www.alphalabs.co.uk 7 The BÜHLMANN CALEX® Cap is the first and only stool extraction device certified for safe air and land transportation according to IATA 650 (UN3373) regulations. This allows the option to outsource pre-analytics to the patients’ homes, keeping stool samples away from the laboratory. Their small amount of sample is sealed in the CALEX and can be mailed directly to the laboratory or clinic. By getting the patient to use the CALEX to collect their sample at home, it is fully extracted and ready for calprotectin testing on arrival, using the BÜHLMANN Quantum Blue POCT assay or the ELISA or fCAL turbo laboratory assays. The same sample can also be tested for pancreatic elastase testing using the BÜHLMANN fPELA® turbo assay. CALEX is the same extraction device used in the laboratory setting. The optimised dilution of stool sample yields maximum extraction efficiency while offering stability of the calprotectin (7 days at room temperature) and p-elastase (7 days at room temperature) extracts. This convenient solution increases safety for laboratories and revolutionizes speed, efficiency and cost savings in the stool testing workflow. To help faciliate the logistics the BÜHLMANN CALEX® Cap Collection Set is specifically designed to simplify sample handling by patients. It provides convenient, hygienic and safe sample collection for the patient and provides a quality, ready extracted sample for analysis in the clinic. Testing Compliance In terms of patient compliance in using the CALEX to directly collect their faecal sample for calprotectin testing, it has been very good at around 90%. This is actually significantly better than we get for the FIT. The calprotectin test requests we get are from secondary care and so a lot of it is repeat testing for monitoring. So, the patients are more engaged than with the FIT which is usually a one off. We don’t seem to see much spoilage of samples with the CALEX (overloaded, no buffer, not labelled) probably <5%. We see a lot more spoilage with the FIT pickers but again that is probably for the same reasons of repeat users verses naïve users. Our compliance level is really good – a retrospective audit from the last six months showed that we did 500 samples per month with a return rate of 95%. Of the samples that were returned only 6% were unable to be tested. The implementation of the patient preparing the CALEX has certainly streamlined the laboratory workflow. It has freed up the space we used to do the extractions in and staff resource. There are discussions around opening the service to primary care and if this does go ahead then having the CALEX sent in ready prepared certainly lessens the impact on the laboratory from the increased workload. Having the samples arrive at the laboratory already in the CALEX has also helped in sample reception. Previously samples arrived in a universal tube and then the reception team needed to determine if it was for microbiology or biochemistry. Having the sample in the CALEX makes it immediately clear that the test is for calprotectin. Enabling the patients to prepare the CALEX themselves has saved us plenty of time in the laboratory and we would certainly recommend that other hospitals investigate how to make this work for them. It is worth noting that the ambient stability of CALEX is due to be extended later this year to at least 12 months, which will help with logistics.” For more information, visit our calprotectin website calprotectin.co.uk/calex Analysis of CALEX Tubes Returned July-Dec 2021 For more information on CALEX and to purchase please visit our website alphalabs.co.uk/calex 94% Samples analysed 3% Unlabelled 2% Low fluid level 1% Other 95% Return rate Ready To Use Samples UN3373 Compliant CALEX® Cap Collection Set for Faecal Extraction The kit contains: ✓ Instructions for use ✓ 1 X CALEX Cap ✓ 2 x Sample collection sheets ✓ 1 x Label for the CALEX ✓ 1 x Plastic bag
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