[AUTOMATION]
Gram Stain Instrument
Bulk-loads 80 slides at a time
Hardy Diagnostics, Santa Maria, Calif, has released the GramPro 80 Gram stain instrument from the company’s QuickSlide division. The device bulk-loads 80 slides at a time, with a maximum processing speed of 80 slides per hour. It also includes a stat stain feature, which allows users to place a stat slide at the front of the line for immediate processing. Offering an entirely hands-free process, the system has a small footprint that can fit easily on most laboratory counters. An automatic fluid level sensor monitors reagent consumption to help minimize waste. The system’s patented electronic eye precisely measures each stain run-off to ensure a consistent decolorization process, regardless of sample type or thickness.
Hardy Diagnostics
(800) 266-2222; www.hardydiagnostics.com
[COMPUTERS/IT]
Software Release
Includes improved blood banking tools
Sunquest Information Systems, Tucson, Ariz, has released Sunquest Laboratory 8.0, which enables multidisciplinary, multisite laboratories to streamline diagnostic capabilities, optimize laboratory operations, and reduce medical errors. The new release aims to simplify blood banking administration through improved integration with enterprise electronic health records, better blood unit tracking, and emergency release capabilities that enable blood banking administration in widespread trauma situations. The software is designed to assist laboratories in demonstrating value to health systems in three areas: return on investment, with a focus on lower total cost of ownership; reduced test turnaround times, which affect metrics such as hospital length of stay; and correct diagnoses, which affect patient safety, patient outcomes, and hospital readmission rates.
Sunquest Information Systems
(520) 570-2000; www.sunquestinfo.com
Handheld Barcode Terminals
Supports one-hand operation
BHT-1500 series handheld barcode terminals from Denso ADC, Long Beach, Calif, are compact, lightweight devices that offer high-performance scanning and a drop-resistant design. A contoured handle and ergonomic keyboard allow convenient one-hand operation, reducing fatigue and increasing efficiency. A large, 2-inch color screen facilitates clear viewing of data, cutting down on operator errors. Communications capabilities include USB for direct connection to a personal computer, and infrared data association for wireless cloning of devices. Optional device cradles allow communication via Ethernet or RS-232C. The units weigh 4.5 ounces, and are backed by a 3-year warranty.
Denso
(888) 693-3676; www.denso-adc.com
[INSTRUMENTATION]
Mechanical Pipette
Features ergonomic design
Sartorius Stedim Biotech, Göttingen, Germany, has released the Tacta line of premium mechanical pipettes, designed to deliver consistent and accurate results. The instruments are available in a range of volumes from 0.1 to 10,000 ?l in single-channel models, and from 0.5 to 300 ?l in multichannel models. A unique handle and finger-hook design permits the pipette to rest lightly in the user’s hand, reducing the fatigue-inducing tendency to grip the handle tightly. The Optiload feature, with spring-loaded tip cones in both single- and multichannel models, ensures tip loading and sealing with minimal force. The new Sartorius Optiject levered tip-ejection technology permits controlled and smooth tip ejection. The pipettes are designed with only three parts to disassemble, and require no tools. They can also be autoclaved without disassembly and are highly resistant to chemicals and ultraviolet light.
Sartorius Corp
(631) 254-4249; www.sartorius.com
Digital Microscope
Equipped with dedicated QA/QC components
The Smartzoom 5 digital microscope from Carl Zeiss Microscopy, Jena, Germany, is an integrated widefield confocal microscope for surface analysis in quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC). The instrument is fully automated and equipped with dedicated QA/QC components, automatically correcting for component variations. A macro recording mode enhances the workflow for repeat sample analyses of the same type in a step-by-step manner. The optical engine combines three functions—zoom, overview camera, and coaxial illumination—in a single component. Users can select from three different objectives of varying magnification, ranging from 10x to 1011x. The microscope’s swing arm enables viewing of structures on the sample surface from continuously adjustable angles between –45° and +45°.
Carl Zeiss Microscopy
(800) 233-2343; www.zeiss.com
[MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES]
Recycling System
Offers safe disposal
Sharps Compliance Corp, Houston, has launched the TakeAway recycling system, designed for the safe collection, return transportation, and recycling of single-use medical devices (SUDs). The recycling system ensures that all collected materials are processed down to their basic commodities. SUDs that were previously destined for reprocessing, the landfill, or the medical waste bin are shipped via common carrier to Sharps’ permitted facility for recycling. Devices are decontaminated following all applicable safety standards and routed to the proper recycler. Customers receive a certificate of recycling confirming the proper recycling of the SUDs. The system includes collection containers that can be used in either the operating room or the sterile processing department.
Sharps Compliance
(800) 772-5657; www.sharpsinc.com
Sterile Hood
Designed with tunneled overseams
The Kimtech Pure A5 sterile elasticized hood from Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, Ga, helps prevent gaps in respirator coverage by offering an uninterrupted seal and customized fit for professionals wearing a full-face respirator. Suited for small faces, the hood works with many respirator styles and brands. Features include a stretch fit elastic hood and opening, tunneled overseams to prevent particle shedding, and the company’s Clean-Don technology ties for easy donning and a more secure fit. They are also recyclable through RightCycle by Kimberly-Clark Professional, the company’s recycling program for nonhazardous lab and cleanroom waste.
Kimberly-Clark Professional
(800) 241-3146; www.kimtech.com
Bioreactor Tubing Kits
Increase processing capacity
AdvantaPure, Southampton, Pa, has released tubing kits custom made for use with benchtop bioreactors. Bioreactor tubing kits consist of single-use tubing, preassembled with filters and connectors, at tubing lengths specified by the customer for harvest, vent, sparge, and addition lines. Designed to decrease cross-contamination risks, the kits also aim to enable faster turnaround times and increased processing capacity. Users can select from a number of tubing materials, such as silicone or weldable and heat-sealable thermoplastic elastomers. The kits support cleanroom assembly, with connectors such as luer and push-to-connect styles, various size filters, and pinch clamps. Kits are provided with documented quality control with lot traceability and identification. Tubing is certified free of animal-derived components, and material validation and extractable test portfolios are available.
AdvantaPure
(888) 755-4370; www.advantapure.com
[TESTING/DIAGNOSTICS]
Galectin-3 Antigen
Offers 96% purity
BBI Solutions, Cardiff, UK, has launched galectin-3, a high-purity, multipurpose marker for cardiac failure, as well as a range of cancer types. In normal human hearts, the expression of galectin-3 is low. However, research has suggested that as the disease progresses, galectin-3 becomes rapidly and significantly up-regulated. Routine galectin-3 measurements in patients with heart failure could potentially be used to indicate disease progression and identify those patients at highest risk. In conjunction with clinical evaluation, galectin-3 can be used as a biomarker to aid in assessing the prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure. It can also be easily diluted to create different concentrations for use in cardiac risk assessments. BBI’s galectin-3 antigen is a biological, raw material with purity greater than 96%. It has the potential to be used as a control or positive sample in assays, to identify those patients at highest risk of heart failure.
BBI Solutions
(800) 423-8199; www.bbisolutions.com
