RECENT PRODUCT NEWS

Torrey Pines Scientific has announced its EchoTherm models IC30 and IC30XT, Peltier-driven high-capacity chilling/heating dry baths capable of handling various sized sample blocks. The IC30 (–10°C to 100°C) and IC30XT (–20°C to 100°C) can freeze, chill or heat samples in various sample blocks that can hold 0.2–50 mL centrifuge tubes, test tubes, vials, assay plates and even round-bottom flasks.

Meridian Bioscience has announced that it has received the CE Mark for illumigene Malaria, a test developed by the company with technical assistance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal.

Vitech Scientific has announced additional products to join the existing line up of anaerobic jars used with the Anoxomat system. The Mart Microbiology standard jars have, over the years, provided laboratories with reliable performance in a wide range of anaerobic culturing applications.

The GeneCatcher, available from the Gel Company, provides a simple and inexpensive way of removing bands from gels in a simple two-step process.

Rainin's recently launched TerraRack pipette tip racks, available in the UK from Anachem, are already proving popular in the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) research and diagnostics core facility at the University of California, Davis. The laboratory, part of the School of Veterinary Medicine, performs molecular diagnostic assays for veterinary practices across the USA, as well as nucleic acid extraction and qPCR for external research studies, relying on high-quality

Maximising the information captured from life and materials science samples is now possible with ease and simplicity, with the new Olympus UC90 microscope camera. Thanks to a range of innovative features, the UC90 captures and documents real-life details, while a 4K UHD mode supports users in overcoming the limitations of the oculars with the many benefits of complete on-screen operation.

Hologic has continued its expansion into the virology testing market, having earned CE?IVD certification for the Aptima hepatitis C virus (HCV) Quant Dx assay on the fully automated Panther system.

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics has launched the handheld and portable Xprecia Stride coagulation analyser to deliver fast, reliable testing in any clinical environment. The analyser can be used for prothrombin time testing (PT/INR) for point-of-care (POC) monitoring and management of oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) with warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist.

The Panther instrument from Hologic combines full automation with the assay performance of the Aptima Combo 2 and Aptima HPV assays, allowing customers the freedom to control their molecular workflow for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. Hologic has now launched the Aptima HIV-1 Quant DX assay, the first assay in a viral load menu that will soon include hepatitis C and hepatitis B for the Panther instrument.

Cognitor Minus, available from Pro-Lab Diagnostics, gives a confirmed negative result, direct from blood culture, the day following sample receipt by the laboratory, with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.5%.

Vivantis Technologies has established a European centre to support and promote the sales and distribution of its product range. Vivantis specialises in the production of restriction enzymes, DNA extraction kits, DNA amplification reagents (including kits for molecular biology applications), recombinant enzymes, improved protein stains, markers and ladders. To mark this event, Vivantis is running a promotion for its GF-1 nucleic acid extraction kits, which provide a rapid and efficient method for purification of nucleic acid from various samples.

Sakura Finetek has launched the Tissue-Tek AutoTEC a120, a second-generation, fully automated tissue embedder that eliminates the labour-intensive need to manually orient and embed tissue specimens and form tissue or cell paraffin blocks. The AutoTEC technology, combined with the Paraform Sectionable Cassette System, ensures that the orientation of specimens is locked from grossing to microtomy for all routine tissue types, thereby eliminating the risk of orientation mistakes and tissue loss for increasing patient safety.

Wheaton recently introduced MicroLiter Certified Clean Vials, designed to allow more reliable transfer of samples to the autosampler. Critical physical dimensions and chemical cleanliness are fully tested to ensure that no trace residues are present, with each vial cleaned and packaged in a certified Class 10,000 cleanroom using a process developed to eliminate vial-associated errors.

Addenbrooke’s Hospital’s emergency department (ED), part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is the first UK site to install two Stratus CS 200 Acute Care Diagnostic cardiac analysers. The technology from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics is enabling rapid diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in order to determine an appropriate treatment plan.

The Omega Lum G from Aplegen is a gel and Western blot imaging documentation system. It incorporates everything needed to capture images quickly. As with all Aplegen systems it is powered by the intelligent SmartCapture technology which simplifies imaging to the point where the user just has to pick an application and the image is automatically captured with the optimum exposure, and even takes care of filter selection and focusing.

Herolab of Wiesloch in Germany manufactures products for life science research and diagnostics, and has now opened a UK-based office in Cambridge. This will help to service the growing number of users in the UK and well as offering sales and support for a number of International dealers and customers.

Olympus has launched a new cellFRAP deck system for the popular IX3 ‘open source concept’ IX83 and IX73 microscopes. Olympus cellFRAP is designed with researchers in mind, providing accurate and flexible live-cell photomanipulation with various evaluation options for data presentation.

Binding Site unveiled Optilite at the EuroMedLab exhibition in Paris recently. The company has spent more than four years developing Optilite in response to customer demand and the results are claimed to be truly outstanding. In independent testing by 11 European clinical sites, Optilite has demonstrated consistent efficiency and assay performance in real-world laboratory conditions.

Don Whitley Scientific has launched a fully automated oxygen calibration system for Whitley workstations. This solution will help users to calibrate their workstation efficiently and easily, and so improve the accuracy of experimental data.

InterSystems, the developer of the TrakCare unified healthcare information system, will preview its laboratory business management system (LBMS) at the IBMS Congress (Stand F28) in Birmingham at the end of the month.