A study published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology found that “Quo-Lab met all criteria” and “has no bias compared to the mean of four secondary reference measurement procedures.”*
Quo-Lab is a semi-automated analyser designed to meet the needs of diabetes clinics and labs that demand low cost of operation and ease of use. It provides HbA1c results in four minutes using a small drop of blood.
EKF has developed Quo-Lab in conjunction with industry experts to deliver a product that meets the tightening requirements of NGSP certification and CAP EQA criteria.
Find out what Quo-Lab can do for your practice today.
https://www.ekfdiagnostics.com/quo-lab.html
 
^{*Lenters-Westra E, English E. Evaluation of Four HbA1c Point-of-Care Devices Using International Quality Targets: Are They Fit for the Purpose? Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. 2018; 12: 762-770.}

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Flow cytometric immunophenotyping is a rapidly evolving IVD technology which is establishing a place in the routine lab for the assessment of leukemia and certain lymphomas.  At the heart of the test is a panel of antibodies that can detect markers or antigens on the cells.  However, this depends on the accurate interpretation of complex patterns, determining whether a pattern is consistent (normal) or inconsistent with an expected population. To aid in this complex pattern recognition,  Beckman Coulter has developed a unique educational resource, the ClearLLab CaseBook. Users can also download the data to continue their diagnostic practice.
The casebook is based on the ClearLLab 5C reagents which were the first preformulated, IVD antibody cocktails for leukemia and lymphoma immunophenotyping to be granted de novo authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for in vitro diagnostic use.  ClearLLab reagents simplify and standardize the process removing one of the limitations to flow cytometry gaining its place in the routine lab, and eliminating the need for a lab to manually prepare and design panels, a time- consuming process.
The ClearLLab 5C Casebook provides the clinical history of 16 patients, illustrating the progressive analysis of flow cytometric immunophenotyping data by means of numerous colour-coded illustrated scatter plots.  These first assess and then assign the cells before giving a detailed characterization of the aberrant population according to the presence or absence of antigens.  It includes patients with characteristic findings typical of various lymphoid and myeloid neoplasms as well as those with clinical and/or laboratory findings suggesting an underlying neoplastic process, but in which no immunophenotypic abnormality is identified.  Specimen types include peripheral blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. Each case concludes with an assessment of the immunophenotypic findings as well as potential pitfalls.
Flow cytometry has several advantages over immunohistochemistry in cancer detection.  This includes its ability to define distinct cell populations by their size and granularity, exclude weakly expressed surface antigens and measure several antigens at the same time with multi-colour analysis.

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A new series of compact refrigerators has been specifically developed to address the need of clinical laboratories and patient care facilities for cold storage equipment that enable secure and energy-efficient storage of vaccines, medicines, lab kits and breast milk, while offering quiet operation and a small footprint. Powered by Phononic’s solid state cooling technology, the new TSG refrigerators have been designed to provide uninterrupted temperature stability and cleanroom-compatible readiness for reliable storage of the most sensitive materials. Furthermore, the systems offer whisper quiet operation at less than 35 dbA, meaning they can be placed in clinical laboratories, nurse’s stations, and even patient rooms and intensive care units, without disrupting the work environment and patient comfort. With ENERGY STAR-rated performance, the TSG Series refrigerators consume significantly less energy than similar models, meeting clinical settings’ sustainability objectives and reducing operating costs. In addition, as they feature fewer refrigeration components compared to other available units, they require only minimal maintenance and offer increased storage capacity. The solid state technology used in the TSG Series allows for minimal impact on the clinical environment through reduced operational noise and heat output, while the systems’ small size maximizes working space. As with the Thermo Scientific TSX Series of freezers and refrigerators, the new TSG Series uses environmentally-friendly refrigerants in line with global initiatives aimed at minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the systems feature an alarm capability, notifying users of temperature fluctuations, door ajar and power failure, enabling for corrective action to ensure ideal storage conditions are always maintained throughout the internal chamber. The TSG Series refrigerators are available in undercounter (TSG505) and countertop (TSG205) configurations to suit varying application needs.

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Fecal calprotectin testing has historically been a challenging test. Sample preparation is smelly and time consuming; and the assays have previously taken a long time to run.
The CALEX Cap from Bühlmann already eased the sample preparation, providing rapid, clean and consistent preparation, offering a simplified workflow solution for fecal calprotectin extraction without the need to decant or further dilute samples. Now modifications to the blue and white caps at either end of the CALEX device enable them to be used on laboratory track systems for a truly automated hands-off approach to fecal calprotectin testing.     The white cap has been rounded so that once the stool has been sampled the CALEX can fit easily into the racks and pucks of laboratory track systems for front loading or full random access mode. The CALEX is then automatically identified from the barcode and centrifuged. The modification to the blue cap enables automated de-capping after which the CALEX is transported on the track to the appropriate analyser for calprotectin analysis using the Bühlmann fCAL turbo before being moved to the automatic sealer and storage area. Results are then automatically reported on the laboratory LIM system. Combined with the speed of result and wide assay range (20 – 8000µg/g) of the fCAL turbo, the new Track CALEX completely transforms the approach to Calprotectin testing.

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