Swelab Alfa Plus from Boule Diagnostics

Swelab Alfa Plus automated 3-part hematology analyzer comes packed with functions tailored to decentralized testing, in clinics and in remote hospital laboratories. The system is designed to deliver a complete blood count, including a WBC differential count, with outstanding ease-of-use, accuracy, and reliability. Most importantly, the analyzer offers a wide choice of sampling inlets – open tube, closed tube, pre-dilute, autosampler, and micro-pipet adapter (MPA).

The MPA method, based on a simple finger-stick sample taken directly from the patient, is an exclusive feature in hematology analyzers today. Simply make a skin puncture with a lancet, draw blood into the 20-μL micro-pipette tube, slide the tube into the adapter, and insert it into the analyzer. The analysis starts automatically. In about one minute, the results are presented on the display as parameter values as well as visualized in histograms that provide additional infor­mation about the average volume of RBC, PLT, and WBC cell populations, size distribution of the cell populations, and detection of subpopulations. No sample preparation, no pre-dilution, and no vacuum tubes required. It is that simple.

As a fingerstick is largely pain­less, the MPA method is a suit­able way to take and analyze blood samples from children and other patients from whom a venous blood sample is not available. Children are among the most difficult patients from whom to collect blood samples. Vein puncture can be both a traumatic and painful experience. Compared with adults, pediatric patients have smaller veins and an excess of subcutaneous fat, making visualization and palpation of veins challenging in children. Capillary blood collection instead of venous blood collection can therefore be especially useful in pediatrics.

For blood banks, the MPA functionality provides a tool for making fast donor assessments, saving the vein for the donation. In a donor screening, only individuals of good health are selected. Donor-induced iron deficiency is of particular concern, and it is recommended that individuals with low pre-donation hemoglobin are excluded from erythrocyte donation. The increasing need for apheresis platelets additionally raises concerns of donor platelets and leukocyte depletion. Donors are, therefore, closely monitored for adverse effects, such as anemia, thrombocytopenia, and lymphocytopenia.

Capillary blood collection for direct hematology testing can also help overcome many of the preanalytical errors, associated with venous blood samples, such as blood clotting or hemolysis, as well as incorrect tube filling or erroneous labelling. Following general recommendations, the results obtained with capillary samples using the MPA inlet, are comparable with those obtained with venous blood samples, using the tube inlets.

Boule 3-part hematology analyzers combine functionality with flexibility. Systems, equipped with the MPA inlet are available in three models to fit the specific needs of individual laboratories – with or without a built-in mixer for queued samples, with or without a cap-piercing device for aspiration from closed tubes, and with or without a walk-away automation solution for laboratories with higher workloads.

The systems offer measurement quality on par with the larger hospital laboratory, omitting the need for sending samples away for analysis. Shear valve-guided aspiration ensures measurement accuracy and reliability, and robust analyzer design enables instrument uptime to reduce maintenance and service calls.

At Boule Diagnostics, consuma­bles are designed and develo­ped in conjunction with the analyzer to provide optimized performance and enhanced serviceability of the complete system. Reagents and analyzer measurement technologies, including the analysis algorithms, are fine tuned to each other to produce the most accurate patient results. Formulations, dilutions, mixing, and reaction kinetics are all carefully matched and optimized to work together. The controls and calibrators are designed for the specific system to ensure correct calibration and quality-control measures. Like the reagents, the control and calibrator cell populations are matched to the analyzer-measurement technologies and analysis algorithms. Cleaners are designed to keep the system working at peak performance. All formulations need to be compatible with the analyzer materials to prevent damage to the components.

Swelab Alfa Plus hematology system solution, comprising instruments, reagents, QC material, and cleaners, is designed to deliver measurement quality time after time.