Abbott Laboratories announced a mobile tour to demonstrate its laboratory diagnostic equipment. Called Architour, this mobile demonstration utilizes a customized semi-trailer to feature Abbott's Architect ci8200 Immunochemistry System. Stopping at more than 105 cities nationwide, the tour will provide laboratory professionals with the opportunity to see an Architect ci8200 system, learn about new products and review testing menus for other Abbott diagnostic systems. The tour starts in the Boston area in April.
"We wanted a way to bring our technology to our customers," said Michael J. Collins, vice president, U.S. Diagnostic Commercial Operations, Abbott Laboratories. "Our customers have visited us at trade shows and commented that they wished others in their lab could see our system. The Architour gives us the chance to showcase the latest in lab automation and provide a tailored overview for each facility that we visit."
Logging more than 12,000 miles, the Architour event will potentially reach more than 6,300 lab professionals at hospitals and facilities throughout the U.S. as the tour travels from coast to coast beginning in April and continuing through year-end. The Architour trailer will also be featured in Abbott's exhibit at the American Association of Clinical Chemistry's 2004 Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Exposition in July.
"This system addresses some of the most critical issues facing today's laboratory," said John Savory, Ph.D., director of clinical chemistry and toxicology, University of Virginia. "The increasing demand for preventive testing combined with a shortage of qualified laboratory technicians has created a need for increased automation and productivity in the laboratory - which this instrument offers."
From carryover reduction to clot detection, the Architect ci8200 system has been designed to enhance lab workflow productivity. System features include being able to load 93 different assays at one time, user-friendly software and the ability to monitor where the sample is at any time during the testing cycle. The Architect ci8200 system can run up to 200 immunoassay tests and up to 1200 clinical chemistry tests an hour.