What control formats are available for your laboratory?

There are three distinct formats available for use in the laboratory with each format having benefits and drawbacks. When choosing a Quality Control material it is important you choose the most convenient solution for your laboratory requirements. The three formats are;

1. Lyophilised (freeze dried)
2. Liquid frozen
3. Liquid stable (ready-to-use)

What format is best?

There are several possible answers to this question, simply because, every laboratory is different. What works for one laboratory may not work for another and for this reason there is no one format that works best for all laboratories.

What we can say however, is that there are varying levels of convenience across the different formats. The most convenient, and arguably, the most favoured of the three formats is liquid ready-to-use. It is not difficult to understand why this format is widely regarded as the preferred choice of control in laboratories – they are simple to use, require no preparation and can be conveniently stored and shipped at 2-8^oC.

Why should you consider a liquid ready-to-use control?

There are many benefits to using a liquid ready-to-use control over both liquid frozen and lyophilised controls. One of the main benefits of a liquid stable control material is that it eliminates any potential reconstitution/pipetting errors often associated with lyophilised controls.  They also eliminate the additional time taken to thaw liquid frozen controls and can significantly reduce shipping/delivery costs as they do not need to be shipped on dry ice.

Another major benefit of running a liquid ready-to-use control is the fact they are also suitable for use in Point-of-Care-Testing (POCT). With growing popularity amongst laboratory professionals and more people expecting rapid results, POCT is on the rise. Due to their easy to use nature, liquid ready-to-use controls are extremely beneficial to POCT providers.

One further benefit to using a liquid ready-to-use control is the longer open vial stability when compared to both lyophilised and liquid frozen controls. With many lyophilised and liquid frozen controls, the open vial stability can vary and generally is around 7 days when fully thawed or reconstituted in comparison to 28 days with a liquid ready-to-use control.

Randox Quality Control – Liquid Ready-to-Use Control Portfolio

The Randox QC portfolio – better known as Acusera – is convenient, hassle-free and cost effective. Our liquid ready-to-use control range includes; Liquid Cardiac, Blood Gas, Liquid Urine, Urinalysis, Specific Protein, Ammonia Ethanol, Haematology, Liquid HbA1c, Liquid CSF & Liquid Tumour Markers.

For further information on Randox Quality Control or our range of liquid ready-to-use controls please email us at acusera@randox.com.