FEATURE ARTICLES

A public-private collaboration between the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Beckman Coulter has provided value for money and a quality of service second to none. The Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust comprises two specialist hospitals that provide treatment for people with heart and lung disease. They are recognised worldwide for their expertise, standard of care and research success. Health and social care regulator the Care Quality Commission recently awarded the trust the highest possible rating of ‘excellent’ for its “exceptional performance and innovation”.

A recent seminar organised by Sebia UK highlighted current trends in electrophoresis testing and examined its clinical utility in specific diagnostic applications. The event brought together clinical specialists, industry experts and biomedical scientists at historic Royal Holloway, University of London.

Plasma viscosity testing emerged in the early 1970s following pioneering work by Jock Harkness in Taunton. Now, the haematology at Musgrove Park boasts the very latest in viscosity instrumentation.

A cutting-edge imaging system is being used in Manchester to investigate the links between structure and function in mammalian cells, and, in particular, the regulation of cell division.

The Analyser Monitoring Programme, managed by the Guildford Medical device Evaluation Centre, has been growing steadily since 2005, and provides UK laboratories with invaluable information to aid major analyser purchasing decisions.

Following Thermo Fisher Scientific’s recent acquisition of histopathology supplies manufacturer Raymond A Lamb, Pathology in Practice took the opportunity to talk with Giulio Cerroni about his experiences and views of the anatomical pathology market and the company’s latest innovations and investments.

Three laboratories in the United Kingdom recently took delivery of the new cobas 8000 series modular analyser from Roche. Here, biomedical scientists in Bristol, Gateshead and Poole give their views on the latest serum work area technology.

Sample collection is an important if underappreciated aspect of the battle against hospital-acquired infection. Here, Alison Smith looks at the latest innovations in swab technology.

An evaluation of the Quo-Test A1c point-of-care assay was carried out in the biochemistry department of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford by an independent evaluator. Tim James and Paul Sharpe provide an overview.

Many laboratories routinely test for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases but not for AmpC resistance mechanisms. A simple diagnostic test is now available for the latter, and here Sally Cocks and Carmel Vaughan report on early validation trials.

Speaking to Pathology in Practice at the IBMS Biomedical Science Congress in September, Beckman Coulter’s new marketing manager Leanne Annereau explained how the integration of Olympus Diagnostics is progressing.

Recently, Mark Reed succeeded Jag Grewal as chairman of the IBMS Company Members Committee. Here, he explains the role of the committee and his vision for the future.

Lauren Young explains how the Institute of Cell and Molecular Science has utilised sample-tracking software in order to improve productivity and organise the ICMS freezer facilities.

The British Blood Transfusion Society Annual Scientific Meeting has gained a reputation as one of the key events in the transfusion science calendar, and this year’s meeting in Manchester proved to be no exception, as Pathology in Practice reports.

Asking a female patient to provide a mid-stream urine sample can result in difficulty, embarrassment and poor hygiene. Now, a simple invention is set to improve infection control and enhance the patient experience.

Turnaround time is an important element of the service provided by pathology, and centrifugation can play an important role in minimising any analytical delay. Here, John Zajechowski provides a Motown perspective.

Early this year, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics welcomed a royal visitor to its new manufacturing facility in South Wales. From Pencoed, local expertise in enhanced chemiluminescence is now serving a global market. In June of this year, HRH The Prince of Wales marked the opening of Ortho Clinical Diagnostics’ new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Pencoed, South Wales, with an official visit. The Prince of Wales, who has a personal commitment to the area, first toured the facility and then delivered a speech in which he praised the company’s commitment for building this innovative manufacturing centre. He also planted a commemorative tree and met with employees.

Recently, the pace of evolution in microbiology has been stepped up with the introduction of simple but effective technology designed to make more use of the liquid phase. Rachel Adams explains. The name Sterilin has been synonymous with quality in single-use plastics for more than 40 years. Now, working exclusively in the UK with Copan Diagnostics, the company is leading the long-awaited revolution in pre-analytical clinical microbiology.

Automation has been a late starter in microbiology; however, it is now making up for lost time by addressing the problems associated with handling the most prolific of samples submitted for analysis. The first semi-automated laboratory urine analysers appeared on the market over 30 years ago, utilised dry chemistry dipstick technology and were mainly used in UK microbiology laboratories.

Intelligent blood storage and dispensing system provided by Olympus has enabled compliance with Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regulations. Following the installation of five BloodTrack HemoNine remote-issue blood refrigerators from Olympus UK, the transfusion laboratory at Barts and The London NHS Trust has seen significant savings in blood stock, staff time and overall costs across its three hospitals – The Royal London, St Bartholomew’s and The London Chest Hospital.