Abbott announced CE mark for its Alinity h-series integrated system for hematology testing, joining the Alinity hq standalone hematology analyzer, which obtained CE mark earlier this year.
 
The new Alinity h-series solution integrates the Alinity hq with the Alinity hs slide maker and stainer module into a combined solution. The Alinity h-series solution is 20 percent faster per m² than other currently available integrated hematology systems with a throughput of 133 complete blood counts (CBCs) per m².
 
"Today's hematology laboratories are challenged to perform more tests while reducing errors and operating costs," said Brian Blaser, executive vice president, Diagnostics Products, Abbott. "With built-in simplicity designed specifically for hematology testing, the Alinity h-series is smaller, faster, and more automated than current systems, incorporating advanced features that allow health care professionals to spend less time managing the process of producing results and more time helping patients."
 
Hematology is a medical specialty dedicated to studying the physiology of blood. The Complete Blood Count (CBC), one of the most common hematology tests, is performed to evaluate a patient's overall health and detect a wide range of disorders, like anemia and leukemia. The Alinity hq analyzer automates the performance of the CBC and reports results within a matter of minutes. The Alinity hs module automates blood film preparation and staining, and also has the ability to stain externally prepared blood films.
 
The integrated Alinity h-series combines extensive insights from customer research with engineering inspiration to address the productivity needs of high-volume laboratories. The system features:
 

• Enhanced workflow: Integrates workstations, which are currently separated, into a single compact platform. An internal conveyor removes the need for an external track and reduces hands-on time spent by operators to move samples around the laboratory
• Flexibility: Laboratories can scale and integrate the system modules to accommodate their specific needs today and in the future
• Reduced wait time: Continuous access gives the laboratory the ability to add tests and reagents without pausing or stopping the instruments to enable uninterrupted workflow

 
"The Alinity h-series is designed around feedback and insights specifically gathered from hematology customers. System uptime and results accuracy are two examples of high priority needs for high-volume laboratories. With this in mind, a rigorous reliability growth program was executed for the Alinity h-series systems involving millions of cycle runs to identify potential failure points, which were then re-designed for reliability," said Wade Bolton, divisional vice president, Hematology Research and Development, Abbott. "The software that assesses the samples uses a learning algorithm that offers a unique approach to classifying blood cells, which will ultimately contribute to greater accuracy of results and reduce the need for manual review."
 
The integrated Alinity h-series system features an intuitive user experience with iconography, color coding and reporting features shared by all Alinity platforms. Reagent bottles are designed to work like a lock and key to ensure that the right reagents can only be inserted into the right location, preventing costly mistakes and time delays in the lab. The Alinity family of systems also uses a common method for sample loading and reagent management, enabling operators to be trained across platforms more simply and quickly.