World Antibiotic Awareness Week at Randox
The global crisis of antimicrobial resistance is never far from the headlines. As part of World Amicrobial Awareness Week, we’ve been discussing the dangers and importantly the work being done to combat this growing threat.
There’s a very simple reason why we must all do what we can to tackle AMR. This year it’s thought 700,000 people died from drug resistant illnesses such as bacterial infections, malaria, HIV/Aids or tuberculosis. Experts warn that by 2050, this figure will rise to 10million.
Randox’s aim is to revolutionise global healthcare and we are committed to combating the threat of antibiotic resistance. We have a number of tests on the market that can help the fight against AMR, strengthen consumer confidence and ensure quality and safety for a number of different industries. So to round off this week, we spoke to two of our experts at Randox: Business Development Manager, Dr Mary Jo Kurth, and Molecular Diagnostics Manager, Dr Martin Crockard.
70% GP’s have been reported to prescribe antibiotics when they don’t know whether the infection is caused by the virus or bacteria.
At the frontline of the battle to curb AMR are the GPs but they’re not able to access the latest technology which can help them. Dr Mary Jo Kurth said, “In the current GP setting, diagnostic testing to determine whether a respiratory infection is bacterial or viral is unavailable, and therefore doctors often have to guess – or feel pressurised into prescribing antibiotics because patients demand it. However antibiotics only work to treat bacterial infections and are useless in treating infections that are caused by viruses.
“The consequences are severe. Medical procedures like organ transplantation and cancer chemotherapy need antibiotics to prevent and treat the bacterial infections that can be caused by the treatment. Without effective antibiotics, even routine operations could become high risk procedures if serious infections can’t be treated. The hard won victories against infectious diseases of the last fifty years will be jeopardized.”
Our Biosciences division have developed a test that can rapidly detect and identify the cause of 22 respiratory infections, in both the upper and lower respiratory tract, and therefore subsequently determine if an antibiotic is required as well as then identify the most effective antibiotic to take. Additionally our Confidante kit – the world’s first over-the-counter home sexual health test – can detect ten of the most common STIs with one patient sample and deliver accurate and reliable results securely and discreetly within one week. This takes the guesswork out of antibiotic prescription and could go a long way in fighting the antibiotic resistance crisis.
Dr Martin Crockard said, “Identifying the specific cause of illnesses provides opportunities to tailor treatment, reducing antibiotic misuse. Not all infections respond to antibiotics, however a multiplex approach which identifies bacterial, viral or fungal pathogens encourages improved clinical decision-making, refining treatment, leading to enhanced patient care.
“The molecular group here at Randox are developing a range of multiplex infection detection arrays to identify specific infection agents, allowing more appropriate use of antibiotics to improve patient care and reduce the onset of antibiotic resistance.”
In addition to tackling AMR via medical settings, there is work that can be done to deal with it in our food. Randox Food Diagnostics offer a comprehensive range of diagnostic solutions to allow for the detection and quantification of antibiotic residues within animal and food products. With validation across a range of matrices Randox Food allows producers to ensure their products are free from antibiotic residues.
As consumer awareness develops so does the need for antibiotic screening within agriculture and food production. Guaranteeing an antibiotic-free product strengthens consumer confidence and ensures food integrity on a global scale. Randox Food offers the Evidence Investigator matched with biochip array technology to provide the end user with fast, reliable results to ensure antibiotic free produce.
The UK Government recently commissioned a two year review into the crisis. Led by Lord Jim O’Neill, the final report outlined a new system of ‘market entry rewards’ worth $1.6 billion to the successful developer of a new antibiotic, which meets a prospectively-defined criteria of ‘unmet need’. Developers of alternative therapies aimed at tackling areas where there is unmet need due to rising AMR would also be eligible for these rewards. Such rewards would be paid after a successful product comes to market.
Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies said, “Antimicrobial resistance poses a catastrophic threat. If we don’t act now, any one of us could go into hospital in 20 years for minor surgery and die because of an ordinary infection that can’t be treated by antibiotics. That’s why governments and organisations across the world, including the World Health Organization and G8, need to take this seriously.
