UK HealthCare's New State-of-the-Art Pathology Equipment Increases Lab Efficiency

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 17, 2012) — UK HealthCare has recently improved its laboratory testing capabilities in its hospitals and clinics with new state-of-the-art equipment designed to  increase testing capacity and deliver reliable results with greater efficiency. 

The main core clinical laboratory is located in University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital and processes approximately 3,000 to 5,000 test tubes daily, and provides between two million and three million individual test results per year. The new Roche system handles the vast majority of the most common laboratory tests run by the hospital. As UK HealthCare grows and cares for more patients, this new equipment will enable the lab to handle the increased demand for diagnostic tests without slowing down the testing process.

"These laboratory automation solutions are perfectly aligned with UK’s overall vision to constantly improve healthcare with high-quality patient care and safety,” said Dr. Ron Whitley, the core laboratory director. “The high volumes of testing we do make it essential that we have the highest-capacity and most efficient laboratory equipment available.”

The Roche system is a significant advancement in robotics and automation. It combines two major components:  the new cobas modular analyser 8000 series, which includes the cobas ISE, c701, c502 and e602 modular chemistry and immunochemistry analyzers, and modular pre-analytics sample handling system. This high-volume, automated system allows patient blood samples to pass through the testing process untouched by human hands.

The Roche system uses a mechanical track-like conveyer belt controlled by a central station that manages each patient sample individually. A sample travels along the belt where it is centrifuged, de-capped, divided into sample cups (or into labeled tubes), sorted, and then sent to the analyzers.

MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Elliott, allison.elliott@uky.edu