The new cobas 8000 series modular analyser from Roche offers more processing power per square metre than ever before, allowing high-throughput clinical laboratories to consolidate biochemistry, immunoassays and immunology testing on a single, compact platform. In this article, three high-throughput laboratories in the UK explain how the cobas 8000 series provides just the solution that each need.
High-throughput solution
The new cobas 8000 series is the latest serum work area (SWA) offering from Roche for large, high-throughput (greater than 2.5 million tests per year) clinical laboratories, and complements Roche’s range of clinical analysers designed to meet the needs of every type of laboratory, be it large or small.
The modular cobas 8000 platform offers 35 different configurations, with the facility to add or remove modules, allowing the system to be tailored to individual laboratory needs. The compactness of the modules, combined with unsurpassed processing power, means that the cobas 8000 can deliver increased productivity in a smaller footprint, which is ideal for laboratories with increasing workloads but limited space.
In addition, with 183 different assays (the largest number of tests available on any SWA platform), the cobas 8000 allows laboratories to improve workflow management by consolidating up to 99% of routine SWA tests on one platform and allowing both clinical chemistry and immunoassay tests to be performed from a single sample tube. This was particularly attractive to the automated laboratory at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, which is part of the North Bristol NHS Trust.
Reduced turnaround times at Bristol
Southmead Hospital has just taken delivery of a cobas 8000 platform, allowing the laboratory to work faster and more efficiently than ever before. “The cobas 8000 allows us to consolidate routine chemistry, immunoassay (including haematinics) and some immunology tests on a single platform,” explains Mike Gillett, clinical biochemistry laboratory manager. “We can now perform the majority of our routine tests in a single passage through the analytical system, using a single patient sample – and the compactness of the modular system means that we can do all of this in less space than was previously required.
“The cobas 8000 has replaced multiple analytical systems,” Mike continues. “Our previous systems required a considerable amount of staff intervention, such as transferring samples from one set of racks to another, to ensure that all the assays are performed. The ability to load just one rack onto the cobas 8000, together with the system’s intelligent sample routing, will reduce our turnaround times significantly.
“Front-end automation, via the MODULAR Pre-Analytics, makes the early stages of sample handling more efficient, and the provision of single-pass processing will release staff to take on a number of other, more appropriate roles within the department. The overall reduction in operator interventions will ensure that our service to end users is as fast and efficient as possible.”
The cobas 8000 will be located in a brand new automated laboratory at Southmead Hospital, which will support a combined haematology, clinical chemistry and immunology service for the trust. Mike concludes: “Floor space within our new laboratory is limited and so the cobas 8000 provides us with the opportunity to have a greater throughput-to-space ratio than before. It also allows us to futureproof the service that we provide. We anticipate our throughput to increase by at least a third as the new laboratory takes on more of the trust’s workload, and the cobas 8000 will allow us to continue to provide an efficient and timely service.”
One-touch sample processing on the south coast
The clinical biochemistry department at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is also anticipating increased productivity with its new cobas 8000 platforms, which will help to process a burgeoning workload faster and more efficiently than before. The department operates at two laboratory sites and provides biochemistry services for both Poole Hospital and the nearby Royal Bournemouth Hospital.
“Upgrading to cobas 8000 will increase our capacity and provide faster throughput of samples,” says Darren Jose, pathology general manager. “Our current Roche platforms shaved four hours from our run times compared to our previous analysers. With cobas 8000 we will be able to save even more time. cobas 8000 will also futureproof our service against further workload increases. Our plan is to have two cobas 8000 platforms at each laboratory. These powerful and space-efficient platforms will easily cope with our high-volume, high-throughput work, and we can also run specialist assays (such as specific proteins and therapeutic drugs), user-defined assays and low-volume tests.”
As well as increasing productivity in the laboratories, cobas 8000 also fits with Poole’s vision for ‘one touch’ sample processing. “Sample receipt is currently very labour-intensive and slow – it is our rate limiting step,” Darren explains. “cobas 8000 will allow us to fully exploit order communications technology. We plan for samples to come into the laboratory already barcoded, with the test request already in the system. Then, all we will need to do is load the sample onto the Roche MODULAR Pre-analytics, and it will proceed automatically through the required analysers before being removed, stored or even disposed of without further manual intervention – literally ‘one touch’ processing, which will save much time and effort.”