“This is not just about government action. We need to encourage more innovation in the development of antibiotics – over the past two decades there has been a discovery void around antibiotics, meaning diseases have evolved faster than the drugs to treat them.”
AMR will not go away on its own. It requires complex and comprehensive action across many sectors.
If you are interested in finding out more information, please visit randox.com
ISO 22870- Are you meeting expectations?
Quality control has recently become crucial in the Point-of-Care (POC) field due to the introduction of ISO 22870 regulations and increased focus in patient safety. Quality control is critical in reducing turnaround time and saving money.
There is now an international standard specifically for POC testing, ISO 22870. This standard is intended to be used in conjunction with the standard for medical laboratories, ISO 15189. This means that aspects relating to Point-of-Care such as training, competence and documentation should be carefully planned, implemented and governed by a quality management system and there is a requirement for QC and EQA to be performed, where available.
POCT is typically carried out by non-laboratory staff, therefore when selecting the appropriate IQC material for POCT there are a number of key characteristics you must consider;
- Format of the material – QC material employed should be liquid stable, requiring no preparation, reducing the likelihood of human error and increasing convenience.
- Value assignment – all values must be accurately assigned. Look out for suppliers who use a large number of independent labs to determine the target value.
- Third party controls – manufactured independently from any specific instrument or method third party controls are designed to deliver unbiased performance assessment.
- Storage – for convenience controls should be liquid stable, as these can be easily stored in a fridge at 2oC – 8oC and won’t need to be shipped on dry ice.
- Stability – a control with a good open vial stability will mean that it can be used for longer with less waste produced, meaning it is more convenient for the medical professional to use.
- Transportation– the liquid stable controls can be conveniently stored at 2oC – 8oC reducing the need to ship on dry ice
- Minimal training– easy to use with little training required, therefore suitable for use by non-laboratory personnel
In addition to IQC, External Quality Assessment (EQA) must also be employed to ensure a comprehensive review of test system performance. It is best to select a programme that offers frequent reporting with a large database of users. This will enable rapid error identification and ultimately accurate and reliable patient testing.
Our Acusera liquid ready-to-use controls include:
- Blood Gas Control– A liquid stable control provided in easy to open ampoules for added convenience and ease-of-use. Assayed, method specific target values are provided for the most common blood gas instruments.
- Liquid Cardiac Control– This is a highly convenient liquid stable cardiac control offering excellent consistency. Assayed, instrument specific target values are provided for 8 cardiac markers, enabling flexibility and consolidation.
- Liquid Urinalysis Control– Liquid control that is compatible for use with both manual and automated methods of dipstick analysis. Available in convenient 12ml vials or 25ml dropper bottles with assayed ranges provided for 13 parameters covering the chemical examination of urine specimens.
- Liquid HbA1c Control– This is another highly convenient liquid ready-to-use control. With an open vial stability of 30 days, keeping waste and costs to a minimum.
Complementary EQA programmes are also available to meet the needs of ISO 22870.
Randox Trade Mission to Massachusetts
A delegation led by the Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Terence Slowey and the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Hilary McClintock, are in Massachusetts this week as part of a joint endeavour to build relationships and forge partnerships.
Randox joined representatives from a wide range of sectors including education, food and drink distribution and manufacturing to attend meetings with a range of business contacts across the State of Massachusetts and key influencers.
Randox also made a number of key technology and business visits to Harvard and the State House and will participate in the Golden Bridges Conference.
Randox Senior Manager Mark Campbell said;
“The US is one of Randox’s most important markets and we are delighted to participate in this joint trade mission. There is clearly a strong regional and cultural link with Massachussets, and with facilities in Co Antrim and Co Donegal we seek to further develop our business relationship and increase exports. Our innovative diagnostic technologies have much to offer this US high tech hub – and will allow us to create further employment at home.”
