[Equipment]
Room Enclosure
Maintains precise temperature control
The ModuLab from Hemco Corp, Independence, Mo, can achieve strict environmental control by incorporating high-efficiency particulate arrestance filtration to regulate air quality ranging from Class 1,000 to 100,000. The room enclosure can be used in conjunction with dust collectors to control room dust levels. Precise temperature control can be maintained with optional modified cooling systems for lower temperature requirements. Humidity can be regulated with desiccant systems available for lower humidity requirements. Featuring chemical resistant modular construction, ModuLab offers a variety of options, including a wide selection of doors, lighting, plumbing, electrical, and lab furniture systems that can be factory installed.
Hemco
(800) 779-4362; www.hemcocorp.com
Microplate Stacker
Supports cell-based assay workflows
The BioStack 4 microplate stacker from BioTek Instruments, Winooski, Vt, has been granted a US patent for its technology associated with automatic microplate delidding and relidding, especially useful in cell-based assay workflows. BioStack 4 facilitates increased throughput and greater productivity in processes involving lidded and unlidded 96-, 384-, and 1536-well microplates, as well as select 6- to 48-well microplates. The design incorporates a two-position carrier for fast transfer times, and the small overall footprint allows operation in biosafety cabinets. A rotational gripper enhances versatility in portrait or landscape orientation, while a unique lid-gripping method minimizes exposure of the microplate’s contents during transfer. Interchangeable plate storage stacks are available for throughput needs of up to 30 lidded or 50 unlidded microplates, with automated restacking.
BioTek Instruments
(888) 451-5171; www.biotek.com
[Misc supplies]
Shoe Covers
Designed to reduce fall risk
Kimtech Pure A7 ankle high shoe covers from Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, Ga, protect the shoelace area, with the goal of closing potential contamination gaps. More than a shoe cover but less than a boot, the covers deliver a high barrier of liquid protection and better grip. Two elastic bands are located above and below the ankle for enhanced fit and coverage. The covers are designed for easing donning and doffing, and are available in bulk packaging. Recyclable through the company’s RightCycle program, the covers can be diverted from landfills and made into raw materials to create eco-friendly consumer products and durable goods.
Kimberly-Clark Professional
(800) 241-314; www.kimtech.com
Family of Products
Simplifies urine sample cleanup
Phenomenex Inc, Torrance, Calif, has introduced ?-Gone ?-Glucuronidase removal tubes and 96-well plates for the cleanup of hydrolyzed urine samples in less than 1 minute. Within the body, a glucuronidation reaction during metabolism promotes the elimination of drugs through urine. To analyze drug metabolites accurately, the glucuronide must be cleaved, typically with hydrolysis using an enzyme. Hydrolysis with ?-glucuronidase produces a urine sample with a significant amount of solubilized enzyme that must be removed before high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. If the enzymes are not removed from the sample, they can build up on the HPLC column over time, reducing its lifespan. ?-Gone offers a simple, rapid solution for ?-glucuronidase removal designed to improve assay performance and column lifespan, and reduce mass spec maintenance.
Phenomenex
(310) 212-0555; www.phenomenex.com
Specimen Jars
Enable easy handling
Leica Biosystems Inc, Buffalo Grove, Ill, has added four new sizes to the current 20 ml Surgipath AffirmSeal prefilled specimen jar. The new sizes include 40 ml, 60 ml, 90 ml, and 120 ml, and are offered in multiple packaging configurations. Prefilled with 10% neutral buffered formalin, AffirmSeal jars are specifically designed for safe collection and transport of various-sized specimens. The jars feature a plastic mold design that creates two audible and tactile “clicks” when the lid is properly secured. This feature provides confirmation that the specimen is secure, helps prevent leakage, and offers an added level of safety from formalin fumes for couriers and technicians. The jars are made of durable plastic to prevent cracking when inadvertently dropped, and comply with 95 kPa pressure testing for safe air shipment and use in pneumatic transport systems. The packaging is made of chipboard material, making it safe for operating room use.
