Greener clinical lab testing now within reach

Siemens Healthineers has launched new sustainability solutions for clinical labs that focus on reducing the environmental impact of analyzing clinical laboratory samples. The Atellica analyzers are the first clinical laboratory diagnostic instrumentation to achieve the My Green Lab^® ACT^® Ecolabel Certification.

Historically, in vitro diagnostics testing has required large amounts of water, energy, and plastic consumables that contribute significantly to the environmental footprint of healthcare operations. Clinical labs may operate around the clock to test patient samples. Now both the environment and the laboratories’ bottom lines can benefit from technology that reduces waste, energy, and water consumption.

The ACT Ecolabel evaluates products across key environmental impact categories — including manufacturing practices, energy and water consumption, chemicals, waste, and packaging — and distills this information into a total score that helps scientists and procurement experts better identify sustainable products for their healthcare facilities. This globally recognized standard provides transparent, third-party verified environmental impact data for laboratory consumables, chemicals, and equipment.

Industry-leading analyzers from Siemens Healthineers for labs of varying sizes were rigorously evaluated and independently certified through My Green Lab’s comprehensive assessment process. The Atellica analyzers reduce impact across the product lifecycle — from manufacturing and packaging to innovative assay performance that reduces waste, energy, and water during operation.

The ACT Ecolabel applies to 12 Atellica products, including the Atellica Solution and Atellica CI Analyzer. These integratable analyzers for clinical chemistry and immunoassay testing consume less water than other comparable systems.

By using Atellica analyzers for common patient testing needs, a lab can reduce its water and energy use and benefit from a positive ripple effect. The analyzers have been engineered intentionally to do the lab’s heavy lifting, conserving resources as they run hundreds of patient samples hourly.

In reported use cases, laboratories have reduced their energy consumption using Atellica analyzers from Siemens Healthineers by up to 48%. Labs using these instruments also benefit from turnaround times as low as 10 minutes for certain high-priority samples.

Another new offering from Siemens Healthineers is the Certified Atellica program. Instruments are rigorously restored to the equivalent standard of a new instrument and offer the same high performance as new analyzers, including the latest hardware and software updates. For many regions, these analyzers are now available for resource-conscious healthcare organizations seeking a sustainable investment. The program is estimated to save up to 100,000 kg of scrap per year — the equivalent to nearly 50 city buses.

“At Siemens Healthineers, we are committed to reducing our environmental footprint, not only through our own initiatives but also by empowering our customers to run their labs sustainably. Resilient performance and environmental responsibility matter to labs of all sizes. From our technology to certification support, we offer unparalleled value that will benefit clinical laboratories,” said Sharon Bracken, head of Diagnostics for Siemens Healthineers.

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