Solid Reproducibility
Solid reproducibility is the essential foundation required for analytical reliability. If a system has demonstrated reproducibility, is calibrated to a standard, and calibration is monitored by a quality control program, the user can be assured of accurate results. This eliminates or reduces the need for individual facilities to replicate accuracy studies.
Reproducibility is easily tested by repeated analysis of the same sample. Below are tables of reproducibility of 20 sequential replicate analyses using the comprehensive panel with electrolytes, and sera with abnormal values for a number of analytes. The Mean, in combination with the Minimum and Maximum values, is the best gauge for interpretation of reproducibility.
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These data represent excellent reproducibility. Note that concentration measurements are expected to be more precise than enzyme activity measurements.
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Good reproducibility is expected to be tighter than the tolerance limits of a QC program.
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With excellent reproducibility you can trust the Element DC™ analyzer to provide accurate results.
Excellent Correlation
The
Element DC technology has been tested in comparison with the most commonly established chemical procedures on an automated Hitachi® system. This system and these procedures are used by most professional veterinary laboratories and teaching hospitals.
Data presented here include combined analyses of plasma and sera from dogs and cats for analytes having a range of available abnormal samples for testing. These show excellent correlation for a population of animals measured on two different technologies.
Dry Chemistry
There are two types of biochemistry testing systems for clinical testing: those utilizing liquid reagents and those that test based on dry reagents, which are easier to handle. Dry chemistry has been an accepted technology in medical laboratories for many years and numerous clinical evaluations have validated this technology against conventional wet chemistry analysis. Heska’s
Element DC chemistry analyzer is powered by Fujifilm technology and leverages more than 75 years of dry chemistry research and development. The state-of-the-art sample surface detection feature monitors air pressure changes and detects inadequate sample volume before the slide is wasted. Along with coated tips which prevent sample wicking and provide accurate delivery, the
Element DC analyzer brings advanced solutions to in-hospital chemistry testing.
No Interference from Lipemic Samples
Lipemia, hemolysis and icterus (hyperbilirubinemia) are common interferents in all clinical chemistry systems as shown below. Lipemia is the most common problem on liquid chemistry systems, because the turbidity associated with lipemia scatters light in the measurement of absorption by the reactant fluid.
Together, Heska and FUJIFILM are leading the way with technological advances that successfully eliminate lipemia as an interferent, while reducing the number of tests affected by icterus to a single parameter, and significantly decreasing the parameters impacted by hemolytic samples.
This is accomplished because the
Element DC analyzer uses reflectance (rather than absorbance) technology to measure the color reaction. This, along with the slide sample spreading layer, reduces the effect of light scatter on the sample. In addition, electrolytes which are measured by potentiometry are not affected by interfering substances at all.
Flexible Slide Configuration
With the
Element DC Analyzer, configure profiles that you require without wasting tests that you don’t want. Add electrolytes and lipase to any sample run. Run a panel, run an individual slide, or combine panels and individual slides to create virtually unlimited options specific to your patients’ needs. And with weighted slide stabilization, you can be sure your slides are transferred into the incubator seamlessly with no jamming.
Automated Dilution
Not all patient chemistry parameters fall within the measurable range of an analyzer. When an absolute value is critical to a diagnosis, treatment plan, or prognosis, the auto-dilution feature on the
Element DC analyzer gives you the information you need.
In cases where patient results are above the analyzers’ measurable limits you can quickly obtain a result by performing a dilution in a few simple steps:
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Add your slides and sample tube.
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Place a dilution cup and diluent (distilled water) into the analyzer.
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Add your tips.
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Select your dilution factor.
The sample rerun feature on the
Element DC analyzer eliminates data re-entry; your previous patient number, sample ID and reference interval are recalled with the touch of a button.
No manual pipetting or re-calculation required; the auto-dilution feature on the
Element DC analyzer does it all — minimizing the chance of error. These fully automated steps ensure dilution results are reliable and allow you to focus entirely on your patients.
TEST MENU
INDIVIDUAL SLIDES
BUN, CREA, ALP, ALT, PHOS, GGT, TBIL, AST, GLU, TP, ALB, Ca, Mg, NH
3, TRIG, LIP, AMY, CK, URIC, CHOL, TCO
2 (for
DRI-CHEM 7000 and
Element DC only), LDH, Electrolytes (Na
+, K
+, Cl
-)
PANELS
Pre-surgical Panel
(ALP, ALT, BUN, CREA, GLU, TP)
Kidney Panel
(ALB, BUN, CREA, Ca, PHOS, TP)
Liver Panel
(ALB, ALP, ALT, GGT, GLU, TBIL)
Equine Panel
(ALB, AST, BUN, CREA, Ca, CK, GGT, GLU, LDH, PHOS, TBIL, TP)
Comprehensive Panel
(ALP, ALT, BUN, CREA, GLU, TP, TBIL, ALB, PHOS, Ca, CHOL, GGT)
Comprehensive Plus Panel
(ALP, ALT, BUN, CREA, GLU, TP, TBIL, ALB, PHOS, Ca, CHOL, GGT,
LIP, AMY, Mg, TRIG, AST, Na+, K+, Cl-)
CALCULATED VALUES
Globulin, Na
+/K
+ Ratio, Albumin/Globulin Ratio, Corrected Calcium, Estimated Osmolality, BUN/Creatinine Ratio
SPECIFICATIONS
|
Specifications |
Description |
|
Throughput |
128 tests per hour (simultaneous CM and ISE tests) |
|
Incubation Temperature |
98.6° F (37° C) (CM); 86° F (30° C) (ISE) |
|
Incubation Time |
1 to 6 minutes |
|
Number of Incubator Cells |
CM 12, ISE 1 |
|
Individual Tests Available |
25 total tests including ALT, ALP, GGT, TBIL, AST, BUN, CREA, PHOS, GLU, TP, ALB, Ca, CHOL, Mg, AMY, LDH, LIP, TCO2, TRIG, CK, URIC, NH3, Na+, K+, Cl– (electrolytes on one slide) |
|
Pre-Packaged Panels Available |
Comprehensive, Comprehensive Plus, Pre-Surgical/Wellness, Liver, Kidney or Equine |
|
Slide Capacity |
20 slides simultaneously per cartridge |
|
Pipetting Fluid Volume |
Below 50μL (automatic switching) |
|
Dilution |
Automatic dilution (dilution factor: max. 10) |
|
Measurement Precision |
0.0004 OD/5 minutes |
|
Measurement Accuracy |
± 0.005 OD (600 nm) |
|
Display |
5.7 in. color touch panel |
|
Measurement Wavelengths |
400 nm, 415 nm, 505 nm, 540 nm, 577 nm, 600 nm, 625 nm, 650 nm |
|
Light Source |
Halogen lamp (6V, 10W) |
|
Operating Temperature |
59 to 89° F (15 to 32° C) |
|
Operating Humidity |
30 to 80% RH (no vapor condensation) |
|
Electrical Requirements |
Voltage Limit: 100–240V, Frequency: 50–60 Hz |
|
Data Transfer |
RS232C interface (1 port), LAN (1 port), USB interface (1 port bar code reader only) |
|
External Dimensions (H x W x D) |
16.5 x 18.5 x 14.2 in. |
|
Weight |
53 lbs. |