 Harness the Power of Hybrid Technology
Move Your Lab into the Fast Lane With UniCel® i class Integrated Systems
Of course you’ve seen them. Perhaps you own one. Hybrid cars are taking the world by storm. Why? They expertly combine power sources—like gas and electric engines—to deliver tremendous benefits, such as improved fuel economy and less pollution.
Today, the power of the hybrid is making equally impressive inroads in a whole new environment: clinical laboratories.
Last December, Beckman Coulter introduced three new members to its family of UniCel i class integrated chemistry and immunoassay systems: the UniCel DxC 660i, the UniCel DxC 680i and the UniCel 860i Synchron Access Clinical Systems. Along with the previously released UniCel DxC 600i and DxC 880i, these five scalable systems epitomize the power and efficiency of hybrid technology—expertly merging chemistry and immunoassay testing onto a single platform. The result? Greater workflow efficiencies and improved laboratory safety.
Welcome to the Integration Superhighway
UniCel i class Integrated Systems offer unique technologies that help labs increase efficiency, reduce manual processing errors, accommodate a wide range of testing volumes and eliminate the need to hire additional staff members. Let’s take a peek under the hood—at the powerful technologies at work in these hybrids.
ClozCap™ Technology
Challenge: Manually de-capping, re-capping and sorting samples can be labor-intensive and inefficient. These processes can also lead to potential exposure to biohazards and increased opportunities for repetitive stress injuries.
Solution: With ClozCap technology, technologists will discover hands-free automated closed-tube sampling and aliquotting. From a single point of entry, i class systems automatically create an aliquot from a primary closed-tube sample requiring both immunoassay and chemistry testing. ClozCap eliminates the need to manually sort, de-cap or re-cap samples. While the aliquot moves through the system for immunoassay testing, the primary sample is transported to the chemistry closed-tube sampling mechanism.
“Customers tell us pre-analytical tasks like de-capping tubes when a lab is minimally staffed amounts to a huge time difference,” says Monica Rassai, Strategic Marketing Manager, in Beckman Coulter’s Chemistry Systems Business Center. “Even though each one takes mere seconds, multiplying that task by hundreds of samples really adds up.”
In addition, i class integrated systems help reduce exposure to biohazard aerosol, by eliminating manual steps. They also decrease the potential for injuries—and lost work time—caused by broken or damaged tubes, or by stress from repetitive motion. This creates a safer work environment—a critical factor when working conditions are the differentiator in deciding to accept a job.
“Another benefit customers have seen is optimization of workflow. Everyone wants to get those results out to the patient care units as quickly as possible—and every little step you shave off the process really helps,” says Rassai. “ClozCap makes a big difference in a lab’s daily productivity.”
Plus, ClozCap enhances patient care by virtually eliminating errors caused by sample evaporation and contamination; and enables operators to focus on abnormal results, to help improve the delivery of information to physicians.
“With technology as advanced as it is today, there’s no reason not to make the work environment as safe as possible,” says Rassai. “And, ClozCap is not only safe; it’s also more efficient. It’s a must-have for any lab.”
ClozCap offers additional benefits to the clinical lab:
Challenge: Splitting samples and loading analyzers one at a time can sap labor productivity. During peak-volume timeframes, technologists often have trouble keeping up.
Solution: With UniCel i class, sample splitting is a thing of the past. Operators simply load chemistry and immunoassay samples in one place—the sample load tray of the UniCel Closed-Tube Aliquotter (UCTA). Open tubes, closed tubes, cups and small-volume samples are all accepted at one place. From there, the system automatically creates an aliquot from the primary sample requiring both immunoassay and chemistry testing—no operator intervention is required. As samples are aliquotted, clot detection and removal occurs automatically, reducing bottlenecks and limiting the need for repeat testing.
- Parallel Sample Processing
Challenge: In busy labs, operators don’t have time to wait for either a chemistry or immunoassay sample to complete before initiating further testing. Running chemistry and immunoassay tests separately—on different analyzers—can create workflow bottlenecks and impede inefficiency.
Solution: Parallel processing of chemistry and immunoassay samples on an integrated system covers both bases simultaneously—thus maximizing labor efficiency and speeding turnaround time. This results in high performance throughput, productivity and quality of results.
And, not only is ClozCap better for the lab and patient—it’s better for the planet too. ClozCap technology allows labs to reduce their environmental footprint. By eliminating manual processes, labs are able to reduce the amount of waste associated with discarding and replacing caps during manual de-capping and re-capping steps.
Prioritizing STAT Samples
Challenge: Technologists often need to prioritize STAT samples over routine samples for rapid turnaround time on critical results.
Solution: Operators simply press the priority button and room is immediately created for the rack. UniCel i class systems will help your laboratory eliminate bottlenecks, increase safety, improve quality and make the entire testing process faster and easier.
Comprehensive Test Menu
Challenge: Physicians need a battery of information to diagnose and manage patients. Likewise, labs need a broad testing menu to achieve true workstation consolidation, while negating the need to run samples on secondary analyzers.
Solution: By consolidating a full menu of both chemistry and immunoassay tests, UniCel i class Integrated Systems support today’s emerging diagnostic trends. They facilitate a physician’s ability to properly diagnose a patient and manage treatment by addressing an entire disease state in one complete patient report. The combined UniCel i class menu of more than 150* tests also helps labs eliminate the need to outsource certain tests, thus helping to accelerate patient results.
Reagent Loading on the Fly
Challenge: Labs realize productivity benefits when their analyzers are equipped with the capability to load reagents and consumables while work is in progress, or “on the fly.” Having to stop an instrument to reload reagents is both impractical and inefficient.
Solution: UniCel i class systems feature “reagent load while running,” which allows the user to load or unload reagents at any time during a run without disrupting workflow or interrupting routine testing. This helps maximize uptime and processing volume.
Long-Term Scalability
Challenge: As throughput levels change, laboratories must evolve—and so must their equipment.
Solution: Choosing an integrated system that offers long-term flexibility to be reconfigured according to throughput demands can prove to be a prudent investment. UniCel i class Integrated Systems are fully scalable, which means individual chemistry and immunoassay analyzers can be easily upgraded according to changing demands. If you’re a current UniCel customer with a stand-alone analyzer, you can easily upgrade to an i class system. Just add the appropriate components to best fit your laboratory throughput requirements.
Powerful Hybrid Technology—Engineered for Safety and Accuracy
One thing is clear: A shrinking laboratory workforce coupled with increasing test volumes and rigid budgetary constraints are changing the way clinical labs operate.
However, thanks to the newest class of laboratory hybrids from Beckman Coulter, your lab can power ahead and achieve its highest level of productivity—without compromising safety. Discover the UniCel i class advantage, get more mileage from your labor resources and follow our flexible roadmap for future growth.
For more information, visit www.beckmancoulter.com/iclass.
* Not all tests are available in all countries.
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