Integrated work cell streamlines blood sciences

The hospital is undergoing metamorphosis, with the construction of a new £100 million medical complex, which is now nearing completion. In June, the new Department of Laboratory Medicine was officially opened. The multi-million pound investment has not only allowed the laboratory service to develop and modernise but also to integrate effectively. 

On the ground floor of the building, the diverse disciplines of clinical chemistry, immunoassay and haematology have been amalgamated and share a sample reception area. This now forms a newly automated blood sciences unit, led by chief biomedical scientist and biochemistry departmental manager Janet Hewitt. In April, it became the first UK laboratory – and one of the first globally – to install the Beckman Coulter UniCel DxC 880i Synchron Access clinical system.

This integrated work cell was previewed originally at EuroMedLab 2007. It combines Beckman Coulter’s UniCel DxC 800 (clinical chemistry) and UniCel DxI 800 (immunoassay), and caters specifically for high-volume laboratories. The DxC 880i offers a menu of more than 150 different chemistry and immunoassay tests – with 120 on board – ranging from cardiac and tumour markers to tests for renal function and more. The system can process up to 1440 chemistry tests per hour and up to 400 immunoassay tests per hour, with no downtime for reloading reagents – they are loaded ‘on the fly’ while the systems are running.