Beckman Coulter Inc has released Command Central, a suite of software and hardware that enables a single operator to control and monitor multiple Beckman Coulter laboratory instruments from a master workstation.
Designed to simplify and automate lab processes, the system connects up to 12 instruments, including chemistry, immunoassay, hematology, and automation platforms. A connection for hemostasis systems is under development.
Command Central helps lab managers meet several goals that are crucial in today’s health care economy, including workstation consolidation, improved productivity, and lower costs. The technology also assists labs in managing the current labor shortage because it eliminates process steps and centralizes instrument monitoring.
Command Central allows the operator to control instruments via a network connection in real time, making possible more efficient management of workflow and other critical functions, such as quality control (QC), from one workstation. The system automatically displays alerts for conditions such as instrument troubleshooting, calibration status, reagent status, and QC status, just as if the instruments were monitored separately. The workstation does not have to be situated next to an instrument; it can be anywhere else in the lab.
For further improvements in workflow and results management, the system operates in conjunction with Beckman Coulter’s DL2000 Data Manager. With DL2000, the system can help labs decrease manual reviews of samples through auto-validation based on user-defined decision rules. Meanwhile, review by exception improves the operator’s focus on test results outside of normal parameters.
In addition, lab workers can monitor sample status and gain rapid access to patient reports, as well as program and review test requests from a single workstation. Command Central is available in several different hardware configurations, including an option for single-, dual-, or triple-screen monitors.
Beckman Coulter Inc
(800) 352-3433; www.beckmancoulter.com
