Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics has unveiled the INNOVANCE Free PS Ag (Protein S Antigen) assay. The assay, not currently available for sale in the United States, employs polystyrene particles coated with monoclonal antibodies for highly specific determination of free protein S. The addition of this new test complements Siemens' existing protein S activity assay. When combined with existing Siemens thrombophilia assays—all optimized for use with the Siemens BCS and Sysmex analyzers—the INNOVANCE Free PS Ag assay completes clinical laboratories’ thrombophilia testing portfolio for comparable performance across coagulation systems.
Protein S, a plasma protein manufactured in the liver, is an anticoagulant that functions as a cofactor for protein C-mediated inhibition of activated factors V and VIII. People with protein S deficiency, congenital or acquired, are at greater risk for venous thrombosis. Therefore, testing for protein S plays an important role in thrombophilia screening. The INNOVANCE Free PS Ag assay has demonstrated high linearity and excellent precision over the entire calibrated measuring range, as well as high specificity for free protein S antigens with no major interferences. The test also delivers onboard reagent stability as well as stability after opening the vial, contributing to reduced waste, along with lot-to-lot consistency and correlation of results among all the coagulation analyzers on which it runs. Its ease of use minimizes operator training requirements and hands-on time in the lab, and its liquid reagent requires no mixing or preparation and loads quickly and easily onto coagulation analyzers. Learn more about sustainable healthcare technology available from Siemens.
