Quietly complaining about your current QC?
Quietly complaining about your current QC?
With more than 30 years’ experience developing pioneering high quality, cost effective Quality Control solutions for the IVD market Randox has designed their Acusera range of third party controls to simplify QC practice for labs of all sizes. The following outlines frequent complaints that arise in the lab & solutions we can offer to ensure you no longer quietly complain about your QC.
High volumes of controls needed to assess your test menu?
Acusera controls can contain a unique combination of up to 100 analytes in a single vial. This consolidation will permit you to reduce costs by removing the need to purchase extra controls to cover your complete test menu. As fewer controls are required the amount of time spent preparing controls is reduced, freeing staff to complete other tasks.
QC does not contain clinically relevant levels?
The analytes present in our Acusera controls have been included at clinical decision levels. The importance of employing controls that cover clinically relevant concentrations is highlighted by ISO 15189 & its significance is demonstrated in the following example. When measuring Troponin T the cut off value is 14 ng/l. Patients who present to the hospital with a concentration higher than 14 ng/l in their blood are said to have had a cardiac event. Test results lower than 14 ng/l would indicate that the patient is healthy or it is too early to tell if a cardiac event has occurred. As such it is imperative that analysers can accurately measure to this level and that performance at this level is assessed. QC material with similar cut off levels should therefore be used. Acusera meets these requirements, reducing the number of controls you need to cover both your complete test menu & the necessary clinical decision range for specific tests.
Frequent expensive lot changes?
With a shelf life of up to 2 years for liquid & 4 years for lyophilised controls, Acusera can help minimise costly lot changes. Furthermore each control has their own target values & extended open vial stability claims, which do not differ from lot to lot due to our unrivalled consistency. Both features will ultimately help reduce waste, minimise costs & limit the time spent reassigning values after each lot change.
Inconvenient shifts?
When using controls with non-human components you are likely to experience shifts in QC values when changing reagent batch. Our controls are 100% commutable, reacting to the test system in the same manner as a patient sample, helping you to not only meet ISO requirements but reduce costly QC shifts.
Need to improve confidence in QC results?
Acusera 24.7 is an interlaboratory data management designed for use with Randox true third party controls. The software has been created to help monitor and interpret QC data, providing access to; QC multi-rules, interactive charts, real-time peer group data and our unique dashboard interface for at-a-glance performance assessment.
With Acusera you will no longer quietly complain about your QC!
With features such as our test menu consolidation, clinically relevant levels, commutability & unrivalled stability, partnered with Acusera 24.7 can help you reduce waste and costs while improving performance in your lab. Simply contact us today for more information or request a consultation from one of our QC consultants via acusera@randox.com
Medical Technology: Expanding Powers and Possibilities
What does the future of Medical Technology and Healthcare look like? How big of an impact does technology have on health?
Let’s start with a few fun facts: more people on this planet own a smart phone than a toothbrush, Google handles an estimated 1 billion search queries every day, every minute 20.8 million+ WhatsApp messages are sent, and you can probably check if all of those facts are correct in about 0.70 seconds.
If one thing is clear, it’s this: technology has made the world a different place. We live in a digital world where we rely on technology to make friends, to keep friends, to track progress, to prompt us, to wake us up, to motivate us and, most importantly, to keep us healthy.
When considering the future of technology, we may picture crisp-white rooms, voice-activated coffee machines and holograms… at one time it was a common idea that the future would hold flying cars! There is, however, one thing we can all agree on. In the “future”, however advanced technology may be and however far we may have come: whatever technology is created will be created to aid human life, as tech-innovation has always been. Inventors have striven to simplify and solve life’s little problems for centuries. Holistically speaking, most products and services with vigorous research and development programs are devoted to searching for new ways to fulfill human lives. We, at the RX series team, are based within a marriage of sectors that are more human-focused and yet forward facing in terms of development of new and exciting ideas than any others; health, medicine and technology.
