Dec 7 2007
Iris Diagnostics, a division of IRIS International, Inc. a leading manufacturer of urinalysis systems and consumables for use in hospitals and commercial laboratories worldwide, today announced that it has shipped its 1,000th iQ®200 Automated Urine Microscopy Analyzer for the international market. The analyzer, an iQ®200 ELITE™, was shipped to its distributor in Turkey and includes a commemorative plaque identifying it as the 1,000th international shipment.
"We are proud of the significant inroads Iris Diagnostics has made in the international marketplace where, prior to the launch of the iQ®200 platform in 2003, we had virtually no penetration with our Legacy systems," stated César García, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IRIS International, Inc. "Our iQ®200 analyzers have been sold both internationally and domestically, with international shipments representing a major portion as a result of the extensive network of distributors we have established in 58 countries.
The planned launch of our proprietary iChem®VELOCITY™ fully automated urine chemistry analyzer, scheduled for initiation of international shipments in March 2008, will enable even greater penetration of the overseas market for our series of iQ®200 analyzers which, when combined with the iChem®VELOCITY™, forms the new iRICELL® Complete Urinalysis Workcell," Mr. García said.
The iRICELL® Complete Urinalysis Workcell is a user-friendly, bench top, fully automated system encompassing both an iQ®200 Microscopy Analyzer and the new iChem®VELOCITY™ Chemistry System, performing complete urinalyses on unspun specimens on a walk away basis at a rate of 240 specimens per hour.
The iQ®200 uses Auto-Particle Recognition (APR™), a well-trained neural network, to classify and quantitate twelve formed elements. The results can be auto-reported based on user-defined criteria and the images captured may be viewed on demand at the workstation monitor, dramatically reducing the need for manual microscopy and improving laboratory productivity.
As a result of a comprehensive market segmentation initiative launched in July 2006, the Company extended its flagship iQ®200 line of analyzers to include three distinct analyzers in varying configurations that are designed to meet specific needs of three different market segments. These analyzers result in faster processing times with markedly less need for human intervention, which is a consideration at a time when trained, capable lab technicians are in short supply.
Internationally, IRIS will sell the high throughput iRICELL® 3000 Complete Urinalysis Workcell comprising the iChem® VELOCITY™ automated urine chemistry analyzer and the iQ®200 SPRINT™ Microscopy Analyzer, capable of processing 101 microscopy specimens per hour, serving the high-volume hospital market and commercial lab segments. IRIS will also sell the iRICELL® 2000 Complete Urinalysis Workcell which integrates the iChem® VELOCITY™ chemistry analyzer with the iQ®200 ELITE™ Microscopy Analyzer, capable of processing 70 microscopy specimens per hour, serving the medium-size hospital and laboratory market.
Both the iRICELL® 3000 and 2000 models offer full integration of automated urine chemistry and microscopy results with walk-away capabilities. The iRICELL® 1000 integrates the Company's iCHEM® 100 Semi-Automated Chemistry Analyzer with the iQ®200 Select Microscopy Analyzer with a throughput of 40 tests per hour, designed to serve smaller hospitals and commercial laboratories.