Flexible transport improves work flow and saves time at Växjö Hospital

12.12 2017

As a part of the renovation of the laboratory at Växjö Hospital, Sweden, hospital management decided to purchase a new automation facility for the laboratory. Lena Bengtsson, Head of Department of Clinical Chemistry CLV, was involved in researching and selecting the new systems. Associated with that, she visited a couple of Swedish hospitals to seek inspiration. At Jönköping Hospital, she saw the Tempus600 system which is a transport pipeline dedicated to small clinical samples. 

“I thought, what a wonderful, flexible system to work with”, says Lena Bengtsson. 

Hospital management quickly realised that Tempus600^® could save a lot of work in the emergency room and department. At the time, the hospital had a traditional Pneumatic Tube System (PTS) and staff spent a lot of time packing and unpacking the blood samples, which was a very lengthy and time-consuming process compared to sending the samples immediately one by one.

Eliminating handling saves time

In autumn 2016, when the first part of the new automation facility was implemented, the two Tempus600^® lines were installed. Today, one year later, 105,000 blood samples from the emergency department and 22,000 samples from the emergency room have been sent with Tempus600^® to the laboratory. 

“The two new systems immediately eliminated the time-consuming work of handling the blood samples and now the samples are transferred lightning fast from A to B”, explains Lena Bengtsson.

Recently a new bulk loader was installed in the laboratory and with that the final part of the renewal of the laboratory has fallen into place. In future the blood samples, which are sent with the Tempus600^®, land directly in the bulk loader and are automatically placed on the track to continue the journey through the analysis equipment. 

“It is a completely new situation with new routines, processes and procedures”, says Lena Bengtsson.

Improved workflow frees up resources

The implementation of Tempus600^® went smoothly. The hospital’s technical staff were trained in the new maintenance and service routines, and the users of Tempus600^® were instructed to send the samples with the sending station. 

“Tempus600^® is really easy to use. It works very well and staff are just happy with the progress and the daily use”, explains Lena Bengtsson.

Because of the new automation facility and the implementation of Tempus600^®, working systems have been standardised and the work flow in the laboratory and the departments has been improved considerably.

 “Now there is less manual work so staff can simply concentrate on their primary tasks and use their competencies better”, says Lena Bengtsson.

Supports LEAN thinking

Since the implementation of Tempus600^® system reliability and maintenance has been very satisfactory. 

“This really works very well for us, and because of the renovation and reorganisation of laboratory equipment and the working systems, Tempus600 arrived just in time. It fits in nicely with the new working routines and lean thinking that we practice here”, concludes Lena Bengtsson. 

Laboratory management are looking forward to connecting more Tempus600^® systems to the automation facility. A third Tempus600^® sending station will soon be installed in the blood collection room to transport blood samples from 100-120 patients every day.

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