“We take our commitment to research and development very seriously” comments Peter FitzGerald, founder of Randox and the RX series on the company’s R&D department, “Randox is at the forefront of life-changing research and development in the diagnostics industry.” Jason Silva, an American public speaker pondered, “In symbiosis with our technology, our powers are expanding exponentially and so, too, our possibilities” and just as Silva stated, advanced technology can greaten human abilities and opportunities vastly when dedication to healthcare is combined with advanced knowledge in technology and innovation. Diagnostics and medical technology are at the forefront of life changing innovation. RX series scientist, David Brown, pondered advances in Medical Technology, “There is constant progress being made in the range of diagnostic tests across every aspect of healthcare. Medical technology needs to meet the demand of these tests along with the expectation of patients for fast results. “
Today, only the smartest minds are dedicated to tackling the many issues within the industry. Many sectors play a part in innovation in healthcare; reagents production broadening test menus and researching new assays for a wide variety of human conditions, quality control bringing confidence in laboratory results for organisations and patients, health services giving complete diagnostic reports for preventative health, medical devices pushing the boundaries for automation, software design, reliability and precision, bio-sciences, toxicology, food testing, and so forth. Randox have played a large role in innovating all of these sectors. We do this, because we are confident that complete consolidation is the future of healthcare. The RX series team run on the belief that our machines function as the high-tech heartbeat of the laboratory and and our quality control and reagents function as the lifeblood, working in harmony to deliver effective results, and advancing in synch with each other.
When the RX series sees the future, we see test menus expanded to cover all ranges of analytes for earlier diagnosis, we see high class automation and longer walkaway times to make laboratories more efficient in time and money, and finally, we see those who rely on our medical technology for accurate results living happy, healthy lives, having trust in doctors and medical professionals worldwide.
Earlier this week, we heard from our followers and friends from around the world, who let us know what they think the future of Medical Technology holds… What do you see when you imagine the future?
How important is Homocysteine research for Alzheimerās disease?
It is widely recognised that high homocysteine levels in the blood (hyperhomocysteinemia) can cause inflammation in the blood vessels, which in turn may lead to atherogenesis and ischemic injury. High homocysteine levels are therefore a possible risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), or heart disease.
However a new study published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis in April 2016 (conducted by Young Cheul Chung and colleagues, from Rockefeller University in New York City) has looked into the growing evidence to suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia is also correlated with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. This study was undertaken to clarify the specific role of elevated homocysteine levels in Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology.
The study was carried out on mice, and showed a promising link between high levels of homocysteine and Alzheimer’s disease. It showed that diet-induced hyperhomocysteinemia in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model leads to severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy and parenchymal amyloid-β deposition, as well as significant impairments in learning and memory, suggesting that elevated levels of plasma homocysteine and its metabolite, homocysteine thiolactone, contribute to Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
Commenting on an earlier study, Dr Susanne Sorensen, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Society UK said that the molecule [homocysteine] is carried by everyone, but those who go on to develop some dementias appear to have higher levels of the compound. She also stressed that research is needed to establish just what role if any homocysteine plays in the development of dementia and how best to keep levels of the molecule low.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive mental decline that can occur in middle to old age, due to a degeneration of the brain. It is the most common cause of premature senility, and is also the most common form of dementia, affecting 62% of those diagnosed. Vascular dementia is another form, affecting 17% of those diagnosed.
Paul McGivern, Clinical Chemistry R&D Manager at global healthcare company Randox Laboratories, has commented
“Dementia is a terminal condition and with 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, there is an urgent need for further research into the link between Alzheimer’s disease and homocysteine levels. If we can better establish this link, it may give future researchers the tools necessary to find a prevention, or even a cure to this condition.”
With the number of dementia sufferers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025, soaring to 2 million by 2051, the need for further research into the link between homocysteine levels and Alzheimer’s disease has never been more pressing.
For health professionals
Randox Laboratories offer an automated test for the biochemistry measurement of homocysteine. This is available for use on a wide range of manufacturer’s analysers. Please contact reagents@randox.com for further information, or to request a kit insert or application.
Randox employee hosts bake sale in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Randox employees enjoyed a bake sale yesterday at our headquarters in Crumlin. The bake sale was hosted by Randox employee Rachel Walls on behalf of her sister, Ursula McKenna, who will be running both the Dublin Marathon and Manchester half Marathon later this year in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Ursula McKenna has raised an impressive £3000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and is set to continue her efforts in raising money for this great cause. Having run the London Marathon twice, with the last one completed on Sunday 24th April, her motivation stems from personal empathy of the condition;
‘Our cousin suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, and running a few marathons is easy compared to what he has to deal with on a daily basis’
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition caused by a faulty gene that controls the movement of salt and water across the cell wall. This causes mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract, causing problems with breathing and digestion. An estimated 1 in 2,500 babies born in the UK have Cystic Fibrosis, with more than 2.5 million people in the UK carrying the faulty gene. Currently there is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis, however there are treatments to help manage the symptoms.
