EKF Diagnostics, a worldwide manufacturer of point of care in-vitro diagnostic devices, has announced the European launch of its new Quo-Lab point of care (POC) HbA1c analyser.
This semi-automated HbA1c analyser is CE marked and provides highly accurate, low cost and easy-to-use technology for GP surgeries, diabetes clinics and laboratories. HbA1c monitoring is increasingly used in the detection and management of diabetes, and Quo-Lab has been specifically designed for near patient testing.
The new analyser is manufactured by EKF subsidiary Quotient Diagnostics Ltd and uses the unique Boronate Affinity Florescent Quenching method perfected in its Quo-Test HbA1c analyser. Requiring just 4 µL of venous or finger prick blood, the small and lightweight Quo-Lab delivers lab-accurate results within four minutes (CV < 3% at 7% A1c). Consequently, the company anticipates great demand for Quo-Lab, which is positioned as one of the most cost effective and user friendly HbA1c analysers on the market. The analyser’s simple 4-step procedure requires minimal training, with on-screen instructions available in a variety of user selectable languages.
Commenting, Julian Baines, CEO of EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc, said: “We believe Quo-Lab will have a very positive reception in the near patient testing market for HbA1c. It provides lab-accurate, low cost testing that is incredibly easy to use and minimises the opportunity for user error or contamination of the sample in a point of care setting.
“By utilising the methodology that we perfected for Quo-Test we know we have a device that delivers the accuracy and precision that practitioners demand, together with a user experience that is unrivalled in its sector.”
EKF also previewed its first strip-based ketone analyser, the STAT-SiteTM M ßHB, at the recent Medica show, which promises to take testing for ketoacidosis out of the laboratory and into the emergency room. ß-Hydroxybutyrate (ßHB) is the main ketone produced during ketosis and provides a quantitative and accurate assessment of patients displaying symptoms of ketosis.
The launch of STAT SiteTM M ßHB follows the recent success of the ß-Hydroxybutyrate (ßHB) LiquiColor® Reagent System developed by EKF subsidiary, Stanbio Laboratory. The ßHB liquid stable reagent can be used on any open channel analyser and is used by 13 of the USA’s top 25 diabetes and endocrinology hospitals to provide rapid, objective results.
