The philosophy behind point of care (POC) tests is the following: the sooner results are obtained, the sooner a diagnosis can be made and treatment commenced. The technology must allow tests to be performed right away, together with the patient, without the need for a sample to be taken to a laboratory. Has this been achieved?
Accurate and immediate diagnoses have positive consequences for patients, who receive an early diagnosis. Furthermore, they benefit medical institutions in economic terms, since costs can be cut and time is saved. Idneo fully supports this move towards immediacy and efficiency in medicine, in which the use of POC tests is growing rapidly, since they are effective and easy to apply. Consequently, they are of great benefit when it comes to taking decisions about the health of a patient.
High-quality medical care
Modern medicine has witnessed interdisciplinary technological innovations in medical care, as life expectancy increases throughout the world. However, in order for high-quality medical care to be achieved without excessive costs, preventive, personalised and precision medicine must be supported by technological innovations at points of care (POC).
Technological solutions for clinical needs
Doctors, medical care providers, experts in the industry and researchers must define clinical needs and technological solutions at points of care. New needs exist, such as priority clinical needs, technological innovations in medical devices, information and communication technologies, infrastructure support, and acceptance on the part of patients and doctors of POC medical care technologies.
Idneo’s technology
Diagnostic tests that can provide results between 5 and 15 minutes after receiving a body fluid sample (blood, urine, saliva, semen…) require a high-quality analytical technology that is easy to use. Devices for obtaining and analysing samples include electronic swabs, reactive multistrips, portable ultrasounds and blood and urine analysers. In the case of blood gas analysis, for example, up to 14 parameters can be analysed to determine the concentration of oxygen in the blood, while in urine analysis, testing ranges from the urine strip to sediment analysis equipment with diagnostic imaging that requires a maximum of half a minute per sample.
New challenges
Idneo’s POC portfolio goes beyond technology. Pathological insights will only be improved if the result of a test can be obtained immediately, and so we are fully committed to the POC analyser market. However, in order to be able to take the laboratory to wherever the patient may be, new challenges arise, such as using software that can control all POC equipment, independently of the manufacturer, thereby achieving remote management of equipment. The main advantage of a single interface is that health professionals only need to learn to use the system once in order to maximise the safety and efficiency of patient care.
To learn about our POC devices, click here. Idneo offers you customised solutions in the design, development and manufacture of these devices which have the capacity to return accurate and immediate diagnoses.