Ursula’s dedication to the cause is evident and this extends to her family through their help and support. The bake sale hosted by Rachel yesterday at Randox included scrumptious treats made by the family, and helped raise £308! In addition to hosting fundraising events, her brother also ran the New York Marathon in 2014 and will be joining Ursula in running the Dublin Marathon in October. Hoping to beat her previous completion times of 4:27 in her first marathon and 4:07 in her second marathon, Ursula aims to complete the Dublin Marathon in less than 4 hours. Good luck!
Not All Heroes Wear Capes – Medical Laboratory Professionals Week 2016
A lot happens between giving a patient sample and getting your results. Although you may never meet face-to-face, laboratory professionals play a very important role in health care. These professionals are ultimately responsible for conducting tests that provide results and information for detecting, diagnosing, treating and monitoring disease.
With the aim of celebrating and honouring medical laboratory professionals around the world who perform and interpret billions of laboratory tests every year, Lab Week has been taking place at the end of April each year for over 40 years.
Randox Quality Control would like to thank both the laboratory professionals who utilise our products and our own research & development laboratory staff who make our QC and EQA range the highest quality and most reliable available worldwide.
Follow us this week on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date with Randox Quality Control and view our Lab Week video below for an insight into Randox’s QC production process.
We are committed to revolutionising healthcare on a global scale.
For more information on the Randox Quality Control, click here or contact acusera@randox.com
New Randox project committed to helping bladder cancer patients
Scientists at global healthcare company Randox, recently unveiled as the sponsors for The Grand National 2017 under the banner of Randox Health, today announced the company has been awarded an Innovate UK research award, for their pioneering work in the development of a diagnostic test for the detection of bladder cancer in haematuria patients.
The urine-based test is being developed in collaboration with The Belfast Trust and Queen’s University Belfast, and has been described by the project’s Lead Scientist at Randox, Dr Mark Ruddock, as the “holy grail” of diagnostic tests to stratify patients with haemeaturia (blood in the urine), who are at high risk of bladder cancer;
“Currently, all haematuria patients are ‘red-flagged’ as candidates for an invasive procedure called a cystoscopy (a camera inserted into the bladder), which is both embarrassing and uncomfortable for the patient. In comparison, the revolutionary Randox test is based on a simple urine sample so is non-invasive and much more comfortable for the patient.”
Considering less than 20% of patients with visible haematuria, and less than 5% with invisible haematuria are found to have bladder cancer, Dr Ruddock highlighted the urgent need for a test that can inform decisions for patients who present with haematuria;
“In the UK, over £33.5 million is spent each year managing patients with haematuria who are subsequently found not to have bladder cancer. As such, haematuria is a significant healthcare burden, which is only set to increase because of our aging population. Use of this new test will allow urology teams the opportunity to reduce the number of unnecessary cystoscopies carried out on patients identified as ‘low risk’, and stratify patients identified as ‘high risk’. This will result in significant healthcare savings, and an improvement in the waiting times for haematuria patients who do require diagnostic services ie. those patients deemed ‘high-risk’.”
Randox was successful in winning funding for phase one of the project, which has enabled an economic study to be carried out by The National Institute for Health Research Diagnostic Evidence Co-Operative Leeds who will investigate the economic benefits of the new diagnostic test for The National Health Service, and its role in the current patient care pathway. On successful completion of phase one, Randox will be eligible to apply for phase two funding.
Professor Peter Selby, Professor of Cancer Medicine at the University of Leeds, and Director of the NIHR Diagnostic Evidence Cooperative Leeds, said:
“Bladder cancer is a very important disease which can be life threatening but also in many patients it can generate great anxiety, frequent hospital visits and many investigations. The new approach being developed by Randox has the potential to save lives and improve the quality of lives of many people at risk of bladder cancer.”
“Diagnostic Classifier for risk stratification of haematuria patients” was selected by Innovate UK in the “Stratified Medicine: connecting the UK infrastructure” competition.
