A new technical report from FLIR Systems details how developments in optical gas imaging camera technology are allowing smaller Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) leaks to be detected from a safer distance.

Detecting leaks of volatile, gaseous compounds can be dangerous, therefore operational safety of any detection technique is of vital importance for maintenance engineers. With Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) cameras, they make use of non-contact measuring Infrared technology that can detect, in real-time, small leaks from several meters away and big leaks from hundreds of meters away...

Fast and cost-effective sulfur determination is an important task of process optimization and quality control in refineries.

Even very low sulfur contaminations can poison the catalyst and thereby affect its effectiveness. To avoid troubles feed stocks, process streams, and final products must be monitored precisely. The most reliable method to do so is the thermal decomposition of samples followed by UV-fluorescence detection of the formed SO2 (e.g. ASTM D 7183, D 5453 or DIN 20846). Dependent on the process step, the sulfur contents can vary in a broad range from a few ppb up to high ppm...

North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Public Health England (Bristol) and Weston Area Health NHS Trust have appointed CliniSys and Capita Healthcare Decisions to deliver an integrated laboratory information system for all areas of pathology across the region. The Capita and CliniSys solution was selected following a competitive tender and evaluation process involving all four organisations.

It will deliver the necessary platform and infrastructure to ensure that the required levels of availability, scalability, flexibility and business agility are supplied; essential in the modern healthcare environment where pathology businesses and services need to evolve and adapt to incorporate new services and laboratories. David Gibbs, Pathology Services Manager for North Bristol NHS Trust said: “With multiple parties involved this has been a complex procurement. A key requirement was the need to incorporate our genetics service - Bristol Genetics Laboratory - on the same platform...

Magritek, a leading provider of compact NMR and MRI instruments, appoints LEAP Technologies as the Distributor for Spinsolve Benchtop NMR Spectrometers for the US and Canadian markets and forms a Partnership to develop automated solutions for the NMR products. 

LEAP Technologies was formed in Carrboro, NC in order to serve automation needs in the analytical laboratory with a focus on solutions for chromatography and mass spectrometry. LEAP delivers the automation advantage to R&D, pharmaceutical, polymer, food processing, forensic and academic laboratories. LEAP adds value through higher efficiency, error reduction and tighter specifications for users’ analytical results...

AMS Technologies presents a new compact hyperspectral imager product family from spectral sensing company BaySpec.

Hyperspectral imaging is well recognized for its potential, but widespread adoption has been limited by both bulk and cost. With BaySpec's miniaturized Hyperspectral OCI™-series handheld device based on low-cost semiconductor manufacturing processes, the cost of generating Hyperspectral images will drop significantly, enabling them to be used more frequently and at more sampling platforms...

The University of Sheffield-based Insigneo Institute is developing an ‘in silico’ (computer simulated) model of the human body that will enable simulation of the effects of drugs and treatments on the human body.

An Institute founded one year ago at the University of Sheffield is showcasing the first phase of technology that will lead to the creation of a virtual human body and revolutionise global healthcare. The Insigneo Institute at the University of Sheffield has the objective of creating an in silico (computer simulated) replica of the human body that will enable the virtual testing of bespoke treatments.  When complete, the Virtual Physiological Human will transform the economics and practicalities of modern medical treatment and medical research...

Kaluza for Gallios software combines cutting edge data acquisition tools with remarkable ease of use to increase efficiency and performance in the cell characterization and analysis workflow of core research laboratories. Researchers at all levels of experience can learn the system quickly using this next generation acquisition software for the Beckman Coulter Gallios cytometer...

Due to aging population in Europe the number of test volumes are increasing with 7,8% per year. This means an increase of more than 40% of the workload within 5 years time.

The new Zetasizer NanoSampler from Malvern Instruments is a versatile, compact, fully automated sample delivery system for the Zetasizer Nano, the most widely used system for nanoparticle and colloid characterization.

Delivering precise and reproducible automated sample loading, and accommodating up to 96 sample vials, the NanoSampler enables unattended operation of the Zetasizer Nano, to maximize analytical productivity. It is especially suitable for laboratories where reproducibility is critical and where multivariate studies are routine. The new NanoSampler will work with all of the sizing systems in the Zetasizer Nano instrument range. This range includes both exceptionally high performance and entry level systems that measure particle and molecular size using dynamic light scattering, covering a size range from less than one nanometer up to several microns....

Thermo Fisher has developed an efficient and simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with ultraviolet detection for the determination of phenolic compounds (gallic acid, caffeic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, salicylic acid, phloroglucinol, cinnamic acid, catechin, quercetin, vanillin, phloridzin, and phloretin) in apple orchard soil.

Application Note (AN) 1077: Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Apple Orchard Soil demonstrates that the entire analysis process, including sample preparation and separation for one soil sample, can be accomplished within 80 minutes using this method combined with an accelerated solvent extractor....

Dutch Software Company GENALICE announced that it has reached an agreement on a multi-million euro capital investment from Redbrae, a consortium of US- and UK-based private equity investors.

