This month, we are proud to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Clinical Lab Products magazine. For most of us, turning 30 may be marked as much by a feeling of losing youth as gaining maturity – but from CLP’s vantage point, 30 looks like the beginning of it all.
Today, as we leap forward with so many breakthroughs in our understanding of the mechanisms of disease and diagnosis, our technology is truly more streamlined, faster and fitter than ever. At the same time, we have the maturity to know the power and impact of what new diagnostic developments can and ought to mean to the quality of our lives, which last, on average, five years longer today than they did in 1972.
On page 26, you will see sample product news write-ups from our very first issue. With the intention of appearing decidedly modern in 1972, by the year 2002 these products – with their knobs and needle meters, bulky configurations and hands-on operation – look like something from the last century. And indeed they are. Compare this with the images from our AACC wrap-up on page 38, where modern, sleek designs appear futuristic even though they are available today.
CLP has been on the front line through all of these improvements and changes, and we’ve changed along with our industry. We’ve increased our focus on disease prevention and disease management. We’ve introduced features on industry trends and economic issues. We’ve moved more to the point of care, with an eye always to central lab connectivity. And our News Digest includes information each month on the latest discoveries on the research frontier.
In 1972, the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded for the discovery of the “chemical structure of antibodies.” Here’s hoping that our new understanding of the human genome will bring even faster advancements in diagnosis and treatment…and you can look to CLP for the latest products to harness the power of our understanding.
Scott Andersen
