The U.S. government is the largest funder of global health research and development in the world says a recent report brought out by the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) and Policy Cures, United Press International reports. The main findings of the report titled “Saving Lives and Creating Impact: Why investing in global health research works”, are:

• The US Government contributes around 45% of the total investment in global health R&D each year.
• Over the past 10 years, the US Government spent $12.7 billion on in global health R&D.
• The US Government is the leading funder of R&D for 26 of the 30 most neglected diseases and conditions affecting the developing world. These include HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, diarrheal diseases, sleeping sickness, dengue fever, parasitic worms, and contraceptive technologies.

UPI reports, “The U.S. funding helped lead to the development of more than half of the 45 new health products — including vaccines, drugs, diagnostics — in the last decade that have been used to save lives around the world,”.

These rends will have a positive impact on the laboratory equipment market. Spending on R&D is one of the key drivers of the expansion in the demand for lab equipment by research institutions, the government and private organizations.

A recent survey by the editors of Laboratory Equipment, a leading online resource for the industry, reveals that the lab equipment requirements of pharmaceutical researchers are set to change in the future.

• Development efforts are likely to focus more on biotech-based products which have great potential for future growth.
• Currently, the attention continues to be on conventional chemical-based development.
• The lab equipment in use at present in pharmaceutical research is traditional: HPLC, specialized spectrometers, microscopes, fumehoods and GC systems.
• Responses on requirements for the future: imaging systems, more HPLC, mass spectrometers, automation and robotics, and modeling and simulation software.
• Clinical trials make up more than two-thirds of the costs for developing new pharmaceuticals, and many of these areas are outsourced.
• It is predicted that, as in the medical arena, modeling and simulation systems will come into being in the pharmaceutical research field.

When asked about the greatest challenge in the pharmaceutical research arena, respondents cited high cost of product development as the greatest challenge, 20 percentage points more than expiration of patents and product development times, which come second.

The findings of this study should provide some important pointers for laboratory equipment manufacturers to make their production plans.

One of the greatest advantages of the Dade Dimension Xpand w/HM chemistry analyzer is that it combines comprehensive STAT, routine chemistry and immunoassay testing on a single, compact, easy-to-use system. It is ideal for use in a wide spectrum of lab settings.

Features and Benefits

This system provides a number of advantages, including decreased turnaround time.

• Compact yet powerful piece of laboratory equipment: offers full disease-state profiling on a single system with 90 critical methods and growing
• Offers true integration: simultaneous immunoassay and chemistry processing, one sample area, and common reagent area
• Versatile: The most commonly ordered panels from a single panel
• User-friendly: No reagent or sample preparation, minimal maintenance, low calibration frequency, no instrument pause to load reagents
• Built-in automation with minimal operator involvement featuring autorun at lab-defined ‘panic’ values, sample level sense to warn of low volumes before processing, and more

The assay menu of the Dade Dimension Xpand w/HM includes general chemistry, electrolytes, enzymes, antimicrobials, toxicology, drugs-of-abuse, diabetes management, cardiac risk assessment, therapeutic drug monitoring, and more.

Hands-on time is minimal with this versatile system which is also available recertified with lab equipment dealers. There is no doubt that laboratories investing in the Dade Dimension Xpand w/HM get the best out of cost.

Research and life science laboratories perform routine as well as increasingly complicated tests every day, looking to obtain accurate results without delay. Billions of dollars are pumped into conducting research, but studies have found that a lot of money can be wasted due to one major problem – unscheduled lab equipment downtime. In fact, unplanned downtime can lead to a loss of several months on a single experiment. This brings the UPS into focus. The installation of a reliable UPS or uninterruptible power system can reduce unscheduled downtime in labs.

How a Reliable UPS Can Minimize Downtime

AC power outages, power fluctuations, surges, and so on are responsible for hardware component failure that leads to unscheduled downtime. Research labs have a wide range of automated equipment such as centrifuges, analyzers, spectrophotometers and so on. Manufacturers of such laboratory equipment usually recommend the installation of a UPS to ensure an uninterrupted flow of AC power to the device. If power supply is interrupted when an experiment is being performed, sensitive equipment may abort the test leading to a waste of time and money. Having a reliable UPS would ensure the connected device with sufficient battery back-up – ranging from minutes to hours – to complete the test.

