A Medical Device Daily

Radiometer (Charlottesville, Virginia) and Medical Automation Systems (MAS: Westlake, Ohio) said they have begun work on a Radiometer-specific RALS-Plus module for Radiometer’s ABL Series blood gas analyzers. RALS-Plus is a point-of-care (POC) data management system developed and marketed by MAS.

Radiometer said that RALS-Plus will enable users of its ABL800 and ABL80 analyzers to automatically manage, report and electronically transfer patient blood gas data to the RALS-Plus database and the hospital’s laboratory information system.

Radiometer’s ABL800 FLEX is equipped with FLEXQ, a module that automatically mixes and measures samples to ensure sample integrity for the best possible results. In addition, the ABL800 with FLEXQ automatically processes blood specimens, providing an “unsurpassed level of automation in blood gas testing,” according to the companies.

The ABL80 is a portable, cartridge-based analyzer, offering fast turnaround, ease of use and no maintenance for POC applications.

RALS-Plus is a vendor-independent connectivity system for POCT and providing users with control of their POC program.

MAS provides data management systems used by hospitals to monitor and manage diagnostic testing performed at the bedside. Radiometer makes diagnostic testing systems used in the acute care setting.

In other agreements news:

• Clearant (Los Angeles) reported that it signed an agreement with JPS Surgical (Tulsa, Oklahoma), a distributor of orthopedic surgical supplies, to represent and distribute clearant process sterile implants for allograft sport medicine surgeries. Under the terms of the agreement, JPS Surgical. will deploy its team of 20 sales representatives to market the implants to the sports medicine specialists throughout the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas.

“This is the second distribution agreement that we report this month to expand our reach to surgeons in a region where Clearant does not have a direct sales force, reflecting; the growing demand for clearant process sterile implants by surgeons and distributors. To-date, Clearant does not have any sales representation in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. As a result, we are pleased to be able to complement our direct distribution initiative with a group of sales people as successful as those of JPS Surgical ...This agreement will, immediately, give Clearant greater market reach in the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas and we are confident that this will lead to faster adoption for the Clearant Process sterile sports medicine implants in that region,” said Clearant CEO Alain Delongchamp.

“Each one of our 20 sales representatives has a relationship with surgeons from every orthopedic sub-specialty, including sports medicine, arthroplasty and trauma in their individual territory thanks to our very broad product line. As our sales representatives are working with a large number of the hospital staff and orthopedic surgeons in our region, we are seeing a significant demand for safer tissue,.” said Mark Farrow, President of JPS Surgical.

The Clearant Process is the first technology capable of eliminating all types of pathogens in tissue implant sterilized in its final packaging, while maintaining the integrity of the essential underlying protein in the tissue, the company said.

Cord Blood America (Los Angeles), the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company, focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells to families nationwide and internationally, reported that CorCell (Philadelphia), whose operating entity and assets were recently purchased by the company, has entered into a marketing alliance with Highmark (Pittsburgh), the largest Pennsylvania health insurer based on membership and one of the largest health insurers in the U.S.

Marcia Laleman, CorCell’s president, said: “Highmark selected CorCell as a strategic value added program and CorCell will offer Highmark members a preferred price for the cord blood banking service.”

CorCell is a national leader in private family cord blood banking. It is the fourth largest private umbilical cord blood bank in the U.S. , Cord Blood America said.

“Cord blood stem cells may be used today to treat more than 70 diseases including leukemia, severe anemia, metabolic blood disorders and immune deficiencies with many additional uses currently under investigation in clinical trials. Previously the umbilical cord, which contains a rich store of stem cells, had been thrown away at birth,” Laleman said.

• Misys Healthcare Systems (Raleigh, North Carolina), which focuses on healthcare IT, said that it will deliver a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) system for Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS; Los Altos Hills, California), a California regional healthcare system. The significant multi-million dollar partnership will provide a core clinical system for DCHS operations to assist the organization in its mission to provide safe patient care and quality outcomes. Ultimately, DCHS will have an integrated healthcare IT platform serving all clinicians.

DCHS, a regional healthcare system of six hospitals and care centers spanning the California coast from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, performed a vendor-evaluation process to select the best patient record solution in specialties across the system. “Over the course of the selection process, Misys proved to be the best partner to further our mission of providing high quality care to all, especially to the poor,” said Richard Hutsell, vice president and CIO of Daughters of Charity Health System. “Through the use of Misys’ products, we look forward to delivering an EHR solution that will place DCHS facilities among the elite in information management in healthcare.”