Blood samples at Markham Stouffville Hospital are now being tested on equipment that no other Canadian hospital had installed, according to Oak Valley Health.
The hospital network, which runs the Markham hospital and Uxbridge Hospital, said in an announcement published Jan. 8 that it is home to Canada’s first installation of a new generation of chemistry and immunoassay analyzers. The machines carry out chemical analysis of blood, the routine testing behind many diagnoses and treatment decisions.
What was installed
The Markham site received two DxI 9000 Access Immunoassay Analyzers, designed for high-sensitivity testing in a core laboratory. Uxbridge Hospital received a DxC 500i Clinical Analyzer, which offers similar technology on a smaller scale. The equipment came through a partnership with the manufacturer, Beckman Coulter.
Medical laboratory technologists at both sites are already using the systems, which are compatible with each other, so information can be shared between the two hospitals.
The Markham laboratory completes more than 2.5 million chemistry and immunoassay tests a year, and the analyzer there can process up to 450 tests an hour, Oak Valley Health said.
Accuracy remains central to patient care. By enhancing precision and sensitivity, the analyzers provide our teams with deeper insights to support patient care in areas such as cardiac health, anemia, diabetes, infectious diseases, and more.
— Mohamed Bhugun, manager of laboratory services, Oak Valley Health
The hospital said it expects more consistent results, shorter turnaround times and a smoother workflow for lab staff.
When we maximize the information from every blood sample, we can detect issues earlier and respond to patient needs sooner.
— Dr. Golnar Rasty, chief of the department of laboratory medicine, Oak Valley Health
First step in a larger upgrade
The analyzers are the first phase of a full upgrade to the hospitals’ laboratory automation system. Once it is finished, samples will move automatically to the right testing area in each lab instead of being handled manually, which the hospital says will further cut transfer times. The automation is complete in Uxbridge and is expected to be finished in Markham this winter.
Dr. Caroline Geenen, Oak Valley Health’s chief of staff, said demand for care is rising sharply as the population grows, and that modernizing the way staff work helps them respond to patients faster.
Oak Valley Health said each site bought its new analyzers with support from the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation and the Uxbridge Hospital Foundation.
