FACSCount: A New System to Standardize Monitoring of HIV Patients

FACSCount/Page 3
The system is easy to use and minimizes operator handling of
potentially biohazardous samples. It requires minimal operator
training and is expected to find application in hospital
laboratories, AIDS clinics, small physician groups, vaccine and
drug trial sites and other areas involved with the monitoring and
treatment of HIV-infected individuals.
Because the system also represents a considerable cost
savings, compared with traditional multi-step techniques
currently in place for CD4 testing, FACSCount is expected to be
attractive to smaller laboratories currently referring tests to a
third party.
FACSCount requires minimal space and is suitable for field
and mobile applications.
SYSTEM BENEFITS
FACSCount eliminates many of the potential sources for error
associated with existing methods for measurement of the CD4
count. Current technology requires a hematology parameter --
measurement of a white blood cell count on a separate
instrument -- to obtain absolute counts. This multiple testing
adds extra cost and is a major source of site-to-site
variability.
Elimination of this requirement is expected to improve
correlation between sites, a critical factor in multi-center
studies where standardization is required.
Additionally, FACSCount eliminates the red cell lysing and
washing step -- a potential source of cell loss.
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