Grand National Sponsor Randox goes back to its roots with Point-to-Point Racing Event
Global healthcare company Randox, recently unveiled as the main sponsor for the Grand National under the banner of Randox Health, is committed to supporting local grass roots horse racing, as this weekend it hosts the Point-to-Point Steeplechases at Crumlin, County Antrim, in association with the Killultagh, Old Rock and Chichester Hunt.
Point-to-Points are now firmly established in national hunt racing, with several champion horses starting their careers on the Irish Point-to-Point circuit.
Following the Randox Point-to-Point 2014, Classic Place was sold to Gigginstown House Stud, owned by Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary, who we all know to be the owner of The Crabbie’s Grand National 2016 winner, Rule The World.
Last year multiple All Ireland Champion Derek O’Connor registered a double, partnering Ballycross to victory for Templepatrick trainer Colin McKeever and leading local owner Wilson Dennison, followed by Chosen Dream at the fifth. O’Connor also recorded a brace of winners having scored with Sister Saragh at the first and Frost at the fifth.
But don’t worry if you’re not a racing enthusiast – the Randox Point-to-Point is the perfect day out for all the family. The increasingly popular event will host a unique Artisan village, showcasing a variety of food, drink and crafts stalls including, homemade jams, chutneys and sauces, ceramics, handmade chocolate and jewellery, woollen knits, handmade tea towels and tote bags, cakes, photography and much more!
Randox Managing Director, Dr Peter FitzGerald, highlighted the company’s equestrian heritage and is looking forward to both this year’s Point-to-Point, and next year’s Grand National:
“We are pleased to host the Point-to-Point with the Killultagh, Old Rock and Chichester Hunt, where champions are made. As a global company with firm links to our local heritage, we are proud to be involved with grass roots equestrian sports, which are part of the local community and sports scene. This history of being involved in equestrian events has naturally progressed to our sponsorship of the Grand National, and is fitting with our ambition. We look forward to this year’s two day Point-to-Point – where we might spot a future Randox Health Grand National winner!”
The Randox Point-to-Point will take place on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd of April, at Largy Road in Crumlin. The first race on Friday 22nd of April will start at 4pm; on Saturday 23rd of April, the first race takes place at 2pm.
General admission is £5 per person, with free entry for children under the age of 16.
Admission via the Laurelbank, Largy Road Crumlin, BT29 4RN.
Craft stalls are provided by North Down Crafts Collective and The Prince’s Trust charity.
For more information on the Randox Point-to-Point, email events@randox.com
BBC Newsline investigates legal highs with Randox Testing Services
This week, Randox Testing Services opened the doors of its laboratory to BBC Newsline, and Donna Traynor, to offer an expert opinion on legal highs. Legal highs are mood-altering or stimulant substances whose sale is not banned by current legislation. They are made up of various chemical ingredients and replicate a similar user experience of illegal drugs such as cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine. They are extremely addictive and can have fatal side effects.
April 2016 marks the anniversary of one such case. The tragic passing of Adam Owens, a 17 year old boy who died after taking a legal high known as Sky brought this issue to the spotlight, and now one year on, the BBC want to know what is being done to tackle this issue.
The most difficult issue to combat with legal highs is that their chemical make-up is constantly being altered in order to get around legislation. As they keep changing it is difficult to create tests for these substances as they constantly evolve. Addressing this issue, Dr Mark Piper, Head of Toxicology at Randox Testing Services explained what is currently being done to try and counter this problem:
“We counter it here at Randox by continually developing new tests. In the past 12 months, Randox has developed over 115 new tests for new types of psychoactive substances.
These drugs are continually being developed and evolving into new types of substances which have previously fallen outside of the legislation, so it is a challenge for the likes of ourselves as drug testing laboratories to continually develop new tests to detect these substances.”
The prevalence of legal high use makes this an issue that cannot be avoided. Randox Testing Services are dedicated in their commitment to continually develop new tests in the fight against legal highs.
For more information on our services related to legal highs click here or contact testingservices@randox.com
Randox named in The Sunday Times Profit Track 100 League Table
This week saw the publication of The Sunday Times Profit Track 100, and we are delighted to announce that Randox has been named at number 65 in the league table which ranks the 100 private UK companies with the fastest-growing profits over a three-year period.
