Stanbio Laboratory Release: ß-Hydroxybutyrate Applications Driving Sales Growth for Quantitative Diabetic Ketoacidosis Test

BOERNE, TX, January 12, 2012 – Stanbio Laboratory is announcing the total number of user-defined analyzer applications for its ß-hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor® enzymatic assay has increased to 19. There are ß-hydroxybutyrate analyzer applications available for many models of the most widely recognized industry brand names including Beckman Coulter, Olympus, Bayer, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Roche/Hitachi and Siemens.

“We’re experiencing accelerating acceptance of our ß-Hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor® assay,” said William R. Pippin, President of Stanbio Laboratory. “Many renowned medical centers have been using our ß-Hydroxybutyrate reagent because it provides a superior quantitative result in testing for diabetic ketoacidosis. We’re seeing more mid-sized and smaller hospitals moving away from the qualitative nitroprusside test to our quantitative enzymatic assay. To me, that says there’s a focus on providing a higher level of diabetic assessment and treatment at hospitals of all sizes,” Pippin added.

The assay is used for the determination of ß-hydroxybutyrate (blood ketone) in serum and plasma specimens. The measurement of ß-hydroxybutyrate is essential for the identification of complications of diabetes mellitus. During periods of metabolic acidosis the concentration of ketone bodies increases in blood and urine due to the lack of sufficient glucose in the cells. The major ketone body ß-hydroxybutyrate (~ 78 %) is not detectable with nitroprusside test strips commonly used for the detection of ketone bodies in urine; however, the Stanbio test is specific for ß-hydroxybutyrate, the predominant ketone body. It is not affected by interfering substances and shows a high linearity.

When compared with another commercially available chemistry system, the Stanbio ß-hydroxybutyrate method showed a correlation coefficient of 0.99 and a regression equation of y = 0.954x - 0.051.

The Stanbio ß-hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor® Reagent system is available as a set – R1: 1 x 50 mL, R2: 1 x 8.5 mL – and includes a 1.0 mmol/L standard (3 mL). Controls and linearity material are available separately.

Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Boerne, Texas, Stanbio Laboratory manufactures and markets medical testing and diagnostic devices including clinical chemistry, pregnancy, strep A, serology, urinalysis, and point-of-care hemoglobin tests. Stanbio Laboratory’s Quality System is ISO 13485 registered and its facility operates under USFDA current GMP requirements. Stanbio also offers OEM and private labeling capabilities and distributes products in over 125 countries worldwide. This year the company celebrates its 52nd year in business. To find out more about Stanbio, review its news, or learn more about its products, visit www.stanbio.com.

EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc is a worldwide manufacturer of near-patient care equipment for the measurement of glucose, lactate, hemoglobin, hematocrit and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). It offers its products to the professional clinical and research laboratories, doctors’ offices, sports clinics, and athletic testing sites. The company is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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