QBC Star

QBC STAR: Features and Benefits

Further information on the QBC Star Point Of Care Haematology System

What is dry haematology? Click here to find out

The QBC STAR™ Centrifugal Haematology System can be considered the gold standard for performing CBC testing in a variety of settings, including office labs and even remote locations.  The QBC STAR employs innovative dry haematology technology, meaning that all of the reagents needed to perform a CBC test with the QBC STAR System are contained in the QBC STAR Tube.  After filling the tube with the blood sample, the clinician simply places it in the specially designed QBC STAR System and obtains the test results after the analysis is complete.  This unique approach provides multiple benefits for in-office CBC testing:

Eliminating Liquid Reagents

Because the reagents needed for the STAR are contained within a single tube, there is no need for the liquid reagents associated with conventional CBC analysers.  This means no boxes of bulky reagents that take up needed lab space.  Using the STAR's dry system also means that there is no need to dispose of dangerous biohazard reagent chemicals, making the STAR easier to use and more environmentally friendly than other analysers on the market.

Size and Portability

The QBC STAR Centrifugal Haematology System is extremely compact, measuring a small 16" x 16" for the entire self-contained unit.  Because its reagent technology is contained within a single tube, the STAR is remarkably portable, and effective in many different testing environments.  Installation time is less than 30 seconds, meaning the STAR is ready for use wherever and whenever needed.

Easy to Use

Unlike other haematology systems, the QBC STAR System is fully automated and so easy to operate that with minimal training, non-technical personnel can operate it.  The operator simply inserts a STAR Tube into the machine, presses the START button, and walks away while the system performs a fully automated CBC analysis.

9-Count CBC

The QBC STAR measures nine important CBC haematological parameters from venous or capillary blood samples:  haematocrit, haemoglobin, MCHC (mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration), platelet count, white blood cell count, granulocyte count and percentage, and lymphocyte/monocyte count and percentage.  Clinical trials have demonstrated that the accuracy and precision of the QBC STAR System correlate well to accepted standard methods.

Reliability

Also noteworthy is the QBC STAR's exceptional reliability.  Based on operational and failure data from clinical trials with both in-house and field instruments, the QBC STAR has been projected to have a three-year Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) rate.

QBC STAR: Documents

QBC Star Brochure 6 page PDF containing: Overview of the QBC Star System Features & benefits Parameters identified Operating ranges Accessories
QBC Star Tube User Guide 2 page PDF containing: Capillary blood collection process Venous blood collection process
QBC STAR Dengue Application Notes 2012 2 page PDF containing: Application notes for monitoring of Dengue infection using the QBC STAR haematology analyser
QBC Star Spec Sheet 1 page PDF containing: Detailed technical specification for the QBC Star System
QBC Controls 1 page PDF containing: The need for controls Controls available
Comparison of QBC Star Vs Sysmex 5 page PDF containing: Performance Comparison of the QBC STAR to the Sysmex K1000 Impedance Analyser and the Spun Microhaematocrit
QBC STAR Evaluation March 2011 44 page PDF containing: Independant evaluation of the QBC STAR performed by Royal Bolton Hospital