Thermo Scientific MAS Liquimmune controls from Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, Mass, are designed to monitor immunoassay test procedures on automated instruments. The analytes covered include those routinely measured for fertility, thyroid, iron deficiency, endocrine, and allergy testing.

According to the company, the products are the first clinical chemistry quality control (QC) materials with a 5-year shelf life.

Regulatory QC typically requires time-consuming crossover studies of QC materials when a new lot of controls is implemented. By offering a control with a longer shelf life, the company aims to minimize its customers’ inconvenience of changing to a new lot due to expiration.

“Clinical labs can spend up to a month performing a crossover study each time a lot of controls expires,” says Linh Hoang, MD, PhD, director of quality controls at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “With our longer shelf life, such costly crossover studies can be avoided for up to 5 years. This simplifies QC for clinical labs by increasing their efficiency while saving them time and money.”

The MAS Liquimmune controls are part of Thermo Fisher’s broad portfolio of clinical chemistry controls. The controls work in conjunction with Thermo Scientific MAS LabLink Xl quality assurance software, which is designed to fulfill various regulatory requirements for QC tracking and includes peer data review and troubleshooting capabilities.

For more information, visit Thermo Fisher Scientific.