Efficiency in the Clinical Lab
FCS Express contains many features specifically designed to improve
efficiency
in the clinical lab.
Linked
Quadrants
FCS Express allows you to link
quadrants from one
plot to another. This means that you can quickly
analyze your sample
data by adjusting the quadrants on your negative controls or isotypes
first and
have all your sample plots automatically
updated. This works for
both standard as well as Floating Quadrants. If you
want even more
automation, you can use Percentile quadrants to have FCS Express
automatically
set the quadrant location based upon your data. The quadrants
will then
automatically adjust as the position of your negative population
changes from
sample to sample.
Additionally, you can link
Quadrants to Gates
if you want to use a quadrant to select a population and have your
other plots
only show cells in that population.
Automatically load all of your tubes into the correct plots
Many labs use predefined panels to run their clinical testing to
simplify and
standardize their assays. These panels can consist
of one or two
tubes such as those run for performing T Cell Subsets, or they can
consist of
many tubes to define a particular Leukemia or Lymphoma
assay. In
either case, FCS Express also allows you to work in panel mode in which
you can
automatically load an entire panel's worth of data into your FCS
Express
analysis layout. Each file will automatically
populate the exact
plot in your analysis layout as defined by
you. Panels allow you to
rapidly change all the data in a particular layout to a new set of data
files
or to analyze multiple data files patient by patient greatly decreasing
the
amount of time spent analyzing your cases.
Get multiple reports quickly with Batch Processing
FCS Express' batch processing
capabilities
allow you to select which type of actions you would like to perform for
each
patient analysis and then allows you to quickly process your daily
workload. You can select multiple reporting options
such as
printing; saving layouts, generating PowerPoint™ or PDF files, as well
as
exporting statistics and patient information directly from the data
files. Reports can be exported as Excel™ spreadsheets
or predefined
templates, Word™ documents, Text files, or PDF
forms. FCS Express can
also interface directly with your LIS allowing you to export any
desired
statistics, graphics, etc.
Your FCS Express Analysis layout becomes your report so
there's no need for
any additional steps - by performing your analysis you have generated
the exact
report you want quickly and simply.
Use Tokens and Alerts to Save time
Many labs require technologists to perform a number of complicated
checks,
review data, perform manual calculations, and interpret or classify
results
while analyzing cytometry data. All these activities
are very
important but slow down the whole process. FCS
Express will
automatically perform tasks based upon your own
criteria. Tokens can
be created to perform calculations such as ratios, grade staining
intensity,
calculate cutoffs, and check to make sure that all the data files are
from the
same and correct patient. Alerts can be
created to automatically
flag techs of out of control
situations, to reflex additional tests, and to provide a focused
list of plots
or situations that require additional review. All
saving precious
tech time improving efficiency and as an added bonus increases quality
and standardization all at the same time.
| The image on the right
shows several examples of parameters that are automatically calculated
by FCS Express. All of the ratios are programmed in via user defined
formulas that update automatically as the data and gating strategy
changes. The classifications (in red) are also defined by the user and
update automatically as well. |
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