RR Mechatronics

Starrsed RS

Does your busy laboratory perform up to 135 erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) tests per hour and are you looking to automate this process? Or did you already automate this process but are you looking for a smarter product? If so, the Starrsed RS is the obvious solution. Building on the success of the Starrsed line, the Starrsed RS has a built-in rack loader and a large capacity. Starrsed is the world’s only product line that allows laboratories to perform ESR tests at large scale that are fully in agreement with the Westergren Method (the Gold Standard). An hourly capacity of approximately 135 samples brings ESR sampling to new heights. The Starrsed RS achieves the highest degree of reliability in testing, leaving you and your operators available for other tasks in the laboratory.

Westergren Sedimentation Method

One of the oldest and most frequently requested blood tests is ESR. It has not changed fundamentally in the way it is carried out since Westergren described it in 1921. In 2011, the International Council for Standardization in Hematology (ICSH) and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) defined the Reference Method for ESR to be the Westergren Method; the Gold Standard. The objective of ESR testing is to measure inflammatory state. The Westergren Method measures both infections related to infectious diseases and chronic inflammatory conditions. In addition to being very reliable, the Westergren Sedimentation Method is also amongst the cheapest laboratory tests available.

The Process

The Starrsed RS works with standard blood cell counter racks and performs dedicated ESR measurements fully unattended. Simply place any blood cell counter rack in the rack-adapter and walk away – the Starrsed RS takes over. The rack loader minimizes the operator’s time to virtually zero and makes it is easy to use by every employee in your laboratory.

A built-in barcode reader identifies each sample. Capable of bi-directional communications with the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), the Starrsed RS knows which samples require ESR testing and which do not.

How it works

The instrument is able to process up to five racks at a time, containing up to 12 blood sample tubes each. Room for extra samples is available as soon as the initial racks are processed.

The Starrsed RS pre-mixes the blood sample automatically by rotating the rack nine times before actually drawing the sample from the tube. The Starrsed RS checks the barcodes and then starts sampling each tube requiring an ESR test.

The aspiration system is activated and the needle pierces the cap. Blood is drawn from the tube. The Starrsed RS has a fully integrated diluting system, which dilutes the blood with the Starrsed citrate diluent in a 4:1 ratio, in full accordance with the Westergren Method. The diluted blood sample is then drawn up into one of the 84 Westergren pipettes inside the instrument. The optional printer gives the result that is also sent automatically to the LIMS.

Cleaning

The used Westergren pipettes are automatically cleaned and dried after each test and ready for a new sample. Additionally, all 84 pipettes receive an automatic end of day cleaning and rinsing that uses special Starrsed agents. This prevents any bacterial growth or protein build-up.

All waste fluids, i.e. blood, diluents, cleaning agent and disinfectant, are collected in a built-in waste container, ready for disposal as stipulated by local regulations.

Easy to Use

A fully intuitive touch screen or mouse is all you need to operate the Starrsed RS. The connected PC stores all data and allows for easy access. A push of a button is all that is needed to produce the entire instrument operating history. The built-in QC-program monitors the performance of the Starrsed RS daily, and generates output files for use in Excel or external QC-programs.

Controls

Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) advises the use of controls to ensure the continued reliability of the test results. RR Mechatronics supports this with Starrsed Control. It is to be used in the ESR analyzers as if it were a real patient sample. Starrsed Control is processed exactly the same way and is fully compliant with the ICSH recommendations and CLSI procedures. The QC test results are saved separately from patient test results and appear on a designated QC page. As a result, your laboratory is always able to check on the instrument’s status. Starrsed Control gives you maximum reliability at minimal effort and costs.

Additional Benefits

As the Westergren glass tubes are re-usable after each automatic cleaning with Starrsed cleaning-agent, there is no additional costs for new pipettes. No disposable plastics of any kind are used.

It is easy to add the Starrsed RS to your laboratory as it accepts virtually every brand of blood cell counter rack and all regular types of sample tubes. As opposed to other ESR test instruments, Starrsed instruments actually identify and report hazy samples so that the lab technician may decide on further testing.

The Starrsed RS makes use of EDTA sample tubes. The advantage is that EDTA blood is very stable compared to pre-citrated samples, allowing for accurate ESR test results up to 24 hours after collection. This provides laboratories with even more logistical flexibility.

Because the Starrsed RS dilutes the blood, which is in agreement with the Westergren Method, it compensates for different hematocrit levels. The hematocrit level of the sample therefore will not influence the accuracy of the ESR measured.