Fiber laser technology for medical diagnosis

Fiber laser technology for medical diagnosis

  Fiber laser marking systems are driving advances in animal health care.
        
        To reproduce a Data Matrix code on a polypropylene medical diagnostic device, IDEXX Laboratories researched and tested various methods such as direct object marking, inkjet and silk screen printing before settling on fiber laser technology. Now, many animals around the world, some of whom have previously suffered from serious diseases, can be properly diagnosed and treated using laser-marked medical devices.

        IDEXX Laboratories, Westbrook, Maine, provides innovative products and services for veterinary, food and water diagnostic applications. The company uses laser-marked SNAP devices to diagnose life-threatening diseases and save lives around the world. The company's pet and equine business combines biotechnology with medical devices, information and software to help veterinarians provide high-quality health care to animals around the world. Its food and water business uses efficient technology to monitor livestock and poultry and ensure the safety of public water and milk.

        IDEXX also offers a range of benchtop laboratory instruments that analyze case samples for blood chemistry. Its VetLab software integrates instruments, patient records and clinic management software for seamless information flow.       

        The innovative SNAP diagnostics are used to test for Lyme disease, heartworm, flagellate, parvovirus and other deadly diseases in cats, dogs and farm animals that began as parasites and have spread around the world to infect most mammals and pose a significant threat to animals.

        The devices offer many advantages over traditional diagnostics, including ease of use, low cost and a greater commitment to optimal health for animals. IDEXX's patented clinical testing devices are based on state-of-the-art ELISA technology. Each SNAP device is coated with antigens or antibodies to detect the presence of animal diseases such as heartworm, Ehrlichia canis, Lyme disease and parvovirus as well as feline AIDS and feline leukemia. The devices are also used by the dairy sector to test for beta lactams in milk and T4 and cortisol using the SNAP reader. The devices offer the fastest, most accurate and easy-to-use method for rapid testing in the industry; all devices provide results in less than ten minutes.

        SNAP devices are typically explained intuitively by a veterinary technician. IDEXX sought to make the product compatible with diagnostic readers and specified a method by which the reader could identify the device prior to analytical processing. After investigating the various possibilities for this process, laser marking technology emerged as a superior choice over traditional methods, and Data Matrix was selected to provide high contrast for polypropylene devices. The SNAP polypropylene device activates a liquid pathway that displays the results through color development.

        After extensive trials to obtain the best results for laser parameters, cycles, and readability, Cognex Machine Vision systems and Lasit USA laser systems were selected as components of the integrated laser marking system. Currently, seven systems are integrated into one production line, with fiber lasers used to produce high-contrast Data Matrix symbols and other lasers used to mark alphanumeric characters to indicate the name of the product on each device. This set of equipment reads the Data Matrix symbol to identify the product and interprets the developed spots for diagnostics.
        Data Matrix is ​​now used in many industries such as defense, automotive, aerospace, tools, and electronics.

        Industries that need to track parts throughout their life cycle and automatically identify parts through supply chain operations can benefit from this technology.

        Unlike other marking types, Data Matrix can be read even when it is damaged by more than 30%. There is a trend to extend the traceability of a part through its entire lifecycle so that it can be identified throughout its lifecycle. Traceability also ensures that parts are in the correct order and for their intended purpose. In addition to eliminating human error, direct part mark recognition can be used for data collection for safety, liability, quality assurance and regulatory requirements, as well as for permanent identification of parts to prevent theft and counterfeiting.

        When asked why laser marking was chosen over other technologies, Pete Boillard, senior engineer at IDEXX Laboratories, said: "After researching all of our options, we settled on Data Matrix symbols, and fiber laser marking became an excellent choice. The benefit of fiber laser is that we can replicate a high-resolution data matrix, fit it into a very small space (no more than 2.66mm), and use the Cognex system to read the information. In addition, lasers do not produce any smearing and provide high-contrast traceability. Technologies such as inkjet, direct object marking, silk screen and CO2 laser were initially studied, but the results were not satisfactory. Low resolution, smearing or low contrast eliminated these technologies."

        Fiber lasers have many advantages on the IDEXX production line. In addition to its high reliability and 24×7 uninterrupted service life of more than 100,000 hours, its compact design allows seven systems to be combined into a small footprint. In addition, the 110-volt voltage requirement is more environmentally friendly than traditional Nd-YAG technology, saving thousands of dollars in electricity bills.

        Speaking of the true value of laser technology, Jim Ross, Purchasing Manager of IDEXX Laboratories, said: "The Lasit USA system creates significant added value for our customers by ensuring high-contrast and consistent results, eliminating human error, and documenting the results. In addition, laser marking saves technician time, improves actual results for IDEXX customers, and provides veterinarians with a complete integrated system."

        With the SNAP device now machine-recognized, laboratory technicians only need to prepare the sample and load it into the device. The device starts running and everything is interpreted when it is ready. The results are loaded into the medical record for the veterinarian to use. The small bar code carries the SNAP device and brings it into the digital world.

        IDEXX's SNAP device can now reliably confirm many infected animals, many of which are misdiagnosed. In the past, many of these diseases were difficult for veterinarians and clinics to diagnose correctly because clinic personnel were not usually optimally trained to identify these elusive infectious diseases. Many infectious diseases were not correctly diagnosed due to different expertise in different laboratories.

        Marco Ievoli, general manager of Lasit USA, stated: "Although we have manufactured and tested other lasers such as CO2 lasers, green lasers and YVO4 lasers, we found that fiber lasers are the best fit for the IDEXX product line due to their small spot size, high reliability and very compact design."

        We all feel happy that our pets are safe and healthy, and it is companies like IDEXX that provide us with excellent medical technology to extend the life of animals.