NEW YORK (360Dx) – Beckman Coulter and US Arkray today announced a partnership and the launch of the iQ Urinalysis Workcell, which consists of two automated urine analyzers — the Beckman Coulter Iris iQ200 Digital Flow Morphology system and the Arkray Aution Max Ax-4030 fully automated analyzer.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Beckman's Digital Flow Morphology process autoclassifies 12 particle types with 27 sub-categories and reduces subjectivity during data analysis. The firm noted that Arkray's urine chemistry analyzers and test strips provide one of the broadest reporting ranges, which will enable US customers to report additional clinically relevant data. Further, harmonized urine chemistry strips across semiautomated and fully automated Aution products complement auto-particle recognition on Beckman's iQ platform.
"Beckman Coulter's partnership with Arkray allows us to build on…simplifying the urinalysis workflow and meeting our customers' growing needs," Peter Soltani, senior vice president and general manager of the hematology and urinalysis business at Beckman, said in a statement.
Beckman will exclusively market the iQ Urinalysis Workcell in the US beginning July 31. The workcell is a scalable solution that Beckman will offer in three configurations to meet laboratories' workflow needs. The firm said that it will also offer the Arkray Aution Max Ax-4030 and the Arkray Aution Eleven Ae-4022 as standalone analyzers and as a means of reinforcing Beckman's portfolio of scalable analyzers for low-, mid-, and high-volume labs.
The companies said that the partnership will allow them to better meet the needs of growing customer bases.