Speedy Samples
UPMC Chautauqua adds $1.5M Total Lab Automation System
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Lab work at UPMC Chautauqua will take a little less time thanks to a new piece of equipment.
The hospital held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to introduce its latest high-tech, time-saving equipment, the DxA 5000, to the workforce on Friday. According to the manufacturer’s website, www.beckmancoulter.com, the system is a Total Lab Automation System that focuses on “increased workloads, faster turnaround times for high-quality results and cost savings.” The system can input/output a total of 84 tubes and vials and store 104 finished results.
Elaine Morrison, the administrator of laboratory services for UPMC Chautauqua, said the $1.5 million machine efficiently reads lab testing requirements for individual specimens, conducts the tests, records the results, and stores the specimens – all while significantly saving both time and costs – respectively.
"This automation frees up valuable manpower hours, allowing lab technicians to concentrate on important features of their job such as data analysis," she said. "The team has really embraced this technology. ...they love it."
Morrison said UPMC Chautauqua conducts an average of 50,000 lab tests each month, totaling more than 400,000 tests annually; the introduction of the DxA 5000 is expected to significantly enhance quality control, speed up sample processing, and improve service times for patients.
UPMC lab workers received thorough, intensive training from the machine manufacturers to prepare them for actual operations.
"Our training program included four months of focused training, followed by two weeks of on-site technical support," Morrison said.