Beckman Coulter has announced a partnership with German-based Smart4Diagnostics to close the preanalytical data gap between blood collection and laboratory analysis.
Most errors – including patient identification, sample collection, handling, and transportation – occur in the preanalytical phase of a sample’s journey, over which laboratories often have very little control. With a single pre-analytical error costing on average €200, it is estimated that such errors can add up to around approximately 0.7% of all operating costs.
Requesting new samples due to error can result in patient discomfort, reduced trust, and delayed treatments. In labs, errors mean extra work, increased operating costs and decreased productivity.
Smart4Diagnostics’ data-driven preanalytical ecosystem collects all relevant data-points to completely monitor sample workflow and conditions and reduce preanalytical errors in real time while also improving the preanalytical workflow and quality of treatment.
Tom Coulson, EU Senior Manager for Workflow & IT Solutions, said: “Beckman Coulter has been automating and digitising medical laboratories throughout the world for over 40 years and has now turned its attention to digitising the part of the preanalytical phase that happens outside of the laboratory. Thanks to the partnership with Smart4Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter will be able to monitor not only what happens inside the laboratory but the entire sample process, filling the existing gap between sample collection and clinical laboratories.”
Dr Hans Maria Heyn, CEO & Co-Founder of Smart4Diagnostics, added: “As many as three in four medical decisions are based on diagnostic results – often blood samples. Currently, the first part of this process is being managed manually, which can lead to errors and cause issues, including slow diagnosis, repeated tests on the patient, and wasted resources. This partnership with Beckman Coulter seeks to revolutionise this crucial but underdeveloped area of the healthcare value chain to bring innovation where it can have an instant and substantial impact.”
For more information about the partnership, visit www.beckmancoulter.com/en/products/automation and www.smart4diagnostics.com
