Laboratory

Article • Trisomy 21

Earlier detection of Down’s syndrome

Down’s syndrome (also referred to as trisomy 21) is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra copy of chromosome 21 in a person’s DNA.

Printable IVDs put diagnostics in a patient’s pocket

Using electrically conductive, ink-like materials, a Swedish consortium has created a fully functional prototype for a self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) test that could be disruptive for in vitro diagnostics.

Better training could help

Internet-based training for clinicians could help lower antibiotic prescribing rates for acute respiratory tract infections by as much as 62%, according to British researchers.

Understanding parameters

Clinical chemistry influences almost all medical disciplines: most diagnoses are made or confirmed only after the laboratory has determined at least one or two parameters.

Carefully selected devices reward MHH with 50% cost cuts

In intensive care units (ICUs) little can be automated to relieve staff pressures – with the exception of point of care testing (POCT)

Diagnostics: Market trends

Nat Whitney, President of Whitney Research, sums up the ups and downs of the international IVD market and reports on a fitting finale for 17 years of dedicated service

New Benchtop Centrifuges from Beckman Coulter

The Allegra X-5 air-cooled benchtop centrifuge from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences is designed specifically for clinical sample preparation.

An international impact on immunoassay

Snibe, the Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering Company Ltd., is a leading Chinese biomedical technology company dedicated to developing and manufacturing clinical laboratory equipment and in vitro reagents. Founded 18 years ago and a growing force in the Chinese market, the firm is based in Shenzhen, China’s fourth largest city, situated in Guangdong Province.

Heart failure

About 500,000 people in France people suffer heart failure (HF). In Europe the figure is six million and the same in the USA.

Molecular US therapy, computer diagnosis and customized medication

Which technological advancements can we expect to see in the field of medical technology? How well can diagnosis and therapy be customized for each patient?

Moving mass spec into the clinical lab

Mass spectrometry has been applied in advanced clinical research and drug discovery and development. Continual innovations have created capabilities to address complex analytical challenges qualitatively and quantitatively with unparalleled speed, sensitivity and accuracy

Raising awareness of in vitro diagnosis values

Labs need to optimise their costs as well as accommodate increasing volumes – and new tests are continuously demanded.

Norway leads in POCT quality control

Increasing demand for Point of Care Testing (POCT) devices leads to an increasing number of nurses and physicians working with unfamiliar equipment. Laboratory-quality test results are available in doctor’s surgeries, out-patient clinics and hospital departments. However, how can a high and comparable quality standard for POCT be guaranteed?

EuroMedLab 2013

Milan, Italy – The 20th European Congress of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine certainly lived up to its claim as the EU’s largest event of its kind – 2,407 visitors and 4,786 delegates from 101 countries plus 82 exhibitors fanned out or arranged themselves over the event’s 3,500 square metres, Hanna Politis reports

China looks inward and outward

From the meetings between the Presidents of China and the USA came the slogan, ‘A new model of cooperation’. One item discussed was the proposed $4.6 billion purchase of a US pork producer by a Chinese company, which affirmed: ‘the acquisition won’t affect the quality of the bacon on stateside breakfast tables’.

LEAN workflow analysis

This year’s EuroMedLab and IFCC-EFLM Congress came at a time when all hospitals face ever-increasing healthcare costs, aging populations and patients and GPs demanding more complex and novel diagnostic tests.

Faster sample analysis for UK and EU hospitals

Run by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the new automated Medical Laboratory at the Northern General Hospital has drawn a previously fragmented service into a purpose-built centre.

Quality control via round robin tests

If a parameter is determined with different test systems the results must still be comparable. This sounds simple, but is hard to achieve.

LabsAreVital program out in full force at AACC

The newly relaunched LabsAreVital program will be out in full force at the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) meeting, from July 28 – August 1 in Houston, Texas.

The American Association for Clinical Chemistry 2013

According to Molly Polen, at the AACC, great opportunities lie ahead for laboratory medicine and, to seize them, ‘meeting with colleagues and learning about new technologies is a critical first step. The 2013 AACC will provide these and other opportunities, such as informative sessions and live demonstrations of new technology.’