Frost & Sullivan Honours AESKU.SYSTEMS for Developing a Fast and Economic Diagnostic Automation Tool for Autoimmune Diseases

LONDON, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- AESKU.SYSTEMS has outstripped competition in the autoimmunity market with 240 HELMED® system installations within a short span of two years

Based on its recent analysis of the autoimmune diagnostics market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes AESKU.SYSTEMS GmbH & Co. KG with the 2011 Europe Frost & Sullivan Product Differentiation Excellence of the Year Award. AESKU.SYSTEMS' extensive research capabilities and instrumentation expertise has culminated in the successful HELMED® analyser. HELMED® is a fully automated and open immunofluorescence processor capable of performing all IFA methods. It is suitable for Autoimmunity (room temperature) and it is the only system in the market that can process Infectious Serology slides (up to 40degreesC).

HELMED® was one of the first systems in the market to include as a standard built-in bar code reader ensuring correct traceability of patient IDs. As the system is automated, it reduces operator hands on time and eliminates reproducibility errors and inter/intra-lab variations. HELMED® can accommodate 20 slides, four different tests and up to 150 samples per run, which results in higher throughput than its nearest competitors. HELMED® brings standardization to the lab: no matter who operates the system the results from automatic processing are always consistent. No IFA expertise is required to operate the instrument thus improving the resources in the lab where the IFA expert can just focus on what really matters: interpretation of the results.

"HELMED® can be easily programmed to process almost any slide regardless of the manufacturer, for both autoimmunity and infectious serology procedures," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Srinivas Sashidhar. "It can be connected to user-friendly IFA data management software called HELPS+®, which offers an easy way to digitize all IFA results, adding traceability to the results as well as real images from the microscope. The HELPS+® interface allows the user to compare the live view with the image library provided by Aesku, which also includes an IFA pattern library and associated diseases knowledge database."

Uniquely, HELMED® can directly accommodate different types of sample tubes and optimise different sample conditions according to the needs of the test protocols. It was also the first processor to include a built-in bar code reader to ensure traceability of the sample.

One of HELMED®'s outstanding features is its ease-of-use. The processor is fully automated and packaged with in-built software, which is pre-programmed for different tests. AESKU.SYSTEMS' product can complete a full run with a mean time of 2.5 hours, making it faster than the competing products. Its three needle design and independent ring architecture ensures fast processing whilst eliminating unnecessary arm movements which makes the system even more robust.

HELMED® HTC is a special edition with a unique design; it does not only control the temperature but also the humidity in the chamber thus eliminating the risk of sample evaporation.

AESKU.SYSTEMS' products are International Standards Organisation (ISO)-certified, evidencing the company's strong commitment to reliability, practicability and efficiency. HELMED® is also Conformite Europeene (CE)-marked and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that demonstrates superior features and functionality as well as quality and complexity. The company also exhibits high levels of customization, excellent product mix and meets the requirements of its target market.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About AESKU

AESKU is a group of companies, based in Wendelsheim, Germany, focusing on the research, development and production of innovative and high quality products and services for the early detection, diagnosis and prognosis of autoimmune diseases.

AESKU SYSTEMS is the instrumentation branch, with the mission to develop and produce pioneering automation solutions for the unique IVD products coming from the research pipeline of AESKU DIAGNOSTICS. The aim is to develop easy-to-use instruments which standardize the processing thus eliminate human error and variations, for a faster and more reliable diagnosing.

A multidisciplinary team of engineers, chemists and laboratory technicians are responsible for compiling ideas and input from consultants, end-users, and the AESKU R&D teams; merging these ideas with the finest standards in automation & latest technologies, in order to develop instruments that fit the needs, reality and expectations of the clinical laboratory.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

Contact:
Catherine Brassell
Best Practices
Frost & Sullivan
catherine.brassell@frost.com
P: +27(0)21-680-3267
http://www.frost.com