Choosing the Right UPS for Your Lab

While calibration and reagent issues also account for a considerable percentage of unplanned downtime, installing the right UPS can decrease downtime to a great extent.

Factors to consider when choosing a UPS for your lab:

• Invest in an on-line UPS which can deliver a stable power source
• Purchase a UPS that has the capacity to provide the power required by the lab device to function effectively
• Ensure that the system has sufficient battery back-up time to support your lab experiments.

With proper maintenance, a reliable UPS can last up to ten years and even longer.

With the growing emphasis on patient safety, hospitals and practices are focusing on measures designed to prevent adverse events resulting from medical errors. Among other things, the environment should have the facilities and lab equipment to provide accurate, precise and timely laboratory results.

Hospital labs are therefore upgrading to the latest technology. For instance, a fully automated hematology analyzer allows a lab to deliver blood count test results of the highest quality while at the same time, significantly improving testing efficiency. Hematology analyzers are designed to reduce the incidence of human error in labs. These devices can offer accurate evaluations of various blood cell types and provide a complete blood cell count. They can also distinguish between various white blood cells. All this is performed in less than one minute.

Specimen mix-up is one of the most common causes of error. Present-day hematology analyzers avoid this through the use of bar codes. Positive sample identification begins from the moment the specimen is loaded. Some have hard drives that can accommodate up to 10,000 patient reports. Customized patient reports can be produced with patient identification and color histograms.

Quality control and quality improvement efforts are focused on the various stages of the testing process in labs. Leading manufacturers of lab equipment such as Abbott Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter, Mindray and QBC Diagnostics pay close attention to developing automated systems to reduce errors within the laboratory.

Medical and clinical laboratories are always looking to improve output per head and service delivery. A lot depends on the efficiency of lab equipment. Take automated hematology analyzers, for instance. Used extensively in large and small hospitals, these devices are used to perform blood counts, differentiating white blood cells and identifying abnormal cells.

Assessing Capabilities – Points to Consider

There are many brands of hematology analyzers in the market and labs need to choose the right one. This can be done by evaluating the features of each device. The main factors that have to be taken into account include ability to deliver accurate results, carryover, and stability of samples. Other considerations could be: how user friendly the data management system is, whether it is easy to load and upload sample tubes, whether it offers relatively noise-free operation, and how quickly previous data can be retrieved. It is also necessary to check compliance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines.

The Versatile BC-3200

The Mindray BC-3200 hematology analyzer is a product that has all these qualifications and more. It can analyze 60 samples per hour, and is ideal for measuring parameters such as WBC, Lymph#, Mid#, Gran#, Lymph%, Mid%, Gran%, RBC, HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW-CV, RDW-SD, PLT, MPV, PDW, PCT and histograms for WBC, RBC, and PLT. Important features include closed tube sampling, sampling with 4-position tube holder, micro sampling of 13µl, 3-part differential, and 19 parameters +3 histograms. The large color LCD display makes reading easy. It can store data for 35,000 samples with histograms and facilitates efficient data management on an external computer. The powerful BC-3200 comes with manufacturer warranty and can be purchased online from leading laboratory equipment stores.

Technology advancement takes place rapidly. As soon as one manufacturer launches one particular model of lab equipment, competition is already trying to do better. Laboratory devices are expensive and therefore it would be logical to consider long-term use, flexibility and adaptability to changing requirements before purchase. Attention to the following points can help make the right decision:

• Adaptability of the device to future requirements: Before purchasing a device, labs have to consider needs that may arise in the future. If it is expected that more complex procedures will be carried out in the future, it is important that the device purchased allows this.
• Potential for updates: The scope for potential updates for a device is relevant as research needs progress over time.
• Work capacity of instrument: If the workload for a given device is expected to grow, does it offer the capacity necessary to achieve this?
• Safety and environmental factors: Can the device be operated safely and are processes environment-friendly?
• Faster turnaround: Turnaround time is crucial and there is always pressure on labs to deliver faster results. Does the device have options for this?
• Manufacturer dependability: Does the manufacturer of the device have a long and established track record of providing high quality laboratory equipment?

Finally, consider the lab equipment dealer. Does the dealer stock leading brands and are proper warranties available? Can you purchase recertified devices, if required? Are the products competitively priced?

