PTS Pod™Allows Health Providers and Screening Companies to Expand Testing Options & Increase Efficiency

INDIANAPOLIS, July 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- PTS Diagnostics, the U.S.-based manufacturer of both the CardioChek® brand and the A1CNow® family of point-of-care diagnostic products, will begin distribution of an easy-to-use, point-of-care blood collection system which reduces biohazard exposure and decreases screening time per participant. This innovative technology enables retail clinics and health and wellness providers to conveniently and efficiently offer additional accurate laboratory-developed tests to their clients.

The patent-pending blood collection PTS Pod system offers fast-drying and tamper-resistant containment technology. Healthcare professionals use the patent-pending PTS Pod system to collect blood at the point-of-care with easy handling and shipping (non-biohazard) and then send to an accredited laboratory for processing. Within 3 to 5 days (typically within 24 to 48 hours) of sample arrival at the laboratory, accurate and precise results are available for download from a secure website.

"The PTS Pod system allows clinics and health and wellness companies to greatly expand the variety of tests available to their customers with a simple fingerstick while maintaining efficient throughput of screening participants," said Robert Huffstodt, President and CEO of PTS Diagnostics. "For our customers across the globe, the PTS Pod system has many benefits over traditional Dried Blood Spot (DBS) equipment, including less than three minutes of dry time."

CoreMedica Laboratories, LLC, which is CLIA-licensed and accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), will perform the testing and report the results. CoreMedica reports a very low "quantity not sufficient" rate of less than one percent.

"Medical providers, retail walk-in clinics, health wellness providers, and screening companies will certainly find value in our newest product offering. The PTS Pod system provides significant cost savings over standard blood laboratory testing, especially when you consider extra expenses such as phlebotomists, supplies, and biohazard shipping and handling," said Huffstodt.

The PTS Pod system is currently available with the following tests: serum nicotine/cotinine, prostate specific antigen (PSA), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), creatinine, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, testosterone, cortisol, lipid panel, glucose, and A1C. Future tests are in development.

PTS Diagnostics' product lines also include handheld, highly-accurate, fast and economical diagnostic devices that empower the medical community to quickly measure HbA1c and glucose, and generate a lipid (cholesterol) profile, all at the point of care:

• The CardioChek Plus analyzer addresses the connection between heart attack, stroke, and diabetes by providing simultaneous on-site lipid panel (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides) and glucose screening results in as little as 90 seconds. The CardioChek Plus analyzer also calculates LDL cholesterol, the TC/HDL ratio, the LDL/HDL ratio, and non-HDL cholesterol.
• The A1CNow+ system provides healthcare professionals with a fast, easy, and accurate method of obtaining HbA1c results while the patient is in the exam room. In just five minutes, clinicians have information to provide an immediate consultation with a patient.
• PTS Diagnostics™ capillary tubes use a single glass tube with plastic casing and provide consistent self-wicking technology to deliver preset volumes. This design allows one-hand blood collecting and dispensing.
• PTS Connect™ wellness solution is the turnkey Population Health Management (PHM) system for screening companies. With real-time biometric data integration from screening events and the point of care, the PTS Connect wellness solution provides secure online accounts that aggregate data and generate group reporting.

About PTS Diagnostics – PTS Diagnostics is a global provider of point-of-care diagnostic products to the healthcare industry. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, PTS Diagnostics designs, manufactures, and markets products for distribution in over 133 countries around the world. The company has sales offices in Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim.

For more information, visit www.ptsdiagnostics.com

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SOURCE PTS Diagnostics