FEATURE ARTICLES

An individual’s phenotype can be influenced by their lifestyle, and this can determine how they respond to drugs and other treatments. Now, a legacy of the London Games aims to investigate the human phenome on an unprecedented scale.

In order to transform haematology services at Kingston Hospital, a partnership forged with Beckman Coulter has facilitated staff retraining, the updating of IT systems and the installation of state-of-the art analysis systems.

Automation is forging ahead in microbiology and is being helped by the application of liquid-based technologies and the latest developments in the design of the humble yet ubiquitous swab. Here, Rachel Adams takes a look at the latest innovations.

Tendering for, and implementing, new laboratory equipment can be a fraught process, but the partnership approach adopted by Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and Sysmex ensured a positive outcome.

Flow cytometry has found application in cell analysis across a wide range of scientific fields. Now, small-footprint, easy-to-use instruments are able to offer the very highest levels of performance, as Danny Köhler explains.

Requests for vitamin D testing are on the increase and three laboratories, in Coventry, Kingston and central London, are reaping the benefits of using an Elecsys assay from Roche. Dawn Wallace reports.

Adoption of the Uri semi-automated urine analysis system from Mast has reduced turnaround times and increased staff productivity in microbiology, as Chris Baker explains.

Successful bone sectioning requires a combination of skill born of experience, and the right equipment. In the latter regard, Thermo Scientific’s range of automated microtomes fit the bill.

A unit at the forefront of immunohistochemistry and molecular diagnostics for over 30 years has adopted an innovative companion diagnostic testing platform for its cancer diagnostic programme. UCL Advanced Diagnostics (UCL-AD) has chosen Roche’s HER2 assays on the BenchMark Ultra staining platform to advance its programme of companion diagnostics for cancer patients.

Europe’s microbiologists were able to take an early look at Beckman Coulter’s new random-access system for molecular diagnostics at the recent ECCMID meeting held in London. Here, Leanne Annereau answers some of the questions that delegates may not have had the chance to pose.

Following the establishment of an internal life science quality control laboratory and recruitment of experienced histologists, Atom Scientific’s commitment to providing market-leading quality has taken a significant step forward. Since January 2011, Atom Scientific has been undertaking a significant investment programme in all elements of the company’s infrastructure, with a specific focus on product quality.

Recently, Hologic hosted its eighth HAMEC meeting, this year held in Ayrshire, which attracted an audience of 160 delegates from hospitals and laboratories across Europe. The first day was chaired by Dr Amanda Herbert (consultant cytopathologist and histopathologist, St Thomas’ Hospital, London), and the second day by Professor Heather Cubie (consultant clinical scientist, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary). A variety of topical debates relevant to cytology and molecular pathology were presented by eminent guest speakers to an audience representing 13 countries across Europe.

The AQT90 FLEX analyser combines laboratory quality measurement accuracy with point-of-care convenience to provide rapid immunoassay testing for cardiac, coagulation and infection markers. Point-of-care (POC) testing offers a range of benefits for patients, nursing staff and laboratory personnel, but guaranteeing the same quality, sensitivity and reliability as laboratory testing can be difficult to achieve with some instruments.

Microbiology is one of the oldest disciplines of laboratory medicine yet one of the last to embrace automation. Now, an imposing acronym is set to change the status quo and place bacteriology firmly in the 21st century. Molecular methods of microbial identification have long been regarded as the way forward for clinical laboratories, providing fast and accurate results for a wide range of pathogens, without the need for long incubation times. Mass spectrometry (MS) represents one of the most flexible technologies in this arena, offering precise classification of organisms based on unique spectral signatures.

Dry chemistry systems have come to the aid of a pathology service network that operates across an Australian state larger than Western Europe. Andrew St John looks at some of the problems encountered and how they have been addressed. Forming the backbone of the PathWest laboratory network that stretches across the 2.5 million square kilometres of Western Australia are 23 VITROS analysers. They provide pathology services to many different and often remote communities, and one of their special attributes in one of the driest countries in the world is that they do not require water.

The latest in coagulation automation has facilitated improved efficiency in haematology services across the two main hospitals in Gloucestershire, as Stephan Bates, Kevin Willett and Ceinwen Davies explain. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides haematology services to a population of around 600,000 through its two acute hospitals, Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal. There is a haematology laboratory located at each site, reflecting the way that clinical services are organised within the trust. Tests have been organised across the two sites to ensure maximum efficiency. Cheltenham General is the centre for haematology in-patient services, oncology and bone marrow transplantation. It also performs haematinics (vitamin B12, folate and ferritin estimations) and specialist flow cytometry for leukaemia typing. Immunology, haemoglobinopathy and thrombophilia screening take place at Gloucestershire Royal, while both hospitals perform coagulation screens (international normalised ratio [INR], D­dimer and factor assays), as results are often required immediately; however, some non-urgent work is also sent to the Oxford Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre.

Staff at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust undertook an evaluation of the latest Roche blood gas analyser, the cobas 123 b POC system, during a four-week point-of-care trial. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of approximately 350,000, predominantly across Stockport and the High Peak area of Derbyshire. The trust employs over 3600 staff across four sites. Its main hospital site is Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, with additional services provided at Cherry Tree Hospital and The Meadows in Stockport, and the Corbar Maternity Unit based 18 miles away in Buxton. The trust supports point-of-care testing (POCT) through a POCT coordinator and a POCT committee. The committee is a multidisciplinary group set up to ensure that all POCT is performed appropriately, accurately and safely. All POCT devices (eg blood glucose meters, blood gas analysers, urinalysis test strips, coagulation meters etc) must be registered by the committee so that issues such as training, maintenance and internal and external quality control can be addressed.

The first in a series of seminars dedicated to Lean in the laboratory was held in February. It focused on enhancing histopathology laboratory efficiency and accuracy, and Pauline Connor demonstrated how her department at the North Middlesex University Hospital is embracing Lean processes.

Clostridium difficile has gained notoriety as a hospital ‘superbug’, which has led to strict monitoring and controls on infection rates for hospital trusts. Accurate diagnosis, effective infection control and the use of good screening tools is a major contributor to success, as Charlotte Duncan explains.

Biomedical scientist Barry Hill examines some of the specific problems posed by working conditions in the laboratory, focusing here on lighting, noise and temperature.