Copan Diagnostics recently announced the U.S. launch of UriVerse, a fully automated system for urine specimen aliquoting, during the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) Clinical Lab Expo in Chicago.
Key Points
- The UriVerse system automates urine specimen processing steps including de-capping, barcode labeling, aliquoting, and re-capping, eliminating manual pipetting and sorting tasks. The platform features continuous random-access loading and vision-guided container identification.
- UriVerse is now available in the United States directly through Copan Diagnostics following its debut at ADLM. The system joins the company’s existing automation portfolio including WASP and WASPLab products.
- The system is designed for laboratories facing increasing test volumes, limited personnel, and pressure for faster turnaround times, particularly in chemistry and toxicology departments. UriVerse aims to support better specimen traceability through its automated processing.
The automated aliquoting system aims to reduce manual labor requirements for laboratories processing high volumes of urine specimens while potentially decreasing pre-analytical errors through standardized handling.
The Data
- The system processes containers with vision-guided identification that performs decapping without manual sorting requirements.
- The system can transfer up to 10mL of urine into a maximum of 9 secondary tubes per specimen.
- Total output capacity: up to 144 labeled and capped tubes.
Industry Context
With UriVerse, we offer an efficient, accurate solution to help laboratories meet rising urine testing demands, particularly in chemistry and toxicology, while reducing variability through the automation of manual pre-analytical tasks.
Fabrizio Mazzocchi, CEO of Copan Diagnostics
The system addresses a specific gap in laboratory automation where urine specimens, despite representing a significant portion of laboratory testing volume, often still require manual aliquoting steps. According to the company, these manual processes can introduce errors and create bottlenecks as laboratories handle growing test volumes with limited staff. The UriVerse platform eliminates manual pipetting through its automated decapping, aliquoting, labeling, and recapping functions integrated into a single system.
Copan Diagnostics, part of Copan Group, has developed various specimen collection and transport products, including FLOQSwabs, ESwab, and UTM Universal Transport Medium. The company’s automation solutions aim to standardize pre-analytical processes that can impact downstream testing accuracy, though adoption will depend on integration capabilities and return on investment for individual laboratories.