Stuart Lisle, of BDO Accountants, featured Randox in his piece; ‘Innovation and trade make a good formula for expansion’, noting impressive findings that:
- Randox supplies 10% of the world’s cholesterol tests
- Our diagnostic products are used in 145 countries across the globe
Stuart Lisle commented;
“After outperforming most of our peers, Britain is entering a period of economic uncertainty: stock markets are volatile, growth in China is slowing, Europe’s recovery has stalled and, as the Bank of England governor Mark Carney noted in March, the possibility of Brexit is not helping. Our polling shows that 70% of mid-market companies think leaving the EU would make running their businesses harder but there are strong arguments on both sides of the debate.
Thankfully, while our politicians talk in Westminster, our mid-market companies are getting on with business, driving growth by innovating at home and trading overseas.
This year’s Profit Track 100 contains numerous examples. Just look at what Peter FitzGerald, founder of Randox Laboratories is achieving. From humble beginnings in his parents’ garden shed in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, he has developed the firm into one the supplies 10% of the world’s cholesterol tests as well as a range of other diagnostic instruments used in 145 countries…and it is one of 55 companies in this year’s Profit Track 100 that are growing by selling internationally.”
We would like to thank Stuart for recognising our success and innovation. We are extremely proud of how far the company has come – from humble beginnings over 34 years ago, to a company with more than 1400 employees of 44 nationalities, including 300 research scientists and engineers.
Dr Peter FitzGerald, Managing Director of Randox said:
“The growth that we have witnessed over the last 3 years principally enables us to further strengthen our infrastructure and increase the world leading research and development we are conducting – to achieve the earliest possible diagnosis of a very wide range of clinical conditions. We remain dedicated to saving lives and improving health worldwide, and reinvesting our profits helps ensure that we will realise our vision.”
The Profit Track 100 league table is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
New test developed by Randox will reduce severe side effects of chemotherapy for leukemia patients
Global healthcare company Randox, recently unveiled as the sponsors for the Grand National 2017 under the banner of Randox Health, today announced it has been awarded an Innovate UK Award, for their pioneering work in the development of a diagnostic test for Acute Myeloid Leukemia patients.
Randox’s award-winning test will enable the stratification of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patients, to determine patient response, before chemotherapeutic treatment. Currently, aggressive chemotherapy is given at diagnosis for the 2900 patients diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia every year in the UK, yet up to 40% of patients do not respond to this treatment due to the type of their cancer cells, and the patient’s genetic make-up.
The competition was therefore designed to promote the development of new diagnostic products and services for use in stratified medicine; in this case studying groups of leukemia patients to predict which treatments their cancers are likely to respond to.
Dr Cherith Reid, Project Manager for the AML Test at Randox, commented;
“As with any illness, it is important to select the best treatment and care for AML patients based on their diagnosis. The majority of AML patients are over 60 years old, and with the rise in the elderly population, increased prevalence of the disease is predicted. Currently, patients in this age range who are deemed fit for treatment are prescribed cytarabine chemotherapy, where the patient’s reaction to this drug is uninformed and is based on a trial-and-error approach. The information provided by our test will allow us to identify patients whose cancer is drug responsive, and treat them accordingly, possibly with lower doses of chemotherapy, reducing its severe side-effects. We want to assist clinicians in selecting the best treatment and care for patients as early as possible to improve patient outcomes.”
Phase one of the project includes an economic study to measure the health economic benefits for The National Health Service, conducted by The National Institute for Health Research Diagnostic Evidence Co-Operative London.
Professor George Hanna, NIHR DEC London Centre Director, commented;
“The stratification of patients within the NHS has been widely acknowledged as an important method for the efficient use of resources, as well as improving patient experience. New in vitro diagnostic tests that can classify patients in this way – such as the test being developed at Randox for Leukemia patients – personalise patient care to better inform treatment decisions which will hopefully lead to improved health outcomes and fewer side effects. This is particularly important for Leukemia patients who face the severe side effects of chemotherapy. Through the collaboration of Randox Laboratories and the NIHR Diagnostic Evidence Co-operative London, we have a unique opportunity to evaluate the adoption pathway of the new Randox AML technology to translate it to the bedside where it can best benefit patient care.”
“Determining Acute Myeloid Leukemia patient response to chemotherapeutic treatment” was selected by Innovate UK in the “Stratified Medicine: connecting the UK infrastructure” competition.
Pictured: Dr Cherith Reid
