SelectScience InterviewsClinical Diagnostics
Embracing bloodless testing, point-of-care innovations, and AI integration
30 Sept 2024
Dr. Frank Peacock, an emergency physician at Baylor College of Medicine, discusses rapid advancements in clinical lab technology, focusing on three key areas: bloodless testing, point-of-care testing, and artificial intelligence (AI). Bloodless testing using infrared lasers could soon replace traditional blood tests, changing how labs operate. High-sensitivity troponin tests have outpaced point-of-care testing in emergency departments, creating a need for faster, accurate diagnostics. AI presents both opportunities and challenges, requiring labs to adapt and integrate AI into risk stratification processes. These innovations will revolutionize patient care and clinical practice.
This interview was recorded for #CLINICAL24 2024
Tags
Point-of-CarePoint-of-Care Testing (POCT) or Near Patient Testing (NPT) products are available for urine, blood and other clinical chemistry analyses. POCT includes: blood glucose testing, blood gas and electrolytes analysis, rapid coagulation testing (PT / INR), rapid cardiac markers diagnostics, drugs of abuse screening, urine strips testing, pregnancy testing, fecal occult blood analysis, food pathogens screening, hemoglobin diagnostics, infectious disease testing and cholesterol screening.HematologyIn Haematology / Hematology, complete blood cell counts (or full blood counts) are obtained using automated blood count analyzers to enumerate blood cell types. Hematology also encompasses haemostasis and coagulation, thrombophilia and hemophilia, plasma viscosity and ESR analysis, hemoglobinopathies, cell morphology and haematinic measurement.Clinical ChemistryBiochemistry (or clinical chemistry) involves the analysis of bodily fluids using chemical tests. Techniques used include HPLC, chromatography, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, immunochemical, electrophoresis, turbidometric / spectrophotometric assay, MRI and ISE analysis. Tests are often carried out on plasma or serum but urine (urinalysis) and fecal specimens are also processed.Blood TransfusionBlood Transfusion involves giving donor blood to a recipient patient. Screening is essential to avoid transfusion reactions. Blood banks use immunohematological techniques to determine rh and ABO blood group, and screen for antibodies using specific antisera. Blood Banks use Direct Coombs Tests (DCT) and Indirect Coombs Tests (IAT) to detect hemolysis and Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN).Clinical MicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms including protists, prokaryotes, fungi, and, often, viruses. Microorganisms are a useful research tool as genetic vectors and, in immunology, for antibiotic susceptibility testing, cellular biology and genetics. Microorganisms commonly grow readily in incubators with microbial culture media; this can contain chromogenic supplements to differentiate between cell lines. Estimate your culture’s density of microorganisms with colony counters, or screen and select colonies for desirable clones with automated colony pickers. Additionally, equipment is available to monitor environments for the presence of microbes and identify with microbial identification instruments. Find the best microbiology products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Artificial Intelligence / Machine LearningArtificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are transformative technologies used to analyze complex data, identify patterns, and make data-driven predictions across diverse scientific fields. Automate the analysis of large or complex data sets using AI algorithms and leverage machine learning models to improve diagnostics, accelerate drug discovery, and refine experimental design. Discover the best AI/ML software, platforms, and analytical tools in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare features, read customer reviews, and request pricing directly from manufacturers.CLINICAL24CLINICAL24 is a global conversation, hosted by SelectScience for the medical laboratory profession and all those that support it. The purpose of CLINICAL24 is to highlight current lab challenges, and to explore the technology solutions to overcome them.