The methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common causes of life threatening infections among hospital patients. What makes the bacterium that dangerous is the fact, that due to unspecific symptoms and long lasting testing procedures its detection takes too long. A new test that delivers results in just five hours now offers the possibility of a MRSA screening for…
A new testing approach has effectively identified patients at the highest risk of cancer relapse after bladder cancer surgery, according to a study published in the February issue of The Lancet Oncology http://oncology.thelancet.com. Vol 8 Feb 2007 91.
Human genetic testing centre gains international quality accreditation.
Beckman Coulter developed a new integrated lab systems: The UniCel DxC880i prototype should deliver efficient disease management services.
Inverness Medical Innovations develops and manufactures rapid diagnostic products for use in preventive as well as interventional therapies.
Rigel Medical, part of the Seaward Group, has launched a new biomedical electrical safety analyser.
AstraZeneca has been collaborating with researchers who detected a potential Aurora B inhibitor.
A new blood test is under development that has detected two kinds of proteins found in people suffering Alzheimer's.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major health problem globally. A new test now quickly identify pathogens. BinaxNOW tests quickly identify pathogens
Hospitals increasingly co-operate with other establishments, and networking is becoming a way of life. Such change is also occurring in many hospital laboratories. By co-operating with other hospital labs and laboratory institutes, hospital labs try to improve their financial situation. By Dr Burkhard Ziebolz of Roche Diagnostics GmbH
Bologna - The University Hospital S.Orsola-Malpighi has 1,800 beds and is one of the largest to install the DNLab management system. With 150 workstations connected to the LIS and over 50 analysers, each day, the two laboratories (central and microbiology) receive almost 3,000 orders and carry out over nine million tests annually. Hospital wards and departments are connected via Web to the LIS…
An unparalleled legal challenge has been underway in the EU regarding the number of human gene patents held by US-based corporation Myriad Genetics.
USA - A new laboratory test - EGFRx, developed by the Weisenthal Cancer Group* - has accurately identified patients who would benefit from treatment with the molecularly-targeted anti-cancer therapies gefitinib (Iressa, AstraZeneca) and erlotinib (Tarceva, Genentech), according to clinical data published at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Downloading digitally signed clinical test results from home is possible and 40% of users residing in the Treviso region in Veneto, do so regularly.
USA - A new technology, named glycan microarray, can identify pathogens in a few hours and give advance warning of the ability of a virus to infect humans.
The Innsbruck Biocentre, led by Professor Lukas Huber, is involved in a major European research project. This involves the development of a 'biological interface' for a new semiconductor developed by Siemens.
The development of diagnostic products and systems has paralleled the development of new technologies in fields such as biology, electronics and computer science.
Near-patient testing (NPT) is any analytical process performed for, or by, a patient outside the traditional clinical laboratory. By Manole Cojocaru MD PhD, scientific consultant at ROMAR Medical-Laboratory Colentina, Bucharest
Red green and white biotechnology
UK - Over 100,000 asylum seekers have been relocated throughout London and England's southeast, to spread the cost of their medical care.
TB causes three million deaths annually, ranking it higher than any other infectious disease. And TB has resurged in Europe. In August, the British Thoracic Society, British Lung Foundation and TB Alert highlighted its increase in over the last 15 years in the UK alone.
Monitoring and rapidly introducing new developments into everyday practice is an increasingly difficult task for many doctors. Additionally, patients are more informed due to media medical reports, which raise their expectations that doctors can offer a quick, reliable interpretation of the latest medical data.
Due to economic pressure, laboratories increasingly consolidate and automate procedures. Further cost reductions could come about through miniaturisation and multi-parameter tests.