Clinical trials of a novel centrifugation method: axial separation

Specimen centrifugation is one of the most time-consuming tasks associated with preanalytical specimen processing. We report the first clinical use and impact study of the novel centrifugation method, axial separation, using the Axial Separation Module (ASM). The ASM centrifuges medical specimens one at a time (in 1 min 9 s) in proprietary Axial Process Containers (APC). Here we report tests of the ASM in an outpatient clinical laboratory. Use of the ASM in the outpatient clinic laboratory led to an average total improvement (decrease in total bench time) of 8 min 9 s per specimen compared with conventional centrifugation. Laboratory analysis revealed no statistical difference between plasma obtained from the APC vs that from a Becton Dickinson Vacutainer Tube. We conclude the ASM offers a cost-effective alternative to conventional centrifugation. Further, the use of axial separation may allow specimen separation to become an integral part of the phlebotomy process.