Blood gas analyser for POC diagnosis

A new point-of-care analyser for blood gases and other solutes, launched worldwide, promises quicker and easier diagnosis in the critical care environment.

The RAPIDPoint 500 Blood Gas System (pictured) from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics delivers reliable results in 60 seconds and allows rapid identification of the patient and operator.

The new system aims to meet the growing demand for POC blood tests that can be used rapidly and easily by a wide range of clinicians.

The RAPIDPoint 500 analyser has a cartridge that lasts up to 28 days, with a full complement of critical-care tests for blood gases, pH, electrolytes, glucose and lactate-1, as well as full CO-oximetry, from a single whole-blood sample.

Features to enhance ease of use include:

• fully automated calibration and quality control
• a self-contained Automatic Quality Control cartridge that operates without manual intervention
• an integrated bar code reader with a wide scanning area for patient and operator identification.

The new medical device can be integrated with the Siemens RAPIDComm Data Management System to enable centralised management of multiple Siemens blood and urine analysers in critical care monitoring.

“The RAPIDPoint 500 system is designed to satisfy the unique demands of testing at the point of care,” said Dr. David Stein, CEO, Point of Care Business Unit, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics.

“In addition to being easy to use, the analyser leverages proven and reliable cartridge-based technologies to deliver fast, accurate, laboratory-quality results, helping clinicians feel confident in making critical decisions.”