Industry Speaks
Hematology systems tailored to the decentralized testing facility
A complete blood count (CBS) is a cost-efficient test relative to many more specific tests and is, therefore, accessible to laboratories worldwide. The test results not only support initial disease investigations but are also used in patient monitoring of disease progression and treatment efficacy.
With the increasing need for modern and decentralized healthcare, however, the demand for simple and reliable equipment emerged in hematology, which prompted the development of bench-top instruments that could be used in a near-patient clinical setting with a minimum of training. However, scaling down technologies, initially intended for the centralized testing facility, to fit the smaller laboratory can result in an unnecessary costly and complex solution for this target.
Since the launch of Medonic cell analyzer in the 80s and Swelab AutoCounter in the 90s, Boule Diagnostics has had its focus on the needs of the decentralized testing facilities. As can be seen in the instrument design, many features are tailored to fit the needs of the smaller laboratory.
For example, the autosampler wheels have a space-saving design to allow installation in laboratories where the bench space is limited. At the same time, the autosampler design allows constant mixing of queued samples, which is especially important for samples with high erythrocyte sedimentation rate. As decentralized hematology testing to large part is being used in fever investigations, a high sedimentation rate can be expected in many samples tested in such facilities.
The micro-pipette adapter (MPA) inlet is a function of Boule analyzers that allows sampling of patients from which a venous blood sample in not available, for example, in pediatrics, geriatrics, or oncology. The MPA inlet does not demand any sample preparation, such as mixing, before analysis. Instead, the function allows direct analysis of a fingerstick blood sample collected in a capillary tube.
Having in mind that a decentralized testing facility can be located at a far distance from service functions, Boule analyzers are also designed for robustness. As an example, the analyzer fluidic system is designed without moving parts, which can break, or syringes, which can get clogged or cause leakages.
To provide measurement quality comparable to the centralized testing facility, Boule hematology analyzers are designed with a high-precision shear valve and reagent pipettes with optical sensors that enable precise sample aspiration and dilution. Measuring pipettes equipped with liquid start and stop sensors ensure that a correct volume is used for counting.
Decentralized hematology testing can contribute to shorten the lead times from blood analysis to a suggested diagnosis, providing the possibility to early initiation of treatment. Provided that measurement quality can be guaranteed, an automated hematology system can be a useful tool in early patient assessments, and in monitoring of disease progression and treatment efficacy in a decentralized testing facility.
Although Boules hematology analyzers are designed to be robust and require minimal maintenance, the service organization is a key factor for an overall high-quality output. Therefore, Boule has a highly dedicated professional service team with service engineers positioned in every market and in its headquarter in Sweden.
This team serves all the distributors and end users around the world with technical inquiries, to ensure minimal down time and the highest possible quality to ensure Boule’s vision improving health for everyone, everywhere.
