Blood Analyzer Goes Wireless

A point-of-care hand-held analyzer allows real time transmission of diagnostic test results generated directly from the patient bedside.

The handheld analyzer can potentially save precious time by allowing caregivers to perform critical tests at the bedside and then transmit test results immediately so they can be reviewed by physicians anywhere they have access to electronic records.

The device, called the i-STAT 1 Wireless, eliminates the back-and-forth movement from the bedside to a desktop transmission terminal somewhere in the department giving staff the ability to focus on the patient better. For example, with the 10-minute i-STAT cardiac troponin test cartridge, emergency department staffs can test, transmit, and treat from the bedside. By sharing these test results via a hospital's existing wireless network, caregivers have rapid access to information that can help determine if a patient is having a heart attack.

The i-STAT 1 Wireless is the latest version of the device from Abbott Laboratories, (Abbott Park, IL, USA). Lightweight, portable, and easy to use, the i-STAT System features single-use disposable cartridges that perform a broad menu of the most commonly performed diagnostic tests, including cardiac markers, blood gases, chemistries and electrolytes, lactate, coagulation, and hematology. Abbott announced it has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA; Silver Springs, MD, USA), to begin marketing the i-STAT 1 Wireless.

Greg E. Arnsdorff, head of Abbott's point of care business, said, "By empowering nurses to stay at the bedside, the new i-STAT 1 Wireless supports a patient-focused approach to treatment, allowing for expedited decision making that helps minimize time to treatment." The i-STAT System is used in nearly 2,000 hospitals and in nearly 1,000 emergency departments in the US. Some 50,000 i-STAT analyzers are used worldwide and they process about 100 million test cartridges a year.

Related Links:
Abbott Laboratories
FDA