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Iris Sample Processing Go “lean” with the StatSpin Express 4 high speed horizontal centrifuge. Instead of batching samples labs can now process 8 gel tubes in 3 minutes with a flat gel barrier so that samples can be put directly on the analyzer. It has a powerful maintenance-free brushless motor and the entire unit is backed with a 2-year warranty. |
Court rules Myriad's patents on BRCA genes valid |
Now Accepting Applications For Fall Enrollment The University of Cincinnati’s NAACLS* accredited Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science is designed for working Laboratory Technicians like you. The program is 100% online, with no required campus visits, and you can graduate in just over 2 years. Download your free brochure today! |
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Court rules Myriad's patents on BRCA genes valid A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that Myriad Genetics, the company that makes tests for breast and ovarian cancer, can patent breast cancer gene sequences, in effect ruling that human genes can be patented. The July 29 ruling overturns a lower court's decision and allows Myriad Genetics to keep its patent on the isolated genes — BRCA1 and BRCA2 — but said the company cannot patent the processes of comparing or analyzing DNA sequences. A coalition of patient advocacy and medical groups have challenged the BRCA patents on the grounds that they have blocked scientists from conducting necessary testing and research that could yield better and cheaper care for cancer. Read more here.
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IPSOGEN's BCR-ABL Mbcr IS-MMR Kits* Standardize your results on the International Scale! Learn more or contact us at infos-us@ipsogen.com. * For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. |
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Health risk from solvent used by lab technicians Exposure to solvents by medical laboratory workers may be a health risk according to a new study from the University of Otago published in The Journal of Rheumatology. A study of 341 medical laboratory workers indicates they are more likely to develop Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) if they are exposed to solvents such as toluene or xylene. The laboratory workers (79%) who used solvents in this study had higher rates of severe RP. Those who had worked with xylene or toluene doubled their risk of developing severe RP. Lab workers who worked with acetone or chlorinated solvents, combined with xylene or toluene, also doubled their risk of developing RP. Learn more here.
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DVD Series Reinforces Proper Blood Specimen Collection If your laboratory is like most, 70% of all your errors occur in the preanalytical phase. Does your collection staff know how to prevent them? They will when they see the Applied Phlebotomy Video Series from the Center for Phlebotomy Education. By implementing these five videos into your training and continuing education activities, your staff will be able to draw and process venous, capillary and arterial blood samples properly, safely, and without corrupting test results in the process. Previews and more information available at www.phlebotomy.com/videos. |
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How to benefit from proficiency testing Nearly all laboratories belonging to a major group of clinics in the Midwest consistently reported negative Group A strep tests. It took failed proficiency testing results to realize there was a problem. A follow-up investigation revealed that newly installed thermometers were not set correctly. With the wrong temperature, Group A strep cultures could not grow. The thermometers were swapped out and the laboratories began reporting accurate Streptococcus results. Proficiency testing comes to the rescue. Learn more here.
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Link found between poultry bacteria, human superbugs Multidrug-resistant bacteria detected in 80% of raw poultry meat sold at grocery stores in the Netherlands appear to have the same predominant resistance genes as the germs found in hospital patients, according to a study in the July issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases. The findings suggest that drug-resistant germs in food may be linked to superbugs in humans, researchers say. Read more here.
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Smartphone app answers medical test questions A free mobile app to help people decipher their medical tests was launched at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry’s annual meeting in Atlanta. Lab Tests Online’s mobile app for the iPhone, iPad, and Android smartphone connects users to reliable, unbiased information. The site provides patients with detailed test descriptions, condition descriptions cross-linked by related tests, and articles about testing and test reliability. Read more here for iPhone or iPad, and here for Android.
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| Dengue infections found in Haiti missionaries The Centers for Disease Control and Convention (CDC) reports a cluster of dengue infections in a missionary group that returned from serving in Haiti in October 2010. The cases came to light when a Nebraska clinician reported six dengue-like illnesses to state health officials. All 21 of the 28 members of the group underwent full dengue testing. Infections were detected in seven. The CDC says the episode shows the value of prompt reporting of suspected cases, and it urges clinicians to have a high degree of suspicion for the disease among febrile travelers returning from areas where the disease is endemic. Read more here.
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| DeVry NAACLS accreditation for CLS bachelor’s degree program DeVry University has earned initial accreditation for its bachelor's degree program in Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). With this achievement, DeVry University becomes the only higher education institution in Arizona to currently offer a NAACLS-accredited bachelor's degree program in CLS. The CLS bachelor's degree program was launched at DeVry University's Phoenix campus in 2008 to address the shortage of highly skilled laboratory science professionals. The program is headed by former Chief of the Applied Technology Center at the U.S. Air Force Institute for Operational Health, Naomi P. McMillan, MSA, MLS(ASCP). Learn more here.
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| Urine test shows prostate cancer risk, U-M study finds A new urine test can help aid early detection of and treatment decisions about prostate cancer, a study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology finds. The test supplements an elevated prostate specific antigen, or PSA, screening result, and could help some men delay or avoid a needle biopsy while pointing out men at highest risk for clinically significant prostate cancer. The test looks for a genetic anomaly that occurs in about half of all prostate cancers, an instance of two genes changing places and fusing together. This gene fusion, TMPRSS2:ERG, is believed to cause prostate cancer. Studies in prostate tissues show that the gene fusion almost always indicates cancer. But because the gene fusion is present only half the time, the researchers also included another marker, PCA3. The combination was more predictive of cancer than either marker alone. Results of the study appear Aug. 3 in Science Translational Medicine. Visit U-M for the article.
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HOT CLIPS: MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
Readers often remark that they love to “clip” various items from the print pages of MLO. And because MLO covers a myriad of laboratory-related topics, we share a continuing LABline feature: Hot Clips. Click on the highlighted links to discover various MLO archival properties concerning a topic that is always at the forefront of healthcare challenges. Follow MLO’s thread on molecular diagnostics over the past few years and discover how much has changed in the medical laboratory because of this new technology.
Readers may want to scan MLO’s archives for more information on MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS/TESTING because any tips published might help your laboratory improve its performance when using molecular diagnostic products and techniques. If there is a subject you would like to see in “HOT CLIPS,” just use the CONTACT US form at www.mlo-online.com, and let us know!
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Lab professionals turn to MLO for unbiased answers. More than 41 years of excellence in peer-reviewed editorial. Don't miss an issue. Click the link below. MLO - Medical The 2011 MLO Media Handbook is now online at www.mlo-online.com |
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