CULVER CITY, Calif. April 19, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- CARESIDE, Inc. (AMEX:CSA), a provider of point-of-care (POC) blood analysis instrumentation and records management, announced today the market launch of a new blood clotting test cartridge for the Company's blood testing instrument, the CARESIDE Analyzer(r). This is the first coagulation test available on the Analyzer, which offers physician and lab technicians rapid results on a wide variety of commonly ordered tests.
The CARESIDE(r) Prothrombin Time (PT) test cartridge is also the first on a small, portable instrument that separates the plasma from whole blood specimens to enable a better measurement of Prothrombin Time. The PT test aids in the diagnosis of clotting disorders and monitors patients receiving anticoagulation therapy, such as the coagulation drug, Coumadin(r).
Typically, point-of-care PT test instruments perform testing on unseparated whole blood, which may provide different results than PT performed on plasma. "PT testing on the plasma is the gold standard technique used by centralized labs and, therefore, results from the Analyzer should closely resemble results from a central lab," said W. Vickery Stoughton, Careside Chairman and CEO.
"We are now able to provide the convenience of whole blood testing with the performance of plasma which is an important distinction for our product in what we believe is a significant and growing market," Stoughton said. "Already the most comprehensive blood testing system cleared for point-of-care chemistry use, the CARESIDE Analyzer is now capable of doing the PT test with accuracy and precision, while also providing results from a large menu of other commonly needed tests -- all within the same 15 minute period."
The Analyzer is the only testing instrument on the market that offers such a broad test menu, with 41 FDA-cleared or exempt tests in the categories of chemistry, electrochemistry and coagulation. The Analyzer provides physicians, patients and laboratorians the ability to receive test results on the most commonly ordered tests in just four to 15 minutes, facilitating quick diagnosis and treatment decisions.
CARESIDE, Inc. markets a proprietary blood testing system including its CARESIDE Analyzer, a companion hematology system called the H-2000 Hematology Analyzer, and its CARESIDE Connect record management system linking the two devices into customers' laboratory or patient information systems. The CARESIDE Analyzer provides a cost-effective and efficient means of measuring blood chemistry, electrochemistry, and coagulation function near the patient by producing accurate test results within 15 minutes. CARESIDE, Inc. is one of the world's leading developers of advanced point-of-care blood testing technology. For more information on the Company, call (888) 698-2273 or access www.careside.com.
Safe Harbor: Statements in this press release regarding CARESIDE Inc. which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Key factors which may impact these statements include challenges inherent in product research, development, manufacturing and marketing, and the other factors discussed in the Company's prospectus filed October 2000. All such factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those presented in or suggested by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements. Please see the risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's prospectus and reports on file with the Securities Exchange Commission.