• AIMS® System
• AtheNA Multi-Lyte®
• Technology Overview
• Features and Benefits
• How It Works
• FAQs
• Autoimmune Tests
• Infectious Disease Tests
• Ordering Information
• Clinical Microbiology
• DS2®
• DSX®
• ELISA Reagents
• IFA
• Serology⁄Agglutination

• How does the system work?
  
  
• How does the internal calibration work?
  
  
• Is calibration single- or multi-point?
  
  
• Can results be correlated to titer?
  
  
• What steps are involved in the test procedure?
  
  
• How long does the test take to run?
  
  
• Is the software user-friendly?
  
  
• Can I get a report with one patient per page?
  
  
• How much does AtheNA testing cost?
  
  
• How much does the equipment cost?
  
  
• How much maintenance is involved?
  
  
• How reliable is the equipment?
  
  
• Can I download results to a system?
  
  
• Can I upload patient lists into the system? What about work lists?
  
  
• Can I run multiple AtheNA Test System assays on the same plate?
  
  
• Will additional AtheNA applications become available?
  
  

• How does the system work?
  
  The AtheNA Multi-Lyte^® Test System is a multiplexed system that uses the patented Luminex xMAP^® technology. Polystyrene microspheres of uniform size are used as the solid phase. Each bead set is treated with a unique combination of two fluorescent dyes and conjugated to a different antigen, making it possible for the system to identify unique bead sets. These different bead sets are mixed together in a single well to create a multiplexed assay capable of simultaneously analyzing a single specimen for multiple analytes. Bound analyte is detected, qualified and quantitated by the AtheNA Multi-Lyte^® instrument using highly sensitive fluorescent dyes. See How It Works.

• How does the internal calibration work?
  
  Proprietary Intra-Well Calibration Technology™*, unique to the AtheNA Multi-Lyte^® Test System, automatically adjusts the calibration curve within every well to match the unique characteristics of the patient serum. Since calibration is well-specific, this technology virtually eliminates issues such as cross-plate drift, inflexible incubation schemes and complications due to fluctuating ambient temperatures.

*patent pending

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• Is calibration single- or multi-point?
  Multi-point(see above).
  
  
• Can results be correlated to titer?
  No. The ANA titer depends not only on the quantity of antibody present, but also on the specificity of the antibodies. Most patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and connective tissue disease have polyclonal antibodies, most of which are not that specific. Because the AtheNA assay is measuring the clinically significant antibodies, the test is going to be more accurate than the standard FANA with far fewer false positives.
  
  
• What steps are involved in the test procedure?
  The same basic procedure is followed for all AtheNA assays. General test steps are provided below.
  
  
  

*See package insert for complete instructions.

• How long does the test take to run?
  The AtheNA saves time, labor and cost compared to the IFA and ELISA. A time comparison is shown below.
  
  
  

• Is the software user-friendly?
  Very, and it offers a variety of useful features:
  
  
  

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• Can I get a report with one patient per page?
  Yes.
  
  
• How much does AtheNA testing cost?
  Overall, the reagent cost per reportable should be comparable to current methods.
  
  
• How much does the equipment cost?
  The cost of the AtheNA Multi-Lyte^® instrument is included in the reagent cost.
  
  
• How much maintenance is involved?
  Though neither difficult or time consuming, maintenance is extremely critical to proper operation of the instrument. Inverness Medical Professional Diagnostics offers a separate maintenance kit with all reagents necessary for performing daily maintenance. Maintenance must be performed, at a minimum, each morning and each afternoon that the machine is used. The machine is preprogrammed for AM and PM maintenance. This process is not labor intensive, involving only a few mouse clicks on the part of the user.

  In addition to daily maintenance, other types of maintenance (e.g., calibration, cleaning) are necessary. A summary sheet of all maintenance requirements can be printed simply by pressing a button on the AtheNA's main screen.

• How reliable is the equipment?
  Very reliable. The AtheNA Multi-Lyte^® Test System has been in the field since 2002. The mean time to service call is approximately six months.

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• Can I download results to a system?
  The AtheNA Multi-Lyte^® software has the ability to download via an ASTM interface or a comma-delineated file (*.csv).
  
  

• Can I upload patient lists into the system? What about work lists?
  Yes. These have to be handled on a case-by-case basis.
  
  

• Can I run multiple AtheNA Test System assays on the same plate?
  This feature is not available in the current generation of software but may be made available as new software is developed.
  
  

• Will additional AtheNA applications become available?
  Yes, several infectious disease applications are currently under development including ToRCH, HSV 1 & 2 and MMRV. And, as shown below, many other technologies/applications have been licensed from Luminex.
  
  
  

Ordering Information


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