How a targeted initiative to optimize the transport of blood samples proved to be highly effective

Every year, at the well-known and highly regarded Dutch Hospital Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis (ETZ), Tilburg, 380,000 - 460,000 samples are sent from the Phlebotomy Department and 109,500 - 146,000 samples are sent from the Emergency Department.

In 2015, hospital management wanted to improve patient treatment by making the transport of blood samples more efficient. Fast and predictable response time was identified as crucial in order to speed up ambulatory treatment and efficient patient discharge.

Thorough evaluation of solution

Bob Wieggers, Head of the laboratory at the Haematology and Clinical Chemistry Department, evaluated the Tempus600 system and found it suitable to the hospitals need for streamlining the transport of blood samples. The laboratory subsequently recommended the system to hospital management and everyone has been delighted with that decision since Tempus600 was installed at the hospital.

“Tempus600 meets our expectations and we are very happy with the system. It is easy to use, and you only need to touch the samples once. Today, the transport time for blood samples is significantly reduced, and the combination of fast, dedicated sample transport and total laboratory automation has dramatically improved the total turnaround time by at least 30%”, explains Bob Wieggers.

The challenge

The hospital wanted to streamline transportation of blood samples in order to improve patient treatment

The solution

Implementing Tempus600 and streamlined sample flow in the laboratory.

• Blood samples are transported through the pipeline over long distances (350 m and 450 m)
• The samples land in a Sysmex/GLP track System in the fully automated laboratory
• From there, they are automatically transferred to the track for analysis.

 The benefits

• Turn-around-time for blood samples is improved by 30%.
• Sample flow in the laboratory have been optimized, freeing up resources
• Less hemolysis in blood samples

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