In 2015 Randox announced plans to invest €25 million in Randox Teoranta, located in Dungloe in County Donegal. The investment included increasing staff numbers to 540 by 2020, offering world class careers in state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing facilities. Randox also unveiled the Randox Science Park which will become the prime manufacturing and R&D facility in the UK. This new state of the art facility will generate 540 high value job opportunities over the next four years and will accelerate the development of new products into a wide range of clinical needs. These include various cancers, stroke, heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders, through more efficient, high specification manufacturing and the provision of state-of-the-art R&D laboratories.
Randox founder and CEO Dr Peter FitzGerald said;
“Our vision is to revolutionise healthcare through continuously improving diagnostic solutions. As well as employing locally we want to draw top class talent back to Donegal from the wider Irish diaspora and establish better relationships with the wider Massachusetts area. Randox offers world leading career opportunities to life scientists, electrical and mechanical engineers and software developers, and a chance to join a pioneering team creating diagnostic tests and analyser systems that save lives across the world.”
For more information on the delegation in Massachusetts please contact Randox PR via email: randoxpr@randox.com
We Are Randox | Meet our award-winning Costume Designer, Monika!
At Randox we pride ourselves on being a global company with an international team of over 1400 people from 145 different countries.
Our dedicated workforce have a range of talents and skills that they bring with them to Randox each day. But the commitment and dedication of our hard-working workforce doesn’t end when they leave the office. Randox employees have a wide range of hobbies and interesting talents and we are delighted to be able to share some of these with you through our We Are Randox series.
Recently Monika, one of our valued Manufacturing and Despatch Operatives at Randox took the time to tell us about her passion for designing and creating unique handmade costumes for Festivals found throughout Northern Ireland.
Here is Monika’s story:
“I joined Randox in Northern Ireland roughly about 5 months ago as a Manufacturing and Despatch Operative in our Mivan site based in Crumlin. I was really happy to land a job within an international organisation that employed a wide range of people from different cultures and different backgrounds.
Back in Poland, where I am originally from, I studied full time for 6 years in the OSSP Art School. For as long as I can remember I have always been interested in arts and crafts so it came naturally to me when I first started to design costumes.
I prefer to design my own original work and not copy anyone else’s designs. My favourite type of costumes to design are ancient religious characters from past centuries and eras. As there is no proof or documentation which illustrates what they ‘should’ look like, it gives me free reign to be as creative as I want to be. Nobody is able to say whether your design is right or wrong, you can only imagine what it is supposed to look like.
There are a variety of different festivals and competitions that I am able to enter including the MCM Comic Con and the Show Master competition. The first competition that I entered here in Northern Ireland was the MCM Comic Con in 2015 which takes place every year in Belfast. It takes me roughly around 100 hours to make one costume as they are all handmade so it takes a lot of time, effort and dedication. This festival attracts about 16,000 people each time so I was thrilled to win first place the first time that I entered!
The winning design I created was an old European folklore costume that the judges loved. This encouraged me to enter the summer MCM Comic competition which took place in July. I designed an Aztec God costume for this entry and ended up coming in at first place again which was a great achievement. I was presented with a trophy and money voucher when I won both of these competitions which was great.
The next competition that I hope to enter is the 2017 MCM Comic Con competition which is set to take place in March. For the March competition I am designing a Witch Doctor outfit and I am intrigued to see what way the final design will turn out.
I’m a fully qualified artist and every costume I design I can sell on under my brand name – Eliot Von Valentino – but they are all quite expensive.
Everything I create is handmade using materials such as leather which is extremely costly. I had to skin my leather sofa once to get the amount of leather that I needed to create my design!
I also use natural gem stones which are all individually sewed on. I take a lot of pride in my designs and I finance them all myself which is sometimes difficult as the materials needed to complete my designs are so expensive and hard to come by.
In the future I have high aspirations to enter the bigger competitions that take place in London. They draw in crowds of 120,000 so it would be a good opportunity to showcase my work to such a large scale audience.”
