CAP TODAY Pathology/Laboratory Medicine/Laboratory Management
Kristen Eberhard
June 2014—Cleared in April by the FDA is Nova’s newest—the Stat Profile Prime, which features Zero maintenance cartridges and MicroSensor technology. The Zero maintenance cartridge technology consists of individual cartridges for biosensors, calibrators, and liquid QC. The design optimizes the life of each cartridge, improves analyzer uptime, and eliminates the waste, downtime, and higher costs associated with older systems, says Rick Rollins, Nova marketing specialist. Stat Profile Prime analyzers deliver a 10-test profile—pH, PCO2 , PO2 , Na, K, iCa, Cl, Hct, glucose, and lactate—in 60 seconds.
From Opti Medical Systems is its newest portable blood gas analyzer, the Opti CCATS2. It features a multilevel standard reference cassette that can run three levels of electronic controls at once. The analyzer measures pH, PCO2 , PO2 , Na, K, iCa, Cl, glucose, BUN/urea, lactate, tHb, and SO2 and has a standard POCT-1 interface for bidirectional communication.
New from Radiometer is wireless connectivity on its ABL90 Flex point-of-care analyzer. The acute care analyzer supports full connectivity without wires or cables; can be placed near the patient in the close quarters of an operating room, emergency department, or intensive care or step-down unit; and can be carried or moved on an optional rolling stand. Fully operational on battery, the analyzer supports real-time uploads of patient data while being transported between various clinical departments in the hospital. Common encryption protocols ensure data security on the wireless network.
Over the next year, Alere expects to add BUN and a measured TCO2 test to its Epoc Blood Analysis System, which already has 11 analytes on one SmartCard with bar coding on the card and room temperature storage.
On the Instrumentation Laboratory Gem Premier 4000, the most recent menu addition is a point-of-care test for measuring total bilirubin in neonates. In the next 12 months IL says it will introduce a new system and the next version of its GemWeb Plus.
Roche’s Cobas bge link data-management software has new features that make it possible for users to set their own validation rules. Roche expects to introduce within a year the next version of Cobas bge link with new reporting features that will provide greater flexibility and more patient information on reports.
The companies in this year’s guide have their eyes on greater efficiency, speed, and quality at the point of care. “Labs are expected to do more with less staff, contain testing costs, and comply with increasing regulatory requirements,” says Heidi Egensperger, product manager of compact instruments and samplers at Radiometer.
Companies supplied the information listed on this and the following pages. Readers interested in a system should confirm it has the stated features and capabilities.
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Kristen Eberhard, associate editor