Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic bacteria that grows in the intestine when the normal flora has been altered by treatment with antibiotics. Only toxigenic strains cause infections from mild-diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis, potentially leading to death. Detection of Glutamate Dehydrogenase (GDH) that is an antigen marker of C.difficile proliferation allows significant cost reduction in lab diagnosis for suspected C.difficile samples. Positive GDH samples should be investigated further to test for the toxins A or/and B. The Coris C. diff-Strip is a ready-to-use immunochromatographic test that allows the specific detection of C.difficile GDH in stool specimens in a strip format. When the fecal suspension comes into contact with the strip, the solubilized conjugate migrates with the sample and both reagents come into contact with the anti-Clostridium GDH antibody adsorbed onto the nitrocellulose. If the sample contains C.difficile GDH, a red line develops. The result is visible within 15 minutes.
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In line with current clinical needs, Diazyme’s new 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Assay measures total true 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D levels (D2 + D3 levels) in both serum and plasma samples. Furthermore, the assay fully automates the removal of non-specific protein binding and cross reactivity that may occur in competing assays, thereby assuring results will be both precise and accurate.  The 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D assay is both fast and flexible with complete testing results in under 2 hours. The test is user-friendly and can be used manually or easily adapted for use on a wide range of fully automated microtitre plate readers, making it suitable for use in laboratories of all sizes and testing needs. Traditionally, testing of Vitamin D levels has been predominantly used for the diagnosis and management of patients with Vitamin D deficiency. Recent clinical studies though have linked Vitamin D deficiency to various diseases including cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and all-cause mortality.  This new understanding of the importance of Vitamin D levels has driven an increase in the number of physician requests for total 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D tests in the United States and worldwide. The assay takes a much shorter time and can be fully automated when it is run on ELISA instruments such as the Dynex DS2® and DSX® platforms.

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The Power Link offers laboratories the ability to combine Beckman Coulter’s AU680 chemistry analyzer with a DxI immunoassay analyzer to form an entry-level automated workcell to streamline laboratory workflow. Beckman Coulter’s Power Link delivers high-capacity specimen processing power and flexibility to meet clinical laboratory workload challenges. Designed to help enhance efficiency, reduce costs and speed the delivery of test results, the Power Link features:

• Parallel processing of shared chemistry and immunoassay specimens

• Single point of loading and unloading for shared chemistry and immunoassay samples for rapid processing

• Integrated decapper to minimize biohazard exposure risk and repetitive motion injuries

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Designed for hospitals and clinical laboratories with high sample volumes, the BS-2000 modular system combines innovation and high performance into a fully integrated solution, together with the complete line of original reagents, calibrators with metrological traceability and controls. It offers a versatile solution with high efficiency, automation and scalability, while laying the foundation for further modular integration with future Mindray products. The instrument features high throughput from 2200T/H to 4400T/H with ISE, high sample capacity with 440 total sample positions, and high reagent capacity with 140 reagent positions. The system’s minimum reaction volume of just 80uL reduces cost per test while its intuitive soft ware makes for easy and convenient operation. Clot detection, crash protection and bubble detection ensure more accurate measurement for all the specimens, enhancing laboratory efficiency.
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Vedalab’s new rapid test, h-CG-Check-1, is available in two versions: qualitative (for visual reading) or quantitative (for use with the Easy Reader instrument). The test has been specifically designed for the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin in whole blood, plasma or serum (using only 25μL of serum/plasma or 50μL of blood). Results are obtained within 5 to 10 minutes. These qualitative and quantitative rapid tests are particularly useful when examining injured women admitted to hospital emergency wards as they allow the practitioner to determine, in a very short time, whether or not the patient is pregnant so that medical care can be adapted accordingly.
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