Concentrated reagent packs make clinical chemistry even more productive

High throughput necessitates the ongoing replenishment of reagents, and both the ADVIA 1800 and 2400 systems allow the operator to pause the system to change reagents during the working day. However, this can interrupt workflow if reagent changes are needed during periods of peak processing activity. New concentrated ADVIA reagents offer the advantage of up to five times more tests per reagent wedge, while still giving identical results to conventional non-concentrated ADVIA chemistry packs. This increased capacity offers ADVIA chemistry users a number of benefits, including:
* extended running time and productivity
* liberated reagent carousel space
* reduced ordering
* reduced storage
* reduced waste.

Extended running time and productivity
“Concentrated reagents have gone like a dream,” explains Andrew Dorrington, deputy laboratory manager at Leicester Royal Infirmary. “We process around 5000 chemistry tubes a day on our ADVIA 2400s. Concentrated reagents have reduced the number of reagent loads during our busy periods, which are between 3.00 pm and 11.00 pm, when we process over 3000 tubes. This has made us more efficient and has increased our productivity.”

Martin McAuley, senior biomedical scientist at Warrington Hospital, says: “We have seen a 15% increase in workload in the first six months of this year, but with concentrated reagents we have managed this increase, maintained turnaround times and kept existing work patterns.”