Xmatrx Diagnostics Delivers Complete Walk-Away Automation to Major Molecular Pathology Lab in India
Background
Dr. Lal Pathlabs is the leading laboratory pathology chain in India. Established in 1949, Dr. Lal Pathlabs has a proven track record with over six decades of experience and is accredited by globally acclaimed certifications such as CAP, NABL and ISO 9001:2008. With over 150 labs across the country catered by more than 3000 employees, it serves over 10 million customers every year.
Challenge
With an ever increasing slide load, the semi-automated instruments employed by the lab were simply not enough. In response, management allocated resources and manpower from other parts of the lab to the increasing IHC load. This, however, resulted in a resource crunch that negatively impacted the laboratory as a whole. The lab manager and lead technicians found themselves in a bind: “We desperately needed an instrument which could perform all steps through automation as well as ensure smooth operations of other lab activities with minimal resource allocation,” said Lead Technician Mr. Suresh of Dr. Lal Pathlabs in New Delhi, India.
Solution
After a thorough analysis of the laboratory workflow, BioGenex suggested installation of the Xmatrx Diagnostics System to remedy their problem of improper manpower allocation and low-efficiency laboratory processes. Xmatrx is an efficient and user-friendly instrument, no intermediate human intervention or quality checks are required during the run. At the end of the run, slides are ready to be viewed directly under the microscope. Xmatrx provides high quality, accurate and reproducible results through its globally acclaimed technologies. Mr. B.R. Chaudhary, Head Technician in the Department of Histopathology at Dr. Lal Pathlabs added: “It is easy to operate Xmatrx® Diagnostics: we simply load the slides and reagents, set the protocols and let the instrument perform the rest of the process.”
With the addition of Xmatrx diagnostics, the histopathologists also saw the benefits of switching over to the Xmatrx automated system. “Since the time we have automated ourselves with Xmatrx Diagnostics, initiating the run has become a very simple process. After completion of the run, stained slides are collected and handed to me for direct viewing,” said Dr. Hema Malini Iyer, the Head of Histopathology Department who has over 20 years of experience.
Benefits to the Customer
Complete Automation
Xmatrx provides flexibility and convenience of delayed run option. “We simply load the instrument, initiate the staining process and collect stained slides the next morning – it is so convenient for us. The instrument performs all steps automatically overnight without any human intervention,” said the lab staff.
Efficient Resource Allocation
Xmatrx Diagnostics promises simple and easy to use automation from microtome to microscope. The system automates more staining steps than any other system available today while being flexible enough to cater to emerging technologies such as in situ PCR. In addition, Xmatrx Diagnostics comes equipped with standardized processes, adaptable workflow and LIS-enabled digital tracking and management. Mr. Suresh explained: “Xmatrx Diagnostics walkaway automation technology has given us utmost freedom. We simply start the run and go off to finish other important tasks at hand. Resources are now utilized for many other vital lab activities making our entire operations more efficient than before.” Mr. Chaudhary agreed that the lab was free to devote more of their time to other lab duties, a freedom that semi-automated systems did not allow. He added: “We could now utilize our manpower for other vital tasks at hand.”
Conclusion
From the perspective of the management, the Xmatrx “is a boon – no more worries or staining problems. We are extremely happy with the instrument performance and feedback. Considering this, we have ordered a second unit within six months.”
About Xmatrx Diagnostics
It is easy to operate Xmatrx Diagnostics: we simply load the slides and reagents, set the protocols and let the instrument perform the rest of the process.” Xmatrx Diagnostics is an integrated system consisting of platform technology that automates any slide-based staining assay (IHC, ISH, SS, miRNA and FISH). This truly All-in-One fully automated system (from microtome to microscope) maximizes testing capacity, minimizes hands-on time, and ensures consistent and quality results every time. The system is operated with specially formulated and optimized reagents including primary antibodies, nucleic acid probes, special stains, detection kits and consumables. Xmatrx delivers optimum performance and is cost effective for total automation. This underlies our commitment to providing flexible workflow solutions for molecular pathology laboratories of today, tomorrow and beyond.