We look forward to seeing Monika’s latest design this coming March for her next competition. Good Luck Monika!
If you are interested in joining the multi-talented and passionate team we have here at Randox please visit our careers page for current vacancies.
Make sure to follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
The UK Government is being urged to ban excessive use of antibiotics in farming
To coincide with the start of World Antibiotic Awareness Week the UK Government is being urged to ban excessive use of antibiotics in farming by a group of leading doctors, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Made up of 12 royal medical colleges, the British Medical Association and the Faculty of Public Health, the group say that the UK should “use the opportunity afforded by Brexit to lead the world in banning” preventative prescription of medicines on animals.
A decision made by the European Parliament earlier this year to ban mass agricultural medication has not yet been ratified by member states or the European Commission.
A Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ spokesman told the newspaper that dealing with AMR is a “top priority” though the paper notes it ‘stopped short of promising a ban.’
In 2015 McDonalds set itself a two year deadline to stop its US restaurants buying chicken raised with human antibiotics. It led to one of the US’s leading meat producers – Tyson Foods – promising to end the practice by September 2017 – which is, as The Guardian stated, “one of the most aggressive timelines yet set by an American poultry company.” The company’s CEO Donnie Smith told the newspaper: “We have found as we have reduced the level of antibiotics we use, whether it’s human use or vet-only, our cost has actually gone down. A lot of the ways we’ve been able to accomplish this is by working with our farmers on better husbandry practices. If this millennial mum wants a no-antibiotic ever..nugget we better supply that.”
Farmers Weekly reported this month on a Danish Crown initiative launched in 2015 whereby pig farmers attach an antibiotics-free tag to piglets at the neonatal stage. It’s removed at any point if antibiotic treatment is deemed necessary. It claims that although early farm trials suggest a production fall of up to 2.5 piglet per sow per year, the “premium covers additional costs if 35% or more piglets carry the tag to the slaughterhouse.”
Pig farmer Stine Mikkelsen carried out a major review of hygiene and health on her farm to reduce antimicrobial use to boost revenue by £11.25 per pig. She says that although production is down and labour costs did increase, it “feels good” to farm in this way. She told the newspaper, “I am very motivated to do something about it – it’s a hard route to take but I have a good feeling about this system.”
Randox Food Diagnostics is working with global leaders in the food industry to tackle antibiotic resistance and safeguard their use for both human and veterinary treatment.
Using a dedicated research and development team, Randox have the ability to respond rapidly to emerging new drugs of abuse and regulations in relation to food and animal safety, with sixty-five new residue drug targets are currently in development to keep up with the ever changing market of food safety. Randox Food Diagnostics are ensuring that all residue screening laboratories requirements are met by providing reliable food safety screening on a global scale.
On top of the food safety product range Randox Food also offer a range of analysers, reagents and test kits for use throughout the winemaking process to ensure quality is maintained in every bottle.
This product range includes the RX misano semi-automated wine analyser and the RX Monaco fully automated wine analyser.
For more information on what we do, please visit: www.randoxfood.com
The RX misano is currently unavailable to purchase in Germany
Dementia is now “our greatest medical challenge”
It has been announced today by the Office of National Statistics that dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK. Last year alone more than 61,000 people died of dementia and this figure is set to rise along with the ageing population. Currently, there are over 850,000 people with dementia in the UK- 40,000 of which are under the age of 65. This number is expected to reach over 1 million by 2025.
The majority of the dementia deaths were among women – 41,283 deaths in 2015 compared to 20,403 dementia deaths in men. For men it seems the leading cause of death is related to heart disease.
Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, “These figures once again call attention to the uncomfortable reality that currently no-one survives a diagnosis of dementia.
“Dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing, it’s caused by diseases that can be fought through research, and we must bring all our efforts to bear on what is now our greatest medical challenge.”
Dementia describes the different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. These conditions are all usually progressive and eventually severe. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting 62% of those diagnosed. Other types of dementia include; vascular dementia affecting 17% of those diagnosed and mixed dementia affecting 10%.
