Abbott Advances Blood Bank Testing Technology With U.S. Launch of Abbott PRISM(R)

Main Category: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 16 Oct 2005 - 21:00 PDT

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Abbott announced today that the first, fully-automated blood screening instrument, Abbott PRISM(R) System and a test for hepatitis B, will be available to blood banks across the United States, marking a major step forward in blood bank testing technology. Before a blood donation can enter the blood supply, it is tested for evidence of exposure to viruses that might cause disease. This screening process involves numerous assays, multiple test instruments and many manual steps. The PRISM instrument consolidates much of this testing into a single system, reducing the risk of accidents, errors and tampering by automating the manual testing procedures and steps currently used to screen blood.

"Abbott has a strong history and commitment to ensuring the safety of the world's blood supply. Now, the PRISM system's advanced screening technology will be available to U.S. blood banks for hepatitis core screening, helping to make America's blood supply as safe as possible," said Joseph M. Nemmers, senior vice president, Diagnostic Operations, Abbott. "PRISM's automated technology will minimize the potential for manual errors and allow donated blood to be quickly tested and verified before being released into the blood supply."

Outside the United States, the PRISM system is used in more than 30 countries. Nearly half of these countries rely on PRISM to screen 100 percent of their blood donations.

"Prior to acquiring the PRISM system, infectious disease testing was a very labor intensive process involving numerous steps and requiring more time to test blood before it could enter the blood supply," said Graham Sher, M.D., chief executive officer, Canadian Blood Services, a non-profit organization that manages the blood supply at 42 sites in Canadian provinces and territories outside of Quebec. "The PRISM technology has not only allowed us to enhance the safety of the blood supply by eliminating this manual intervention, but also our organization is able to easily process the sudden increase in collections that are occasionally required during emergencies."

PRISM features a built-in quality control system that monitors critical functions and verifies proper processing of each sample. Blood banks across the U.S. have been eager to bring the PRISM system into their labs due to its ability to handle a high number of tests with very little manual intervention. A mistake made during the screening process may produce a false result that might unnecessarily defer a donor or allow an infected unit of blood to be made available for transfusion.

"Even though donated blood is screened following rigorous protocol to ensure a safe blood supply, there are still a number of manual steps performed in the testing process," said Louis M. Katz, M.D., executive vice president, medical affairs, Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center. "The PRISM instrument is a completely closed system so there is very little, if any, chance for operator errors during sample processing."

A hepatitis B test, PRISM(R) HBcore, is the first test approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on the PRISM system. Additional hepatitis and retrovirus screening tests, which includes a test for HIV, are currently under FDA review. Abbott also has other PRISM assays in development.

According to the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), approximately eight million volunteers donate about 15 million units of whole blood each year. Each donated unit of blood is tested for infectious diseases including hepatitis, HIV and other retroviruses.

On any given day, approximately 38,000 units of red blood cells are needed. Donated blood is used to treat accident victims, people undergoing surgery and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or other diseases such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

About Abbott PRISM System

Fast and efficient, the PRISM system can run 160 samples per hour or up to 800 tests, making it possible to test more than 1,200 samples per eight hour shift. Numerous safety features built into the system help track and monitor each sample throughout the testing process providing documentation and quality control for testing facilities. Additionally, PRISM's testing methodology, Chemiluminescent Immunoassay (ChLIA), allows the system to better detect infectious agents or antibodies which may be present in a sample.

About Abbott

Abbott is a leader in ensuring the safety of the world's blood supply. In 1985, Abbott developed the world's first HIV blood screening test. Concentrating efforts in hepatitis and retrovirus detection, Abbott continues to set the standards of excellence in blood screening.

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs more than 60,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

abbott.com/news

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