Technological advancements in urinalysis
Urinalysis market is experiencing steady growth globally owing to the current technological advancements, coupled with the increasing adoption rate for automation in urine sediment, chemistry, and integrated analyzers. The growth of the urinalysis market is driven by factors, such as the growing global prevalence of kidney diseases, awareness about preventive health check-ups, urinary-tract infections, and increased concerns about anti-microbial resistance (AMR). Also, efforts of laboratories toward standardization of all laboratory processes and emerging economies are expected to provide a wide range of growth opportunities for urinalysis automation in India and globally.
Urine analysis. It is one of the most commonly performed diagnostic procedures in clinical practice. it is a simple, noninvasive, and highly reliable method of detecting renal or urinary tract diseases. The physical, chemical, and microscopic properties of urine screened via urine analysis are critical indicators of health. Urine analysis is not only useful as a routine health-screening test, but it also helps in disclosing evidence of diseases that may not be showing significant signs or symptoms.
Urinalysis automation – Need of the hour. Routine urine particle analysis typically involves a number of manual steps, including centrifugation, re-suspension, microscopy, and finally manual documentation of the results. These numerous steps can make the process time-consuming, laborious, and at risk for subjective and transcription errors.
Crucial factors in selection of urinalysis automated solution. Since now automation in urinalysis is indispensable, following crucial factors should be considered while selecting most appropriate urinalysis solution for your laboratory:
Integrated urinalysis system or stand-alone urine sediment/chemistry analyzer; Principle and technology used for sediment and chemistry analysis; Sensitivity and linearity of analyzed parameters; COM values of analyzer (C:clinical, O:operational, M:managerial); Analysis parameters and flagging parameters available on the analyzer; Possibility of comparing urine chemistry and urine sediment results via software for positive identification of non-concordant samples; Various analysis modes like auto sampler, manual mode, and stat mode; Possibility of analyzing other body fluids on the same analyzer; Uninterrupted availability of consumables, service, and application support; Availability of various scientific studies and research papers; Availability of quality controls and calibrators for wide spectrum of analysis parameters; Current reference sites, including accredited labs (NABL, CAP), using similar analyzers; Upgradability or scalability of the analyzer to meet future requirement of workload; and compatibility with LIS, HIS, and availability of bidirectional data interface for true walk-away experience.
Sysmex UN-Series. UN-Series is the next step toward fully automated urinalysis workflow solution of the highest level. It helps in analysis of native urine without any pretreatment and prevents the known sources of errors, inherent in conventional urinary sediment analysis. It is a modular and scalable platform, allowing flexibility to the laboratories to decide the combination of instruments to meet the requirement of different sample volumes and workflows. UN-Series primarily consists of the required units of urine sediment and urine chemistry analyzers.
UF-5000/UF-4000, based on globally renowned fluorescence flow cytometry for urine particle/sediment analysis and body fluid analysis, is available at the flick of a switch. UF-5000/UF-4000 also provides many more parameters and flagging for value-added information. UC-3500 is a fully automated urine chemistry analyzer for reading of urinary test strips, using reflectometry principle. It has further improved using complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, which has enhanced analytical sensitivity and quality of results. UC-3500 takes urine chemistry analysis further, with both microalbumin and creatinine analysis on board. Sysmex UN-Series provides customizable modular configuration to meet current and future needs of all laboratories.