The most common symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech. However it is important to spot the early warning signs. These include finding it hard to follow conversations or programs on TV, forgetting names of friends or everyday objects and feeling confused even in a familiar environment.
Here at Randox we recognise the importance diagnosing dementia early and we worked with the Medical University of Vienna to develop the Randox ApoE4 Biochip Array which can identify the risk of developing Alzheimer’s within three hours. When we presented it earlier this year, it won the prestigious NACB/ AACC Distinguished Abstract Award.
The Biochip analyses Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), a gene which is recognised as one of the most significant genetic risk factors for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. There are three versions of the ApoE gene: E2, E3 and E4. The E4 version increases a person’s risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, though it may also be associated with an earlier onset of memory loss. Everyone carries two copies of the ApoE gene but 25% of the population carry one copy of the ApoE4. Inheriting two copies of the E4 variant increases a person’s disease risk by 10 times or more.
The Biochip was developed at our state of the art site in Dungloe, ‘Teoranta’. R&D scientists Emma Harte said, “This type of testing is important in our quest to understand and diagnose Alzheimer’s, and empower patients to understand risks, consider medication and even make early lifestyle changes.
“Pairing this test with medical and family history for risk of Alzheimer’s disease has the real potential to advance personalised medicine. This fast, accurate testing will allow doctors and patients to make more informed choices earlier to potentially slow the possible progress of Alzheimer’s.”
If you would like to find out more information about our Alzheimer’s test contact us at randoxPR@randox.com
We Are Randox | Life in Austin, Texas with Andrew Dunlop
As a global diagnostic company with employees situated in 145 different countries across the globe, working with Randox offers amazing opportunities for international travel, and even for relocating half way across the world!
Our aim is to revolutionise healthcare through innovative diagnostics and save lives, and we can’t achieve this aim without the support of each and every one of our employees who are situated throughout the world.
Recently we took the time to catch up with Andrew Dunlop, who relocated from our Headquarters in Crumlin to Austin, Texas, USA.
Hi Andrew, what’s your current job title at Randox?
Currently my job title is National Sales Manager for the RX Sales department at Randox. I have been working for Randox for over four years now and I am really enjoying my role. My main job responsibilities include selling RX instrumentation to clinical labs, research sites and education facilities while also managing staff who do the same.
Was relocating something that you imagined doing when you first started your career with Randox?
Relocating was always something that I thought may have been an option but wasn’t sure how realistic it would be. I was always encouraged to pursue international travel and I loved the idea of seeing how business was done in other parts of the world. Having previously lived in the USA for two years through an internship with another company before I started working for Randox, I loved the idea of returning someday but didn’t know if it would be possible. I didn’t know anyone who already lived in Texas but because I had travelled to Austin on so many occasions for business I knew it was a great city. As I was travelling quite frequently to the USA I brought up the possibility of relocating there which was fully supported by the company.
What happened in the first few weeks of your relocation? Did you face any challenges?
The first few weeks were fairly hectic: I had to source getting a new car, a driver’s licence and finding an apartment and furniture. Randox helped me settle in by putting me up in a hotel initially and they also bring me home at least once per year which is something that I always look forward to.
How are you finding living in a new culture?
I love the culture in the USA and I have got used to pronouncing words a certain way so people can understand me such as two, eight, hour and even Andrew. The American’s use different terms such as Cell Phone, trunk, Gas etc too. The weather is also great, blue skies and sun is the norm for me now. I am able to live an outdoor lifestyle in my spare time, go hiking, mountain biking, BBQs etc, the list could go on and on!
How are you coping living so far from home?
I miss family and friends a lot, but as time passes it becomes normal. But the company does fly me home once per year which is something I always look forward to. I will have been home three times in 2016, but I wasn’t home at all in 2015.
Are you doing the same job in your new role?
