EKF introduces new hand-held lactate analyzer for rapid sports performance monitoring

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces that on Stand C70 in Hall 3 of MEDICA 2018, it will be launching its new Lactate Scout 4 hand-held lactate analyzer for fast and accurate sports performance monitoring.

Lactate Scout 4 is designed for use in the field as a training companion for individuals or sports teams and will be demonstrated to delegates attending the co-located MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS conference.

Alongside the new Lactate Scout 4, EKF will also be showcasing its many products for point-of-care (POC) testing for diabetes, anemia and maternal care.

Product highlights include the recently FDA cleared DiaSpect Tm hemoglobin analyzer and Quo-Lab^® HbA1c analyzer which was successfully evaluated in a study by the European Reference Laboratory for Glycohemoglobin and published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology.

For both sports training and personal fitness measuring lactate helps to define workout intensities for maximum fat catabolism, increases in endurance, and avoiding critical over-exhaustion.

Use of Lactate Scout 4 will help coaches and athletes to rapidly determine optimum training programs, define training zones, and avoid inefficient training regimes.

The new analyzer is ideal for field training since it is pocket-sized, weighing just 60g, with simple push-button navigation and an e-paper screen that can be read easily in any light conditions.

Lactate Scout 4 is quick and simple to use, requiring no calibration and returns a result in 10 seconds with just a 0.2 µl capillary blood sample.

Functionality of the Lactate Scout 4 is further enhanced by Bluetooth^® connectivity to all major brands of heart rate monitor. Heart rate data can now be collected and collated using the step test function to provide in-depth analysis of performance.

Up to 500 lactate results can also be stored on the device, all of which are compensated for the influence of low and high hematocrit levels. Adding to its practicality and reliability, the Lactate Scout 4 can undertake 1,000 tests using just two CR2450 lithium batteries.

Visitors to EKF’s stand will also be able to find out more about its other hand-held devices such as the DiaSpect Tm hemoglobin analyzer for rapid anemia screening.

Earlier this year DiaSpect Tm received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance and CLIA waiver for use in POC settings, such as physicians’ offices, clinics and other non-traditional laboratory locations.

DiaSpect Tm is very user-friendly requiring minimal training to deliver accurate hemoglobin measurements (precision: CV ≤1%) within two seconds from a whole-blood sample.

In addition, EKF will highlight its point-of-care analyzers and reagents for diabetes care. These include the Quo-Lab^® and Quo-Test^® glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) analyzers designed to deliver results traceable to the IFCC reference method within just four minutes.

Both analyzers have been demonstrated to deliver lab-accurate HbA1c results from a finger prick or venous whole blood in recent evaluation studies undertaken by the European Reference Laboratory for Glycohemoglobin.