Leica Biosystems
(800) 248-0123; leicabiosystems.com
[Testing/Diagnostics]
Hydrocodone Assay
Supports urine drug screening
MedTest, Canton, Mich, has released a hydrocodone assay for use as an open-channel reagent or for use on the BS-200 and BS-480 chemistry analyzers for urine drug screening. Hydrocodone is a semisynthetic opioid derived from codeine and thebaine. It is used to relieve moderate to severe pain and to treat a cough. Commercial hydrocodone preparations are often combined with another medication to increase efficacy and reduce adverse effects. Hydrocodone is rapidly metabolized to hydromorphone and its glucuronide, and can be found in human urine for up to 3 days.
MedTest
(800) 445-9853; www.medtestdx.com
Calibration Verification and Linearity Test Kits
Developed for fertility testing applications
LGC Maine Standards, Cumberland, Maine, offers Validate Fertility 1 and Fertility 2 calibration verification and linearity test kits. Validate Fertility 1 evaluates follicle-stimulating hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin, while Validate Fertility 2 evaluates ?1-fetoprotein, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, estradiol, and progesterone in a human serum-based matrix. The ready-to-use liquid agents should be stored at –10 to –25°C. Users add the product from the dropper bottle directly into a sample cup and run in duplicate or triplicate.
LGC Maine Standards
(800) 377-9684; www.mainestandards.com
Pancreas-Specific Amylase Assay
Formatted for Beckman analyzers
The Sentinel pancreatic amylase reagent and calibrator from Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, Brea, Calif, recently received FDA premarket notification (510(k)) clearance. The liquid, ready-to-use reagent, distributed by Beckman Coulter and manufactured by Sentinel Diagnostics, Milan, Italy, is available for use on Beckman Coulter’s AU480, AU680, and AU5800 clinical chemistry analyzers. Pancreatic amylase is an enzyme produced by the exocrine tissue of the pancreas and aids in the digestion of starches. Beckman Coulter’s assay is an in vitro diagnostic test intended for the quantitative determination of pancreatic amylase in serum and plasma, using an enzymatic colorimetric method. The assay features a limit of detection of 0.5 U/L, an assay range of 4.7–2,000 U/L, 30-day reagent onboard stability, and 14-day calibration frequency.
Beckman Coulter Diagnostics
(800) 526-3821; www.beckmancoulter.com
Clostridium Difficile Test Kit
Detects proline and indole production
Key Scientific Products Inc, Stamford, Texas, has introduced Identicult-Pro, a test kit that uses the biochemicals proline and indole to assist in the 5-minute identification of Clostridium difficile and other anaerobic bacteria from cultures. The kit is recommended for use in screening suspected C. difficile isolates for L-proline aminopeptidase activity and a lack of indole activity. Colonies tested should be 24–72 hours old. Enzymatic hydrolysis of L-proline-ß- naphthylamide releases free-ß naphthylamine, which is shown by the color change after adding PEP reagent. A negative test indicates the organism cannot be C. difficile. The test is also of value when used with other tests in the speciation of many anaerobes and other organisms such as enterics.
Key Scientific Products
(800) 843-1539; www.keyscientific.com
Blood Test
Assesses heart attack risk
The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn, has launched a new type of blood test that will be used to predict adverse cardiovascular events in patients with progressing coronary artery disease (CAD). The test measures blood concentrations of plasma ceramides, a class of lipids that are highly linked to cardiovascular disease processes. The new test will help clinicians identify at-risk individuals and is available to Mayo Clinic patients and to healthcare providers worldwide through Mayo Medical Laboratories (MML). MML is the reference laboratory of Mayo Clinic, offering advanced laboratory testing and pathology services to more than 5,000 healthcare organizations in more than 60 countries. The test might also be used to determine whether treatment is necessary for individuals considered to be at intermediate risk according to the risk calculator from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
Mayo Medical Laboratories
(800) 533-1710; www.mayomedicallaboratories.com