My job role didn’t change significantly, I do a very similar job that I did before when I was located in Ardmore. Previously I managed staff who sold RX equipment in Brazil, Spain, UK and USA but now I purely focus on the US market. Plus being in the market has allowed me to understand it so much more and sales have really grown as a result which is a big plus!
What’s been the highlight of your move so far?
The highlight for me is being in a city that I truly love.
If you are interested in joining an international company that can offer you the chance to relocate to some of the biggest cities in the world, make sure that you check out our website for any current opportunities. We also offer a student placement program and graduate development program to help students and recent grads build the necessary experience needed to work within a global company.
Make sure to follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
IQCP: Where Are We Now?
What is IQCP?
IQCP stands for Individualized Quality Control Plan, and it is an all-inclusive approach to creating a customized quality control plan for a laboratory.
IQCP focuses on assuring quality in the lab using more in-depth means than simply carrying out a certain number of QC tests at a specific frequency. Many different aspects of laboratory operations will be evaluated, such as the test system, reagents, environment, testing personnel etc.
Where are we now?
As of January 2016, many labs in and outside the USA have implemented their IQCP’s, but what impact has this had on day-to-day operations?
In order to gauge the overall effectiveness and user-experience of implementing IQCP, Westgard QC1 conducted a survey for all IQCP participants both in the USA and globally.
Opinions were mixed regarding the effectiveness of IQCP:
Positive Opinions of IQCP
- Some users found that IQCP decreased the number of QC materials required
- There is a greater emphasis on the pre and post-analytic phases of testing, thus improving process error identification
- Over half of global survey participants revealed that their IQCP identified unacceptable risk(s) in their test system, thereby creating a more robust process
- Of the labs whose IQCP’s were inspected in the USA, 96.3% were deemed adequate by the relevant regulatory bodyies
- Identification of errors can lead to additional personnel training, thereby increasing the knowledge and expertise of laboratory staff
Negative Opinions of IQCP
- Due to the length of time taken to create a single IQCP, coupled with the additional expense, several survey participants found that the benefits of IQCP did not justify using so many resources in its implementation
- Many labs raised concerns regarding the availability of guidance in developing an IQCP. Participants complained that useful guidelines were not provided quickly enough, and labs had to rush their IQCP implementation.
- Several survey participants felt as though there was widespread confusion over IQCP. Participants highlighted that the volume of questions from laboratory professionals proves that IQCP was not introduced by regulatory bodies in an organized or effective manner
- Some labs surveyed voiced the opinion that IQCP evaluation needs to be more standardized, and that inspections can either be too lenient or too stringent.
ISO 15189:2012 requirements
As with any new system, feedback is important for further refinement. IQCP appears to be a step in the right direction for the advancement of laboratory QC. According to Westgard’s survey1, only around 30% of US respondents were satisfied, showing that labs still feel improvements need to be made. Inspectoral standardization, or more concise, straightforward guidelines on IQCP implementation could be potential improvements for regulatory bodies to consider.
We would love to know your thoughts on the subject. Send us an email at acusera@randox.com.
References:
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Westgard QC. (2016).2016 IQCP Users Survey. Available: https://www.westgard.com/iqcp-user-survey-comments.htm. Last accessed 25-Oct-16.
Ballymacrickett Primary School pupils visit Randox as part of a new collaboration to enhance pupil knowledge of STEM based work.
As an international organisation that aims to deliver world class pioneering research that will revolutionise healthcare worldwide, we are always pleased when the next generation of scientists want to come and visit us. So we were delighted when Ballymacrickett Primary School got in touch with us to organise a visit.
Last week Randox welcomed primary 7 pupils from Ballymacricket Primary School to our Randox labs to gain a first class insight into the work that we carry out here. As part of the collaboration Randox is sponsoring Ballymacrickett Primary School to conduct their very own STEM project that will allow primary 7 pupils to take part in the Junior Innovators project. This project is run alongside Sentinus, a non-profit educational charity that works with schools throughout Northern Ireland to deliver programs to promote engagement in STEM subjects.
