Double act

Xchange newsletter - Autumn/Winter 2007/2008

In the last issue of Xchange, we announced that Europe’s first ARCHITECT c16000 clinical chemistry analysers had been installed at the Ulster Hospital in Belfast. This was closely followed by a further system at Altnagelvin Hospital. Now, Xchange asks users of the new systems what impact they’ve had on their laboratories.

The c16000 doubles the photometric throughput of the popular ARCHITECT c8000 clinical chemistry analyser but without increasing in size. Ideally suited to meet the high-volume needs of larger laboratories, it can process up to 1800 tests per hour. And, like the c8000 before it, the c16000 can be combined with an ARCHITECT i2000SR immunoassay analyser to create the ARCHITECT ci16200.

The Ulster experience

The ci16200 was chosen by The Ulster Hospital as the platform for its modernisation process. “A workflow study identified key bottlenecks in our process,” explained Dr Tom Trinick, consultant chemical pathologist. “Our previous configuration saw clinical chemistry and immunoassay tests performed in different rooms. Consolidating them has removed the need to aliquot samples and now we only load samples on one platform, drastically cutting our manual sample handling demands. We also found the physical constraints of the laboratory impacted on the analysers that could actually be installed – many other systems considered would not have fitted.”

Tom continues, “Some people question the wisdom of being the first to install an instrument. Well, we were also the first in Europe to install the AEROSET analyser. The service we have received from Abbott has been exemplary and I believe it is important that a laboratory can work in partnership with a supplier. We also have considerable experience of Abbott chemistries as we used an ARCHITECT c8000 in addition to the AEROSETs and were always more than satisfied with the results.”

“The installation of the ci16200 analysers went very smoothly,” adds Ellie Duly, consultant biochemist, “and they went live virtually straight away. Although the software is different to that of our previous AEROSETs, we have found it easy to use and the transition has been smooth.”

Tom concludes, “Consolidation of workload onto one platform will speed throughput, reduce sample numbers and allow a single request form for all our common tests.”

The Altnagelvin experience

Back in 2004, the Western Health Board Clinical Chemistry Service chose to install ARCHITECT ci8200 systems in three of its hospitals, reducing the number of major platforms from ten to five. Dr Maurice O’Kane, consultant chemical pathologist for Altnagelvin Hospital explained at the time, “Installing new integrated analysers has transformed our pathology service. Our working environment has changed from being frenetic, congested and stressful to calm and efficient – with significant improvement in service.”

“We knew we would have the potential to upgrade our ci8200 analysers if necessary,” says Dr Mark Lynch, consultant clinical biochemist. “Following significant increases to our workload, the two ci8200 analysers were coping fine but we were running into difficulties should one of them be out of action, for maintenance for example.”

Mark continues, “We have now upgraded one of the analysers to a ci16200 and the transition was straightforward. The precision of the instrument is superb and definitely on a par with our previous ci8200. Our throughput has increased and, if necessary, we can manage by running on the ci16200 alone.”