Tosoh Clinical Diagnostics

South San Francisco, CA (TOSOH) August 24,2009 – Tosoh Bioscience was busy at last month’s annual AACC meeting in Chicago as the company introduced it’s latest advancement in high throughput immunoassay testing – the AIA-2000 Automated Immunoassay Analyzer. The advanced system features a wealth of cutting-edge features as it builds upon Tosoh’s industry-wide reputation as a respected developer of reliable diagnostic systems for Immunoassay and HPLC Testing.

Tosoh Bioscience also sponsored educational seminars at the AACC meeting by renowned Clinical Chemist David Plaut. The seminars covered a wide array of pertinent topics in the field of Clinical Diagnostics including quality control, result accuracy, HbA1c, Cardiac Markers, PTH and Tumor Markers.

AACC Educational Seminars by David Plaut at Tosoh Booth

Introduced with a high level of anticipation, the AIA-2000 was very well received by hospitals and laboratories looking for a high throughput Immunoassay analyzer. The AIA-2000 provides many operational improvements which can result in overall laboratory productivity.  New functionality has been added to the AIA-2000 to increase workflow and minimize time. The user can load up to 960 tests (48 trays) in a new, easy to load hybrid sorter; increasing walk-away time to approximately 4 hours. Tip capacity has been increased to 576, and can be added or changed at any time at the user’s request. Sample racks can be loaded with any combination of 200 bar coded primary tubes or sample cups.

With a throughput of 200 tests per hour, the AIA-2000 features fully automated daily maintenance and record keeping, automatic inventory management and automated pre-treatment for assays that require this step. In addition, the analyzer features a 17-inch touch screen panel and improved user interface, allowing easy access to most of the controls from the screen. Multiple robotic arms, new staging platforms and mechanical adjustments speed the overall sample processing. As with all AIA systems, Tosoh’s dry reagent test cup technology produces accurate and consistent results, requiring no on-board refrigeration, no pre-mixing, and no pre-measuring.

According to Product Manager Shanti Narayanan, “We were extremely proud to introduce the AIA-2000 at this year’s AACC meeting in Chicago. The instrument was met with a great deal of excitement and appreciation.”

Other product showcases for the AACC 2009 were as follows:

The AIA-360 continued to attract POL’s and labs looking for a small compact Immunoassay analyzer. The AIA-360 is a sophisticated system that fits in any lab environment. With a footprint of 16 X 16 X 21 inches and weighing approximately 60 lbs., the AIA-360’s compact design makes it ideal for physician office laboratories, work stations for small hospitals, STAT testing, such as cardiac panels, as well as a dedicated system for specialty testing. With a throughput of 36 tests per hour, the AIA-360 generates its first result in approximately 20 minutes. The cost effective system utilizes the same 10 minute ST reagents as Tosoh’s larger systems, making it the perfect back-up analyzer.

The AIA-600II, which has been in the market since 2000 is a proven system and has earned the industry-wide reputation of high reliability for immunoassay testing. The analyzer provides big system features in a bench top analyzer. Fitting in just 30 inches of counter space, the AIA-600 II has a throughput of 60 results per hour including STAT assay results in ~18 minutes, making it an ideal solution for time-critical tests such as cardiac markers.

All Tosoh AIA immunoassay testing systems utilize the same Unit Dose Test Cup reagent format, ensuring consistent performance every time. With interchangeable reagents on all Tosoh systems, inventory management is easy and problem free. Transition from one system to another is seamless, ensuring consistent results and efficient, economical operation for the laboratory. People visiting the booth commented on the reliability of the AIA reagents and the calibration stability.

This year at the AACC, there was a big focus on HbA1c testing and Tosoh had a high level of interest for the G8 HPLC Analyzer. For HbA1c, the G8 provides one of the industry’s lowest CVs of less than 2%. The NGSP certified instrument-reagent system utilizes the gold standard ion-exchange method for HbA1c testing to effectively monitor glycohemoglobin in diabetic patients. With a compact footprint of 21”w x 19”h x 20”d, the G8 fits easily in most laboratory environments. The G8 provides fast results with an HbA1c analysis time of only 1.6 minutes. Simple touch-screen operation, as well as automatic start-up and daily maintenance make the system extremely user-friendly.

Tosoh also displayed the G7 HPLC Analyzer which can be used for both HbA1c and beta-thalassemia testing in one compact analyzer. The system provides beta-thalassemia results in less than 8 minutes with quantification of HbF and HbA2. Also, the NGSP certified G7 HPLC Analyzer delivers presumptive identification of HbS, C and D; as well as true separation of Labile and Stable A1c.

Tosoh also displayed the new molecular testing platform: the TRCRapid-160 (Research Use Only). With this new product line, Tosoh has responded to the growing need and acceptance of molecular diagnostic devices. This accurate and full-featured platform delivers accelerated real-time RNA amplification and detection by combining two innovative technologies: the isothermal TRC reaction and the unique INAF fluorescence probe. The TRC technology features much lower reaction times than those seen with conventional real-time PCR and is designed specifically for Tosoh’s TRC assay kits. This instrument has the potential to be used in many testing areas, such as infectious diseases, cancer markers and environmental testing.

Tosoh had special giveaways to commemorate its 20th anniversary. The Tosoh Tote bags and USB flash drives were well received. The AACC 2009 was a great platform to exchange ideas with our existing customers and provide information to new ones.

For more information on the AIA-2000 and Tosoh products for Immunoassay and HPLC, go to Tosoh Bioscience. http://www.diagnostics.us.tosohbioscience.com/