As part of the project the primary 7 pupils will conduct cross circular project work which can include workbooks, exhibition materials, models of products and even the development of a mini enterprise and their very own products. The aim of this project is to support the development of links between primary schools and local business and industry and to give classroom learning relevance to the world of work through a structured program of activity.
The first step in the project involves a visit to a local company, and we were thrilled to welcome over 50 pupils to our headquarters here in Crumlin from the 24th-27th October. The tour included a visit around our different departments and behind the scenes access to our science labs to gain a better insight into the work that we pioneer which was especially interesting.
At the end of the tour each pupil received a goodie bag filled with plenty of Randox stationery to take back to school with them.
We are delighted that the tour was both enjoyable and informative and sparked an interest in many more pupils to enter the world of science!
Good luck Ballymacrickett Primary School- We can’t wait to see your final project!
Make sure to follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
We Are Randox | Behind the scenes of Randox Engineering with Maryrose McLoone
Randox is an international company renowned for our innovative medical diagnostics but did you know we also have a dedicated engineering team with over 30 years’ experience in the design, prototyping, testing and manufacturing of diagnostic analysers?
Maryrose McLoone, from our Randox Teoranta site, gave us an insight into her role as a mechanical design engineer and told us what she enjoys the most about engineering.
Hi Maryrose, tell me a little about your position and what you do on a day-to-day basis?
I work as a Mechanical Design Engineer in Randox Teoranta where my main role is to aid in the design and development of clinical chemistry analysers. My day-to-day work can vary depending on what stage of a project we’re on. At the minute I’m working on developing concepts for our new project. This involves working with other members of the Engineering team to come up with ideas and designs and develop them into working prototypes. Engineers have many roles including creating designs using 3D modelling software, carrying out testing and analysis, as well as verifying and validating our designs. We work with Manufacturing and also with Quality Assurance to ensure we meet all of the relevant standards which are applicable for the Medical Device Industry.
Are there any challenges in your job? If so, how do you handle them?
When working in R&D, the main challenges we face are in ensuring we develop analysers of the highest quality, which will perform accurate diagnoses, and also are competitive in their market. It is always important that we consider the end user of our devices as the patient is of the upmost importance. Quality is an integral part in all stages of the project from the early design stages right through to product release. We must ensure that we will continually deliver quality in every aspect of our work. This is achieved by conducting thorough testing on all of our designs as well as remaining up-to-date with all of the latest technologies which are available to us.
What is your proudest accomplishment at the job?
As a team, we recently completed the design and development of a semi-automated clinical chemistry analyser, the RX misano, which has been released to market. This is a big accomplishment for our team as it is the result of our combined hard work and efforts. This was the first engineering project to be completed solely in Randox Teoranta, which is why it is such a big achievement for us.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
As a Mechanical Design Engineer, there is a wide variety in the work that I do. Every day is different and each brings its own challenges. I particularly enjoy working with medical devices as I find that is a very rewarding job. Randox analysers are used worldwide to conduct a wide variety diagnostic tests. By working in the development of clinical chemistry analysers I am part of a team which create devices that improve the healthcare of patients all over the world.
As a Mechanical Design Engineer, I also have the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of Engineers including Mechanical, Electrical, and Embedded Systems Engineers, as well as Software Developers. We also work closely with Manufacturing and Quality Assurance which has allowed me to gain an insight into various aspects of design and development which I would not have previously experienced.
What advice would you give someone who is seeking the same line of work?
Design Engineering involves creating innovative solutions and improving on current designs; therefore problem solving is a key skill in this line of work. The design and development stages involve a lot of creativity, whereas the testing stages of a project require meticulous attention to detail. As an Engineer you work autonomously as well as part of a team. You also work alongside Engineers of different disciplines and other departments within the plant. The design and development of a product can be a lengthy and sometimes challenging process but it is also very rewarding when you see a project through to completion.
If you are interested in joining our Engineering team make sure that you check our our careers website for all our current opportunities.
Make sure to follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
The RX misano is currently unavailable to purchase in Germany
