CLINICAL-TRIALS OF A NOVEL CENTRIFUGATION METHOD - AXIAL SEPARATION

Specimen centrifugation is one of the most time-consuming tasks associ ated with preanalytical specimen processing. We report the first clini cal use and impact study of the novel centrifugation method, axial sep aration, using the Axial Separation Module (ASM(TM)). The ASM centrifu ges medical specimens one at a time (in 1 min 9 s) in proprietary Axia l Process Containers (APC(TM)). Here we report tests of the ASM in an outpatient clinical laboratory. Use of the ASM in the outpatient clini c laboratory led to an average total improvement (decrease in total be nch time) of 8 min 9 s per specimen compared with conventional centrif ugation. Laboratory analysis revealed no statistical difference betwee n plasma obtained from the APC vs that from a Becton Dickinson Vacutai ner Tube. We conclude the ASM offers a cost-effective alternative to c onventional centrifugation. Further, the use of axial separation may a llow specimen separation to become an integral part of the phlebotomy process.