Tek Xpress x120 Rapid Tissue Processors the AutoTEC a120 offers a high throughput of up to 120 cassettes per hour and enables laboratories to reallocate valuable personnel now manually working at embedding stations, and to conveniently level the daily workload in a lean continuous workflow. These SMART Automation systems provide high quality and safe tissue processing, consistent clean blocks, and all important same-day diagnosis.
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Risk management software
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaBio-Rad Mission: Control is the first objective risk management soft ware to help laboratories identify the best QC rules and the right QC frequency to develop a customized quality control plan to deliver reliable test results. Bio- Rad Mission: Control uniquely quantifies a laboratory’s risk tolerance, going beyond traditional subjective risk assessments. It allows a lab to establish a QC plan that is consistent with the CLSI EP23-A guideline and better assess the risk of reporting incorrect patient test results back to the physician.
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HIV POC testing
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaDeveloped for use with the MULTISURE HIV test, the ASSURE Palm Reader is a soon to be CE-marked professional small instrument for rapid and automate analysis of HIV. This combination is ideal for meeting the needs of healthcare professionals for point-of-care testing. The MP Diagnostics MULTISURE HIV Test is a qualitative immunochromatographic assay for the rapid in vitro detection and differentiation of antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 in human serum, plasma or whole blood. This MULTISURE HIV test is the only screening product with 4 individual tests markers to detect antibodies to gp120 (HIV-1), gp41 (HIV-1), p24 (HIV-1/2) and gp36 (HIV-2) and is also equipped with MP Diagnostics’ patented reverse flow technology which gives the user stronger visual identification, easier interpretation of results and reduced accordance of intermediates. The MP Diagnostics ASSURE Palm Reader is a fully integrated handheld instrument with software and barcode technology that make for easy operation. The key advantages of the combination of ASSURE Palm reader and MULTISURE HIV are result interpretation, documentation and ease of use in point-of-care testing for HIV in only 15 minutes.
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Puritan Liquid Amies Transport System changes name to Opti-Swab™
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaFormerly known as “Puritan Liquid Amies Transport System” for aerobic & fastidious bacteria, this combination of Puritan liquid Amies medium and HydraFlock® swabs is now marketed under a new brand name, Opti-Swab™. The Opti-Swab™ name and fresh new label assure the end user rapid and easy product recognition and confirmation that they’ve made the optimal choice.
Opti-Swab™ incorporates 1ml of liquid Amies medium and is available in 3 configurations – with one standard, one mini-tip, or one ultrafine tip HydraFlock® swab for specimen collection. Vial and cap, medium and swab – all components have been engineered and produced by Puritan.
Opti-Swab™ Transport Systems was independently confirmed by a complete validation study on Copan’s Wasp®: Walk-Away Specimen Processor (WASP).
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Personalized learning platform
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaSiemens PEPconnect, part of the total Personalized Education Plan (PEP), is the industry’s first personalized education and performance experience for the healthcare professional. With optimized technology and increased search capabilities, PEPconnect allows customers to access education and real-time performance support virtually anytime, anywhere, and on any device, including PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. It enables users to construct a personalized learning experience and easily share and connect with others in their workgroup community. PEPconnect includes over 4,000 competency- based product education and performance support opportunities for healthcare professionals to increase proficiency, as well as general laboratory and clinical applications education events, integrated webinars and seminar and symposium administration and tracking for Siemens-hosted events. The platform delivers comprehensive transcripts with certificates of completion and CEUs. Integration with PEP Administrator and Workgroup Owner is available for existing accounts (whether customer-owned or applications specialists). The PEPConnect platform is available globally in English, with additional languages, including Spanish and Italian, being rolled out by the beginning of November 2015 and all customer languages by March 1, 2016.
