News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
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New Medical Laboratory-in-a-Suitcase Detects Ebola in 15 Minutes or Less

Demand for a rapid, accurate diagnostic solution to combat Ebola is motivating research teams in many countries to develop solutions that can be put to immediate use

In West Africa, the outbreak of Ebola in several countries motivated researchers in Germany to develop a fast, accurate, and inexpensive test that could be performed in patient care settings without the need for a centralized medical laboratory.

In these West African countries, lack of electricity and reliable cold storage or diagnostic equipment handicaps clinical laboratory technicians who are testing patients for the Ebola virus. A new test developed by researchers at the German Primate Center (DPZ) in Göttingen, Germany, cuts the time to answer an Ebola diagnosis to just 15 minutes. It requires no electricity and is portable. Previously, the fastest Ebola diagnostics test took three hours to get results and required transporting samples to often-distant medical laboratories. (more…)

FDA Clears New Rapid Clinical Laboratory Test for Market that Reduces Time-to-Answer for Bloodstream Infections to Two Hours

Nanosphere’s Gram-Positive Blood Culture Nucleic Acid Test (BC-GP) gives pathologists and clinical laboratory managers a new tool in the diagnosis of septicemia

One of the more challenging diseases to diagnose and treat is septicemia. Traditional microbiology methods typically require two or three days before an accurate diagnosis can be made. Now there is news of a rapid test for bloodstream infections that can allow a hospital clinical laboratory to deliver an answer to physicians in as little as two hours.

It was just last week when the Food and Drug Administration LINK (FDA) granted a de novo petition to allow Nanosphere, Inc., of Northbrook, Illinois, to market its Gram Positive Blood Culture Nucleic Acid Test (BC-GP). This assay is design to be run on Nanosphere’s Verigene automated system. Because the time-to-answer is as little as two hours, this diagnostic technology has the potential to trigger swift changes in the current standard of care for diagnosing and treating blood infections.
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