As the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, Roche Diagnostics supplies a wide variety of reliable instruments and tests facilitating rapid disease screening and diagnosis in laboratories. One of its premium products is the Roche Elecsys 2010 – an ultra-efficient chemistry analyzer that offers many advantages – easy and trouble free operation, workflow flexibility, broad measuring ranges, faster turnaround times, and more. The throughput rate of this analyzer is 86 tests per hour and on-board capacity is of 15 tests.

Flexible Options

This product is available in the form of sample disk or a rack handling system. The Elecsys 2010 disk holds 30 positions for samples and the Elecsys 2010 rack holds up to one hundred. It is ideal for meeting the requirements of medium and large volume testing facilities. Both continuous and random access modes operation options are available.

Benefit from a wide range of advanced features when you purchase this product:

• Touch screen
• Easy-to-use software
• Two-dimensional barcode technology for reagents
• Calibrators and controls

The Roche Elecsys proBNP assay, the first FDA-cleared natriuretic peptide test for the risk assessment of stable coronary artery disease in 2005, is available on the Roche Elecsys 2010.

Save with a Recertified Product

The ideal option for purchase is an online laboratory equipment store. You can get the price advantage of a recertified product with 90 day parts warranty. With an established supplier, you can obtain ready-to-use reagents as well as controls, consumables, and service contracts.

Quality chemistry lab equipment is available online. All you have to do is go to the store of an established laboratory equipment dealer and browse by product to find the best deals. Most leading suppliers stock devices manufactured by leading brands. So what you should be looking for is equipment that meets your requirements at reasonable cost. Models built for large throughput offer considerable economies of scale and ensure a lower cost per test. On the other hand, if you are looking for chemistry devices for a small lab, you should be looking at how to reduce costs without compromising on accuracy and speed.

Take chemistry analyzers. Research and medical labs cannot do without this expensive device. Things to consider before purchase:

• Do you want a benchtop or floor model? If the lab is small, a benchtop model can free up a lot of space
• How many tests per hour? Thoughput is important in large volume labs.
• Is it easy to operate? Ease of use features can reduce labot costs.
• What are the system’s capabilities? Buy a model with only capabilities you need.

Awareness Technology and Mindray offer exclusive chemistry analyzer models to meet the requirements of both large and small labs. For instance, Chem Well 2910 from Awareness Technology is an easily programmable open system that allows the user to set up routine tasks, assays, index calculations, quality control, and more. It ensures a high level of precision and is easy to clean. This manufacturer also offers other models that are dependable, versatile, and economical. Another leading industry brand, Mindray offers the BS-200 Standard Configuration with Barcode Reader and ISE Module with many advanced features. Its capabilities include discrete, random access, automated 200 tests per hour, and up to 330 tests per hour with ISE. Whichever model you choose make sure it suits your specific needs.

Measuring the amount of light of a specified wavelength which passes through a medium or the amount of light absorbed by a solution, spectrophotometers are an essential instrument in biology, chemistry, medical and forensic laboratories. Feature-wise, it’s important to look for ease of use, clear display, high reproducibility, and affordability when investing in this piece of lab equipment.

When purchasing the instrument for a school lab, make sure it comes with all the features essential to teach the subject of spectroscopy. Large, easy-to-read, high resolution display is a useful property when it comes to industrial quality control, water analysis, and educational purposes.

A leading manufacturer of medical laboratory equipment, UNICO offers several high quality spectrophotometer models such as S-1000, S-1100, S-1200, and SQ-2802. The UNICO SQ-2802 series features an advanced single beam design consisting of four models, two stand-alone models and two PC models with Windows based application software. The instruments feature:

• Student-proof positive safety stopper integrated with the wavelength dial to prevent damage to the monochromator and grating
• Built-in secondary filters minimize stray light, enhance accuracy and ease operation
• Large, easy-to-read digital display
• Analog interface with external analog device
• Auto zero function
• Flexible sample compartment

The specific instructions for the use of these instruments may differ with models, but the basic principles are the same. UNICO also manufactures a full line of cuvettes and lab tubes to hold samples of any size. Cuvettes have to be handled carefully, cleaned and stored separately from other test tubes so that they do not get scratched.

Though there are many brands in the market, purchasing a UNICO spectrophotometer is a great option as every UNICO item comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee as well as the manufacturer’s warranty. Leading online lab equipment dealers offer brand new as well as recertified UNICO spectrophotometers at an attractive price.