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FISH probe for bladder cancer
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaAvailable in Europe, the CE-IVD labelled Cytocell Aquarius P16/3c/7c/17c Probe Kit is a cost-effective, ready-to-use fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probe kit for non-invasive detection of bladder cancer. Bladder cancer is becoming increasingly prevalent, and in 2012 was reported as the 5th most common cancer in Europe. While cytology screening is commonplace for diagnosing bladder cancer, a recent update to UK NICE guidelines recommended the use of FISH. FISH methods have been shown to have the same specificity as cytology screening and greater sensitivity in detecting bladder cancer cells. FISH analysis for bladder cancer is also particularly useful for monitoring treatment outcome and can aid in reducing patient mortality by detecting bladder cancer recurrence up to six months earlier than other methods. Carrying the CE mark for in vitro diagnostic use within Europe, OGT’s product accurately detects in urine samples the three most common aneuploidies associated with bladder cancer (chromosomes 3, 7 and 17). It also detects deletions of the 9p21.3 locus containing the well-known tumour suppressor gene p16 (CDKN2A) — commonly deleted in bladder cancer. The economical Cytocell Aquarius P16/3c/7c/17c Probe Kit contains ready-to-use reagents and has an easy-to-use protocol, reducing the potential for errors and increasing convenience. Specific, clear, high-intensity signals with minimal background deliver quality, reproducible and easy-to-score results ensuring clinicians can be confident in reporting.
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Electrolyte testing system
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaThe latest addition to the Stat Profile product line, Stat Profile Prime ES, has gained CE mark certification for release in CE regulated countries. Prime ES incorporates Nova Biomedical’s innovative no-maintenance sensor card technology for a smaller, faster, and less expensive electrolyte analyser. Compact and lightweight, Prime ES provides a comprehensive electrolyte profile including Na, K, Cl, iCa, and iMg in just 60 seconds from 50 microliters of whole blood. Stat Profile Prime’s no-maintenance technology comprises a single MicroSensor Card that contains all sensors for Na, K, Cl, iCa, and iMg with a 32-day use life, and a reagent cartridge containing all calibration reagents. The MicroSensor Card and reagent cartridge are both maintenance free and easily replaced in seconds. This design optimizes the life of each, improves analyser uptime, and reduces costs. Credit card-sized, the MicroSensor Card is always calibrated and ready to deliver a stat electrolyte profile. Stat Profile Prime’s Clot Block sample flow path protects the MicroSensor Card from blockages and downtime caused by blood clots. A safety sample port aspirates samples directly from syringes, tubes, cups, and ampoules, eliminating sample transfer steps and saving time. Acceptable samples include whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid. Simple to operate with a colour touchscreen and built-in barcode scanner for positive patient ID, Stat Profile Prime ES may be used in a fixed location virtually anywhere in a hospital/clinic or operated on a mobile cart with a battery back-up. An optional 10-sample removable tray provides serial batch testing for serum, plasma, and urine samples. Prime ES patient results can be easily interfaced to the LIS/HIS with the industry standard POCT 1-A2 connectivity format.
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Mass spectrometry kit for ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulphate
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaThe new MassChrom kit from Chromsystems allows the reliable determination of EtG and EtS from urine with robustness and precision. The assay is validated according to the guidelines of the GTFCh (Society of Toxicological and Forensic Chemistry) for quality assurance and enables the determination of both parameters with one sample preparation and one single injection with an analysis time of 6 minutes. The straightforward and efficient sample preparation consists of a single pipetting step that includes the instrument-specific dilution. The human-matrix based 6PLUS1 Multilevel Calibrator Set and MassCheck controls ensure precision and accuracy of results. Typically, less than 0.1 % of the consumed ethanol is present as the glucurono- or sulpho-conjugated configuration, which is excreted as ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulphate (EtS), both detectable for a sustained period in comparison to ethanol. Thus, EtG and EtS close the gap between short-term markers (i.e. ethanol itself) and long-term markers such as carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT).
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Gastric biomarker test panel
, /in Product News /by 3wmediaLike the previous version, the new (unified) GastroPanel is a quantitative ELISA test panel that measures the blood plasma concentrations of four stomach-specific biomarkers: pepsinogen I (PGI), pepsinogen II (PGII), gastrin-17 (G-17) and Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies. In the new test version, all four biomarkers are processed under uniform reaction conditions and using common reagents, increasing its acceptance among users, while making the test less labour-intense and reducing the overall processing time. The main indications for use of the GastroPanel remain unchanged. The test is designed for the diagnosis of (1) H. pylori infection (2) atrophic gastritis (AG), and (3) functional disorders among symptomatic (dyspeptic) patients as well as for screening of asymptomatic subjects for gastric cancer risk. Also, the interpretation algorithm has been revised, and is now based on 8 distinct biomarker profiles, 5 of them reflecting morphological abnormalities and 3 others a functional disorder.
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