New service and support tool helps to overcome geographical limitations:
Barriers to science can come down to something as simple as geography. Traveling to remote areas can involve significant delays and logistical challenges. As a result, scientists in those areas may be difficult to help.
In the same way that telemedicine has helped to spread quality health care to underserved communities, new digital tools from Thermo Fisher Scientific Global Services and Support (GSS) are delivering their own kind of support to customers in hard-to-reach locations.
Following a catastrophic event in eastern Africa during the summer of 2019, many families were left looking for answers—and for confirmation that their loved ones may not be coming home. To help local authorities in their identification efforts, GSS traveled to the area to train them on processing samples and on considerations for kinship analysis. They installed an Applied Biosystems™ RapidHIT™ ID System, a platform that produces DNA profiles within 90 minutes. This unique system was enlisted to help with rapid identification of victims and to provide critical information for labs, law enforcement, and public safety officials.
After setup, the new users of the RapidHIT system encountered a connectivity and software challenge that would’ve normally been addressed by in-person help from a field service engineer. However, the need to identify victims was pressing. Instead of making them wait for an engineer to arrive on-site, GSS used the augmented reality–enabled Thermo Fisher Scientific Smart Remote Support tool to resolve the issue remotely, without delay. This tool helped bring affected families the answers they were desperately waiting for.
“As a service and support organization, we understand that instrument uptime is crucial for our customers to accomplish their missions. We are actively developing and deploying innovative tools to help expand access and minimize barriers to science,” explains Jeff Journey, senior director of strategy, innovation, marketing, and sales for GSS. “We’re delighted to see our digital service tools having a real impact on our customers and their local communities.”
Learn more about this and other service and support tools >
Get more information about the RapidHIT ID System >
The above article was originally published in Life in the Lab magazine issue “Science Serving All.”
—
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Leave a Reply