Possible applications

The world-first electrolyte analyser for Point-of-Care Testing (POCT)

• Symptoms of dizziness, seizures, etc. and various symptoms with out-of-conscious condition, such as heat stroke, sunstroke and dehydration, can be easily checked in the field.
• Clinical examination items, such as electrolyte abnormalities, acid-base equilibrium abnormalities, etc. are possible to measure in the field.
• The concentration of the dialysate component and selection of the drip species are possible to confirm.

In the following applications, STAX-5 can help improvement of the appropriateness and safety of treatment and can reduce medical costs eventually.

STAX-5 can reduce the physical burden of the patient by easily measurable in fingertip puncture blood and earlobe blood instead of clinical tests such as electrolyte items that have been carried out in general intravenous blood collection.

Since doctors can immediately confirm efficacy of drugs and infusions by measuring in the ward by STAX-5, the it can reduce the risks of errors in blood sample transport, the temporal loss of waiting for the results of clinical tests, and the delay in the reflection of the analysis results to the patient treatment.

Since STAX-5 is relatively low implementation cost and simple operation, it is easy to introduce for the facilities that have managed dialysate fluid only by osmotic pressure and electrical conductivity. By performing the electrolyte measurement in STAX-5, it is possible to manage dialysate fluid more precisely.

STAX-5 can also be used for the measurement and quality control of fertilizer concentration in hydroponics in the agricultural field.

Competitive advantage

STAX-5 is the world-first Mg+ POCT analyzer which also can analyze Na+, K+, Cl-, pH, pCO2, Mg2+ and Ca2+ in 10 microliters only of blood, with high precision, easily and rapidly without pre-processing. STAX-5 is easy to analyze by just inserting a patented disposal sensor card that can be used by storage for two months at the room temperature, and for one year at refrigerator.
STAX-5 can reduce the physical burden of the patient by easily measuring with small-volume blood.
Since STAX-5 is a hand-held type, and equipped with battery-powered features, built-in printers, touch panel color LCD displays, etc., it can be used even in outdoors, such as at the site of a disaster.

Performance

1. Variety of electrolyte analysis:  Na+, K+, Cl-, pH, pCO2, Mg2+ and Ca2+
2. Rapid analysis: within 60 to 180 seconds.
3. Small-volume blood analysis: only 10 microliters of blood
4. Easy to use: Handy type, 95x215x86.5 (mm), 0.85kg
                      Disposal sensor card: storage at room temperature
                      Shelf Life Time: for 2 months when storage at 8 – 30 Celsius for 1 year when storage at 2-8 Celsius
                      Built-in printer
                      Touch panel: Color LCD display
5. Battery-powered available (& AC powered): outdoor field measurement
                                                                   DC6V (AA batteries) or AC100 – 240V, 50/60Hz, 0.6A
6. Frame material of sensor cards: polyethylene terephthalate, it can be easily incinerated after usage.

Technical maturity / Past record of introduction

STAX-5 is the 4th generation of Techno Medica’s electrolyte analyser that has been marketed in 2014. The STAX-series has the biggest market share in Japan by installing more than 1,000 units.
The company has sales records through agents in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Information on patent related to this technology

Patent No. JP 3761285
                JP 4041560
                JP 4436531

International operation

Modality of business transaction

Partnership
Techno Medica would like to establish a long-term relationship with a local partner.
By executing sales and technical training, Techno Medica would like the local partner to entrust sales, maintenance, repair, service, and training of our products, to local customers.

Export of product
Techno Medica can execute an initial basic operation training for the local staffs at their site.

Schematic illustration of the technology

Related products
Techno Medica has developed its own technology of electrochemical analysis for blood. The blood gas and electrolyte analyzer “GASTAT-700” is a primary product of the company’s in-vitro diagnostic analyzers.
Product website: http://www.technomedica.co.jp/t01/EnglishPage/products/labo_tests/4/gastat-700.html

Fig. 2 The image of GASTAT-700

STAX-5 derives from GASTAT-700 as a handy type analyzer and has the principal analysis items: Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg^2+,pH, pCO_{2 and Hct.}