A Diagnostics & lmaging Week

VivoMetrics (Ventura, California) and Empirical Technologies (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina) reported a “collaborative breakthrough in physiological monitoring” which they said will enable “the addition of continuous non-invasive beat-by-beat monitoring of blood pressure to VivoMetrics’ LifeShirt Preclinical System.”

The new feature is now being integrated into the system and will be available as an option to VivoMetrics’ customers by the end of 2Q07, the companies said.

In other agreements news:

• Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics (Tarrytown, New York) has been selected by group purchasing organization Premier (San Diego) to provide a line of immunoassay, chemistry, automation and urinalysis solutions to its customers.

The agreement is part of Premier’s recently issued “Core Lab” segment which sought solution providers in six separate bid categories. Siemens has been selected to provide the integrated and urinalysis solutions.

Hospitals in Premier’s alliance will utilize Advia’s chemistry systems, immunoassay systems and automation solutions, such as Advia WorkCell and Advia LabCell.

• SkyeTek (Westminister, Colorado) reported that Iris Diagnostics, a division of IRIS International (Chatsworth, California), has adopted the M2 SkyeModule with ReaderWare Security as its single source solution for authenticating reagents used in its flagship product, the iQ200 Automated Urinalysis System.

Iris will integrate an M2 HF SkyeModule with ReaderWare Security into the iQ200 Urinalysis System that will read data on the RFID-tagged consumable reagent system. With the M2 incorporated, the iQ200 will now be able to check for reagent type, manufacturing date, and authenticity each time the reagent system is used for sample testing, the company said.

• Enpath Medical (Plymouth, Minnesota) said it has extended its supply agreement for introducers with Medtronic (Minneapolis) for another five years. The agreement relates to standard lead introducer procedural kits, a key component of Enpath’s revenue stream, according to the company.

• Welch Allyn (Skaneateles Falls, New York) said it has entered into a technology integration agreement with Oridion, a device company that makes products for ventilation patient monitoring. The Welch Allyn family of electronic vital signs monitoring devices will be allowed to integrate Oridion’s Microstream branded capnography boards and accessories, which are used to monitor end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) non-invasively in patients.