Influenza (flu) viruses contribute to countless hospitalizations and deaths every year. In the 2017-2018 season alone, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated more than 950,000 individuals were hospitalized and nearly 80,000 lives were claimed by the illness. Fortunately, there are actions healthcare providers can take to help prevent outcomes like these. Testing at the earliest stages of an outbreak, for instance, has been shown to improve outcomes, helping identify sickness sooner and enabling patients to recover faster.
However, with over 20 million people visiting healthcare providers every flu season, how can clinical facilities keep up? This was the question a large diagnostic manufacturer of rapid test kits raised as flu season approached. Recognizing the important role of rapid testing kits in flu mitigation, the company knew it needed to be prepared to support its clinical customers throughout the season with a steady supply.
The enormity of the task prompted the company to explore new ways of improving the speed and efficiency of its manufacturing process, so it could increase production and begin delivering kits to its clientele more quickly in anticipation of a severe flu season. To accomplish this, the diagnostic manufacturer turned to our dedicated custom project team for help.
In addition to our robust manufacturing capabilities, which could easily support the specialized, high volume production required, we offered product design and development expertise to improve the kits themselves. Specifically, our wealth of knowledge and experience as a diagnostic solutions provider was key to the development of an integral part of the testing kit: an exact volume pipette, which enables a patient’s sample to be transferred into the diagnostic kit for testing with advanced precision and accuracy.
Working closely with the client to understand its unique technical and business requirements, our cross-functional team determined that the Thermo Scientific™ Samco™ Exact Volume Transfer Pipettes would best meet the client’s needs – and those of its clinical customers. Designed for the precise dispensing of specific liquid volumes and made with shatterproof, nontoxic polyethylene to preserve sample integrity, the Samco Transfer Pipettes deliver reliable and accurate results with minimal effort. As such, our transfer pipettes offer a dependable, sturdy and streamlined solution ideal for busy clinical environments, especially when they are contending with an influx of patient samples during one of the most demanding times of the year.
Once the best pipette option was determined, our team was able to develop an assortment of custom exact volume transfer pipettes in multiple sizes, all specifically designed to meet the small liquid transfer needs associated with flu testing. By bringing together individuals from every facet of Thermo Fisher Scientific, our cross-functional team is able to work closely with the customer throughout every stage of the process, ensuring a seamless experience from initial design and development through quality and regulatory support. Regardless of a request’s scale, timeline or customization complexities, we offer several advantages that allow for successful outcomes, including:
- Deep product knowledge, with a wide-ranging product inventory that ensures a solution for any need,
- Technical expertise in product design and developing custom molds,
- Comprehensive manufacturing processes to keep up with large quantities of demand,
- Streamlined shipping for improved lead times when time constraints are a key consideration, and
- Quality assurance through rigorous, documented and completely traceable product testing.
As flu season rapidly approaches and clinical facilities around the world prepare to face a cascade of testing requests, ensure that you have the product design, manufacturing and shipping support necessary to meet demands. This means not only delivering enough products, but also making sure they are the right products made with the highest standard of care. In addition to transfer pipettes, our customer support services can help ensure streamlined scale up of all flu season essentials, including dropper bottles, screw cap micro tubes, diagnostic bottles and more depending on your unique testing needs.
To learn more about how we were able to help this diagnostic manufacturer, read the full case study here. For more on our custom supply capabilities and how we can support you, visit www.thermofisher.com/oemlpd.
Leave a Reply