In the past few months we’ve seen multiple independent studies presented at CVS and ASM testing the efficacy of Puritan flocked swabs and media transport systems for both diagnostic capabilities and compatibility with standard but proprietary laboratory equipment. In all cases, Puritan products proved superior to controls.
As we wind down from asm2014 we thought we’d take a moment to share the highlights from each study, and to provide you with access to the studies to analyze on your own. To supplement the release of these studies, we’ve also created a brief video highlighting the many benefits of our flocked swabs versus those of the competition.
1. Engineering Validation of Puritan’s Liquid Amies Transport System and Copan’s WASP Automation
This study was designed to test the use and efficacy of Puritan Liquid Amies transport systems in Copan’s WASP automation equipment. Copan’s WASP instrument monitors the stages of specimen handling and transport via a series of automated processes that include attaching unique barcodes, uncapping faulty specimen for rejection, and determining whether the sample amount is sufficient. This goal of this study was to determine whether the machine could perform its duties when product lines other than Copan’s were used.
The study concluded that the equipment “readily accepted the Puritan liquid Amies transport tubes and performed as well as ESwab tubes,” and that “there was a marked difference in the absorption by the two brands of flocked swabs… [demonstrating] that, in general, the colony counts are higher using the Puritan tubes than the Copan tubes.
This study was designed to evaluate the effect on specimen collected and stored with Puritan Uni-Tranz-RT™ transport systems for more than 48 hours. Specifically, the study tests how this storage method affects the detectability of respiratory viruses like: Rhinovirus, Adenovirus and Influenza A virus. The results of the stored samples were compared to samples obtained directly from the virus site.
The researchers concluded that, “prolonged storage in Puritan UniTranz-RT™ does not
have a negative effect on virus detection,” and that “…at 192 hours, it is apparent that storage in Puritan UniTranz-RT™ is advantageous for real-time RT-PCR detection when compared to samples not stored in Puritan UniTranz-RT™.”
3. Evaluation of Three Swab Transport Systems for the Recovery of Respiratory Tract Pathogens
This study acknowledges the improvements in specimen collection that recent advent of flocked swabs have brought, then compares the absorption and elution capacities of the swab used in Puritan Liquid Amies Transport System with those used in Copan’s ESwab Transport System.
In addition to the conclusions that, in both cases, the inclusion of transport media led to increased specimen recovery, the researchers determined that Puritan flocked swabs “outperformed the [Copan flocked swabs] for some fastidious organisms.”
Want to learn more about the Puritan Flocked Swab Rev-Elution? Contact one of our knowledable product specialists today.
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