The faster and more efficient workflow provided by the cobas 8000 random-access core unit ensures that samples flow rapidly and smoothly through the analysers, while urgent samples can be prioritised without impact on routine testing. Additionally, features such as clot detection and ultrasonic mixing ensure excellent system performance.
Summing up, Darren says, “We wanted increased throughput combined with time and labour savings – with cobas 8000, Roche has delivered on all fronts.”
High-throughput, small-footprint solution in Gateshead
For Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, the small footprint of the cobas 8000 was important, and the data-handling capabilities of the system also impressed them. “We chose the cobas 8000 because it has a very high processing power-to-footprint ratio,” explains clinical biochemistry technical manager John Fenwick. “Our configuration will include two cobas c701 high-throughput clinical chemistry analysers – between them they will have the same capacity and power as five of our previous P modules. The small footprint of the cobas 8000 SWA platform really does deliver for laboratories like us that are tight on space.”
Each cobas c701 module can perform up to 2000 photometric tests per hour, ideal for high-throughput clinical laboratories. Other modules include ISE (performing up to 1800 tests per hour), the cobas c502 mid-throughput clinical chemistry analyser (performing up to 600 tests per hour), and the cobas e602 immunochemistry analyser (performing up to 170 tests per hour).
“The ultra-fast cobas 8000 will allow us to get through our urgent and routine workloads more quickly,” John continues. “And with our MODULAR Pre-analytics modules, the whole process will be much more automated, making the laboratory run more smoothly and efficiently.
“We are also looking forward to the superior data processing and information management capabilities of the cobas 8000; it will allow archiving of test result data including details of the reagents used on a particular sample, quality control data, calibration data and more. This has not been possible until now. It will make horizontal and vertical audits much easier, helping us to meet CPA requirements, and it will reduce paperwork and the potential for error.”
cobas 8000 is supported by a complete service package to ensure laboratories operate at optimum capacity. In addition to on-site expert support, cobas Link also provides a secure online connection for remote diagnostics, real-time service and support, and automatic software updates.
Managed Laboratory Service
More and more laboratories in the UK and Ireland are now benefiting from a Roche Managed Laboratory Service (MLS). This allows laboratories to offer a modern analytical service, using state-of-the-art equipment, while realising greater efficiencies and costs savings.
The cobas 8000 at the North Bristol NHS Trust will be supplied by Roche under one of the UK’s largest managed laboratory service agreements, which covers multiple disciplines (biochemistry, haematology, microbiology, cellular pathology and immunology) across five hospital sites in four NHS trusts within the Avon Consortium (North Bristol, University Hospital Bristol, Royal United Hospital Bath and Weston Area Health).
“The Roche Managed Laboratory Service has allowed the provision of modern, standardised equipment across the four trusts,” comments Paul Virgo, managed equipment services project manager for the Avon Consortium. “A series of key performance indicators, backed by the presence of an on-site Roche contract manager, will ensure that systems and services operate at their most efficient and effective level. Combining the pathology business for four trusts in a single tender provides economically advantageous pricing structures to be agreed for the consortium, regardless of service size. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Roche – we are making savings and ensuring that we have the very latest equipment with which to operate a world-class pathology service.”
Chris Charlton, pathology service manager and assistant divisional manager at Gateshead also comments: “The Managed Laboratory Service agreement that we have in place with Roche will enhance the quality, delivery and efficiency of our pathology services. We chose Roche as our primary supplier because its unique combination of products, services and third-party relationships enabled us to redesign our processes and systems utilising the Lean tools to focus on the patient and eliminate the waste within our processes. This results in cost-efficiency and -effectiveness improvements to our service.”
Phil Johnson, laboratory manager and department quality manager at Gateshead, concludes by saying: “As the demands on core clinical laboratories grow ever challenging, in terms of workload and targets, we know that the cobas 8000 and our Managed Laboratory Service will enable us to provide a faster and more efficient service that will enhance the delivery of healthcare in our locality.”