Market launch of ZEISS Smartzoom 5

At the trade show for quality assurance Control from May 6–9, 2014, the Microscopy business group of ZEISS presented its first automated digital microscope. The device particularly stands out thanks to its one-of-a-kind operating concept, which makes operation as easy as possible for the user. In an industrial environment, optical inspection is an important part of production-related quality testing. Parts such as screws, printed circuit boards, and metal elements need to be examined for defects...

Dutch Software Company GENALICE today announced at the 14^th Bio-IT World Conference & Expo that it has started discussions with Intel® about a product development as well as a product delivery partnership.

On 12/12 last year, GENALICE launched its groundbreaking DNA processing software; GENALICE MAP. On a simple dual Intel® Xeon® E5 server the company was capable to map the short reads of 42 complete human and 42 full tomato genomes within 24 hours. The software is designed to optimally make use of the modern hardware architecture of these commodity Intel processors....

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) today expanded its family of CORTECS® Columns with the introduction of a new line of 2.7 micron silica-based, solid-core particle columns that set a new standard for HPLC column performance.

HORIBA UK Ltd, Medical Division, has introduced a new version of its Quality Slide Program (QSP) service specifically designed to readily meet new CPA guidelines for evaluating and reporting on staff competency and training for blood cell identification in line with ISO 15189. As a unique digital blood cell morphology QC and training program, HORIBA’s QSP also helps to standardise blood film review.

ISO 15189 Medical Laboratory Accreditation is a tool to demonstrate the quality and competence of medical laboratories and ensure delivery of timely and accurate results. Key to this is on-going assessment of laboratory staff technical skills. The new version of HORIBA’s QSP offers enhanced recording of staff competency and training in blood cell identification, where results may sometimes be subjective. Intuitive and easy-to-use, QSP can be fully customised to meet UK working practices...

Xylem’s OI Analytical brand is pleased to offer a new water/soil sample processor for purge-and-trap GC-MS analysis of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in drinking water, wastewater, soils, and sediments.

Environmental laboratories performing VOC analysis of drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, soil and sediment samples require a versatile and reliable automation platform to transfer samples to purge-and-trap GC-MS systems. OI Analytical’s 4100 Water / Soil Sample Processor automates the handling and processing of samples in 40mL VOA vials for purge-and-trap analysis of VOCs in accordance with U.S. EPA methods....

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has published an updated version of H52-A2—Red Blood Cell Diagnostic Testing Using Flow Cytometry; Approved Guideline—Second Edition.

This standard addresses the diagnostic red blood cell (RBC) assays performed as fluorescence-based assays on a flow cytometry platform; including testing procedures for fetomaternal hemorrhage detection, paroxysmal nocturnal hematuria screening, membrane defect anemia testing for hereditary spherocytosis, and nucleated RBC counting. Points of validation and quality control, and caveats of interpretation are also discussed.

OHAUS, a leading worldwide manufacturer of scales and balances, has been extremely successful with the Explorer® Series. This line of ingenious balances offers advanced applications that simplify even the most complex laboratory measurements.

OHAUS Explorer® with its unmatched functionality and high-performance has received two prominent awards. One of them was granted by the American magazine Laboratory Equipment that gave Explorer® the 2013 “Readers' Choice” Award for best balance. The voters were focusing on products that lead the industry in technology... 

The US Federal Drug Administration Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory has increased the efficiency of preparing its agar plates for microbiological research using an INTEGRA MEDIAJET vario automated petri dish filling system.

Located in Dauphin Island (AL), the FDA’s Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory (GCSL) site is used by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) to conduct research programs related to seafood safety, especially seafood harvested from the Gulf of Mexico. The US FDA operates a mandatory safety program for all fish and fishery products under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, and related regulations. The FDA program includes research, inspection, compliance, enforcement, outreach and the development of regulations and industry guidance...

JPK Instruments, a world-leading manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation for research in life sciences and soft matter, reports on the use of the Quantitative Imaging mode for tissue engineering studies at Niigata University. 

Tomoyuki Kawase is an associate professor at the Institute of Medicine and Dentistry at Niigata University. His field of expertise is tissue engineering about which he has published several key papers. Professor Kawase is interested to determine the optimal stiffness or elasticity of cell scaffolding materials. In addition, it is also important to demonstrate dynamic changes in cytoskeletal fiber formation in response to the mechanical property of scaffolds... 

Analytik, leading suppliers of innovative analytical instrumentation, are pleased to announce the availability of the TerraSpec Halo mineral identifier from PANalytical Boulder (formerly ASD Inc). 

Analytik has announced the UK and Ireland release of the TerraSpec Halo, a lightweight, portable, full range near-infrared spectrometer designed to revolutionise the mineral exploration process. With a simple push of a button, the TerraSpec Halo delivers mineralogy results in a matter of seconds, a rapid method to identify minerals and decrease associated exploration costs...