Sysmex America (Mundelein, Illinois) reported that the company's Health Information Technology Systems (HITS) Division has been reorganized in the U.S. with increased staffing to meet a strong upward shift in market demand for clinical laboratory middleware products. Sysmex Vice President, Ranjit Pradhan, global product management, HITS, who has global product management responsibilities, will now head the HITS business unit in the U.S.

"The realignment of the HITS business unit reinforces Sysmex's position as a single-source solutions information technology provider by bringing the marketing, product management, engineering services, implementation/support and project management teams together into a newly-organized unit. This one-team approach will result in smooth, on-time customer implementations, improved process efficiencies, and business profitability," said Pradhan.

Sysmex's products include Molis Wam, a work area management system, also referred to as middleware designed to free a clinical lab technologist's time by reducing the number of routine tasks, the company said. It provides rules-based intelligence to control reflex, repeat, and add-on testing automatically, allowing technologists to save time by focusing on reviewing abnormal and specialty tests, it said. The Sysmex Wam mediates activities between laboratory instruments and laboratory information systems (LIS), and it is designed to be scalable to meet the needs of various sized labs.

Sysmex develops clinical diagnostics, automation, and information systems.

Imaging center grand opening set

The Diagnostic Center for Disease (Sarasota, Florida) reported the grand opening of its world headquarters in Sarasota set for December. The center will offer "advanced" detection imaging technology and interpretation for prostate disease, featuring a 3.0 Tesla Signa HD-X MRI Spectroscopy (MRIS) scanner from GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin). The signature Prostascan image technology will provide a unique biochemical "finger print" of cancerous tissue (when present) as it evaluates the by-products of metabolism at the prostate cellular level, the center said.

"In effect, with my clinical experience, this scan will help us decode the disease, enabling better decisions and better treatment outcomes," said Dr. Ronald Wheeler, a urologist and medical director for The Diagnostic Center for Disease.

A maturing baby boomer demographic group is demanding treatment of BPH using newer minimally invasive technologies that are both safe and effective, according to analysis by Frost & Sullivan. It said that the market earned revenues of $141 million in 2005 and estimates the market will reach $282.8 million in 2012.