Article • Digital Pathology
Deep Blue meets Hematoxilin and Eosin
In the nineties Deep Blue, the famous chess computer, defeated Kasparow. Only a year ago Google’s Deepmind managed to master the ancient Chinese Go, known for its utmost complexity.
Automation
Article • Achieving a faster workflow
A modular approach to urinalysis
The reasons why doctors request urinary analysis are varied – perhaps to detect a possible or suspected infection, or to screen for kidney diseases. In all cases a reliable and rapid result is the major aim. Urinary microscopy and culture have been the mainstays of urinary analysis for many, many years both of which require time and specialist handling.
Article • LC-MS/MS
Wanted: automated clinical analyser with broad, expandable testing menu
Combining the physical separation power of liquid chromatography with the mass analysis capability of mass spectrometry – i.e. liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) – enables accurate, sensitive and selective separation, detection and identification of molecules in complex mixtures such as blood, serum and urine.
News • Faster Throughput
Automation and the Future of Microbiology Laboratories
When it comes to automation, clinical microbiology has for many years lagged behind other laboratory disciplines. Robotics and computer processing revolutionized chemistry and hematology instruments decades ago. Meanwhile, clinical microbiologists continue to open specimen containers by hand and grow bacteria using methods familiar to microbiology’s founding fathers from the 19th century.
Article • Innovation
A swift new lab automation system
‘Every single hour, more than 200,000 people worldwide are being diagnosed or treated with our devices,’ Michael Reitermann, COO of Siemens Healthineers, proudly reports. No reason, however, for Siemens to rest on its laurels. Quite the contrary: the company continues to drive innovation.
Article • Molecular diagnostics
A one-step system for faster turnaround of hospital samples
A new molecular diagnostics system is revolutionising analysis of hospital samples across an area of northern Italy. The Greater Romagna Area Hub Laboratory has recently installed the Beckman Coulter DxN VERIS Molecular Diagnostics System and is already reporting improved workflow and quicker turnaround time for results.
News • Automation
Faster liquid handling system development for OEM applications
Tecan is making it quicker and easier than ever before for manufacturers to develop instruments for advanced liquid handling applications. The launch of the new Cavro Omni Flex further extends the flexibility and convenience of the company’s popular Cavro Omni Robot by offering more hardware options to complement its precision pipetting, including frames, worktables, power and input/output…
News • Clinical Chemistry
Siemens Healthineers Unveils Atellica Solution at AACC 2016
Siemens Healthineers unveiled the Atellica Solution(1), a highly flexible immunoassay and clinical chemistry solution featuring patented bi-directional magnetic sample-transport technology that is 10 times faster than conventional conveyors.(1)The unveiling occurred during the 68th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo in Philadelphia.
Sponsored • Automation
Proven Practices for Lab Automation Success
Cost constraints, higher workloads, and a shortage of qualified staff are three distinct market trends driving demand for greater efficiency in the laboratory. The goals of automation are to make workflow more efficient, improve the turnaround time and predictability, and reduce errors - all while accommodating future growth. Automation also frees up staff for other activities. Report: Franz Walt
Sponsored • Automated
Excellence in clinical chemistry testing
Patient care is the primary focus of clinical chemistry testing and Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for high quality semi-automated and fully automated testing.
News • Automation
Siemens and Inpeco extend long-term partnership
Today, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and Inpeco signed a new contract that extends the companies’ long-lasting status as preferred partners in laboratory automation. Siemens and Inpeco will be working closely together to design and deliver complex, custom solutions to help our customers meet their business and clinical needs.
News • EKF Diagnostics at AACC
First fully integrated chemistry system
EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announced the international launch of the Altair™ 240 clinical chemistry analyzer at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry’s (AACC) Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo in Atlanta. This new bench-top platform represents EKF Diagnostics’ first fully integrated chemistry system designed for the global market. Also EKF…
News • Smart Platforms
Mindray: A solution for high efficient labs
Mindray is delighted to present you its latest innovations.
Sponsored • Best Places to Work
A laboratory fit for a future decade
Fostering a collaborative way of working won the UK’s Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust recognition as an elite public sector healthcare employer, recently judged one of the top 100 ‘Best Places to Work’. The trust, led by chief executive Susan Acott, has created an energy-driven, patient-focused culture within the hospital, reflected by staff at all levels. This has been the driving force…
Sponsored • Workflow
Confidence in Hematology, Results with Beckman Coulter
Wallace Coulter, one of the founders of Beckman Coulter, was motivated by a belief that science should serve humanity. This was the inspiration behind the principle he invented that became the basis for all blood counting solutions. This same drive to keep the science of hematology moving forward is behind Beckman Coulter's new ©Automated Intelligent Morphology© (AIM), a multidimensional,…
Interview • Mass Spectrometry
Connected components are not enough
Bringing liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) testing into clinical laboratories has been a slow process but continues to show promise to help improve patient care. The medical device industry is on the edge of fundamental breakthroughs that can help drive the adoption into more mainstream clinical laboratories. We recently sat down with Dr Bori Shushan, Mass Spectrometry…
Sponsored • Automation
Scottish NHS group endorses automation
It’s thumbs up for Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics’ Aptio Automation, following a two-year deployment by Dundee-based National Health Service (NHS) Dundee, the first north European healthcare organisation to use the system to consolidate formerly siloed biochemistry, immunology, haematology and haemostasis testing onto a single automation track.
Diagnosing infectious diseases at the point-of-care
A new "lab-on-a-disc" technology developed by an EU project research team can diagnose malaria and other febrile infectious diseases simultaneously in just an hour - allowing faster point-of-care treatment and precise drugs administration that could save thousands of lives.
News • Test automation
Fluke updates its software platform
Fluke Biomedical released Ansur 3.0, the largest update to its test automation software platform to date. Ansur 3.0 provides new login features, customization options and reporting choices to customers than ever before.
Article • Automation
Reducing laborious microbiology testing
Automation of high-volume biochemistry and immunology laboratories has been on-going for more than a decade, yet central laboratories only recently dared to take on the daunting task of automating the more complex processes of microbiology. Report: John Brosky
Long-term managed lab automation
The University Medical Center in Utrecht (UMCU), The Netherlands, is in the process of creating a multidisciplinary centre of excellence, able to manage resources efficiently while delivering the highest level of patient care and clinical research.
A case of the tortoise and the hare
If you were lucky – or unlucky – enough to have visited a medical central lab 20, 30 or even 40 years ago and know how such a facility looks today, you will probably think you are in some kind of time warp.
Article • From lab to POCT
DNA sequencing shift to point-of-care testing
Health analysts have predicted that DNA sequencing will shift from a laboratory-based setup to point of care testing within the next five years.
Laboratory automation
On the leading edge of automation for medical laboratory testing, Siemens Healthcare rolled out an impressive suite of new products at IFCC WorldLab 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey that are ‘exactly aligned, and even anticipate, customer needs in central lab operations,’ according to Franz Walt, CEO for the Chemistry, Immunoassay, Automation and Diagnostics IT business unit within Siemens’…
New trends in Pathology Informatics
For several decades, pathologists worldwide have been under increasing pressure to handle a steady increase in laboratory tests with a steady decrease in the amount of financial and staff resources. Add to this the escalating volume of increasingly complex, sophisticated testing and the importance of pathology informatics is evident.