Beckman Coulter, Brea, Calif, a global clinical diagnostics provider, launched its DxU Iris Workcell today at the 2021 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo in Atlanta. The DxU Iris Workcell is a fully automated system that streamlines urinalysis workflow and reduces manual reviews to 4%1 and cuts sample processing time by up to 78%2.
A routine urinalysis is one of the most frequently ordered tests, representing up to 30%u of all samples received in the laboratory3. Many of these samples require a laboratory technician to perform a manual inspection, which causes workflow disruption and a substantial increase in workload. Whether it is confirming the DxU Iris Workcell’s findings or identifying unique particle types, manual microscopic reviews are time-consuming and can take up to six times longer per sample than with an automated system4.
According to the company, automating the routine urinalysis workflow with the DxU Iris Workcell reduces sample subjectivity and variability, helping laboratories of all sizes standardize processes, drive faster turnaround time, and deliver quality results.
“There is no doubt that the pandemic has intensified pressure on the clinical laboratory,” says Peter Soltani, PhD, senior vice president and general manager of hematology, urinalysis, and workflow information technology solutions at Beckman Coulter. “In this pressurized environment, manual reviews are particularly onerous because they are labor-intensive, taking time and focus away from scientific work. We designed the DxU Iris Workcell to allow urinalysis operators to automatically classify sediment particles, minimizing the need for human intervention.”
The DxU Iris Workcell pairs the DxU 850m Iris or DxU 840m Iris urine microscopy analyzer with the Arkray AUTION MAX 4030 urine chemistry analyzer to create a scalable, fully automated urinalysis solution. The workcell was developed with proprietary digital flow morphology technology with Auto-Particle Recognition Software to enable laboratories to deliver standardized results using artificial intelligence. This industry-leading technology isolates, identifies, and characterizes urine particles to provide immediate, accurate, and reproducible results verified directly on the screen.
“As a med tech, it’s important for me that any new analyzer we bring into the lab makes the workflow better and is easy to use with minimal maintenance,” says Jennifer Soria, a hematology section coordinator for a medical group in Florida. “The DxU Iris has several features that can help med techs work more efficiently. One such feature is that the user guide with the key reference information is on the main screen. I love the new Load and Unload station as it can hold multiples racks, allowing users to work in other areas of the lab while processing urine samples.”
The DxU Iris Workcell is designed for high-volume laboratories and features:
- An optional Load and Unload station that increases the capacity of racks for a total of 190 onboard samples.
- An intuitive software user interface designed to comfortably navigate the analyzer menu, access key reference information, and simplify user training in a format aligned across multiple Beckman Coulter instruments, including hematology, chemistry, and immunoassay.
- Connectivity with Beckman Coulter’s advanced informatics software solutions: PROService remote service tool, DxONE Command Central remote monitoring, and REMISOL Advance middleware.
For more information, visit Beckman Coulter.
Featured Image: A new machine learning tool could help healthcare workers to quickly screen and direct the flow of COVID-19 patients arriving at hospitals. Photo: Beckman Coulter
References:
1Broadlawns Medical Center. (2019). Manual microscopy divided by on-screen microscopic verification report generated December 20, 2019. A case study published by Beckman Coulter. https://media.beckmancoulter.com/-/media/diagnostics/products/urinalysis/docs/ua-broadlawns-case-study.pdf.
2 Beaufort Memorial Urinalysis Workflow Case Study, CS-52048.
3 Delanghe, J. and Speeckaert, M. (2014). Preanalytical requirements of urinalysis. Biochemia Medica, 24(1), 89–104. https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2014.011
4 https://www.mlo-online.com/home/article/13004799/automated-urinalysis-in-the-clinical-lab [Accessed: August 2, 2021]
