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Cardiff, UK – 14th March 2013 – EKF Diagnostics, worldwide manufacturer of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic equipment, today announces that the 33,333rd Hemo Control hemoglobin analyzer has been built at EKF’s manufacturing facility in Barleben, Germany. Providing lab quality results within 25 seconds for both hemoglobin and hematocrit from one simple test, and with a CV of <2%, this robust analyzer has gained professional approval globally since the first Hemo Control was sold to Oman in 2003 – and is still in use today.

In the last few years EKF has developed the Hemo Control range to include a data management version (Hemo Control Manager), a device that delivers results in just 10 seconds (Hemo Speed) and also launched a unique innovation in microcuvette technology – the NXT microcuvette. This novel device delivers precise and easy sampling that also minimizes waste and cost. The NXT microcuvette incorporates two unique features – an air gap that ensures bubble-free testing and a large blood collection opening that makes patient sampling more accurate and simpler to use than many alternatives on the market.

Data management options for Hemo Control have also been enhanced over the past decade to ensure simple management of patient data. The Hemo Control Manager enables users to quickly and securely manage and analyze test results. Up to 4000 patient results can be stored on the analyzer itself, with the option to seamlessly link to a PC and transfer data to an Information Management System. Barcode identification of patients, operators and control levels further simplify data management.

Hemo Control was first launched for use in blood banks, but has since been used in a variety of clinical settings, including pregnancy and malnutrition screening programs around the world, from the USA to South Korea and Russia to Tanzania. This versatility is a direct result of the analyzer’s durability and features, such as the integrated rechargeable battery and maintenance-free operation, which means that Hemo Control is ideal for field studies.

“We believe the key to Hemo Control’s continuing worldwide success is the quality of its results and reliability of the technology. The NXT microcuvette’s bubble-free sampling technology means that costs are reduced and patient discomfort is kept to a minimum,” commented Julian Baines, Group CEO, EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc. “A decade on from its launch Hemo Control is more popular than ever before, and sales of devices and microcuvettes continue to grow. Our success in winning large government orders in Mexico, Peru and Tanzania, as well as our increasing market share in the USA, demonstrates the strength of the brand in a very competitive market.”