Turnhout (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – AZ Turnhout’s new €5 million automated blood testing system uses a 25-meter track with small “cars” to quickly analyze 1,700 samples daily. Clinical biologists Jul Boes and Dorien Leenaerts highlight its speed, prioritization of urgent cases, and one-hour emergency results.
AZ Turnhout has a new system for analysing blood samples. It’s a big, automated system that uses small “cars” to move blood samples around. According to officials, it’s accurate because it doesn’t need many people to work. The system can handle lots of blood samples quickly, which is helpful because it will be used for AZ Turnhout, Mol, and Herentals hospitals.
Even doctors in the area can send their patients’ blood samples to be analyzed. People who are in the hospital and people who are seeing their doctors can get their blood tests done quickly and easily.
Also GPs from the region can have their patients’ blood samples analysed here,
says Jul Boes of AZ Turnhout.
How Is AZ Turnhout’s new automated system transforming blood testing?
This new blood testing system is 25 meters long and uses tiny automated cars to move the blood tubes around. These cars deliver the samples to different machines that analyze them, so everything is done automatically. The whole process is controlled by computers, so there’s only one person needed to watch over it.
Doctors mentioned that the results are faster and more accurate because there are fewer mistakes. This is important in emergencies, like when someone might be having a heart attack, because doctors need to know quickly what’s going on. By using this new system, the hospitals are making blood testing better and faster for everyone in the area.
Samples coming from critical services, such as emergency rooms or intensive care, go through the analysis line more quickly.
Clinical biologist Dorien Leenaerts
According to clinical biologists, the new blood testing system knows which blood samples are most important, like the ones from the emergency room or intensive care unit. It makes sure those samples are tested first, so doctors can get the results faster. This is important for patients who are sick because every second counts.
They mentioned that the new system not only helps patients get better faster but also makes the lab work more efficient. All blood samples, even the ones that aren’t urgent, are tested quickly and accurately.
Samples that come from critical services, such as emergency or intensive care, go through the analysis street faster,
Leenaerts emphasizes.
According to the officials, through the new machine, the hospital can now give blood test results back in just one hour for patients in the emergency room. Before, it was impossible to get results that fast.
We have agreed with the Emergency Department that we will have the blood results within the hour. That was never possible before
Clinical biologist Jul Boes.
The lab at AZ Turnhout is always busy, testing about 1,700 blood samples every day. The new system is not only fast, it can also store blood samples for up to 10 days. Officials mentioned that doctors can test the same blood sample again later if they need to, without having to take more blood from the patient. The new system is part of a larger project that cost 5 million euros, with half of that money going to the lab at AZ Turnhout.
The lab is open 24/7,
says Boes.
In this new system, the samples are kept in a refrigerator for 10 days. That way, we can respond to requests from doctors for additional research.
