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in vitro diagnostics

In vitro diagnostics (IVDs) are diagnostic tests that that can detect diseases, conditions, or infections. In vitro diagnostics test a sample of tissue or bodily fluids, as opposed to testing inside the body, such as:

  • Microbiological culture, which determines the presence or absence of microbes in a sample from the body, usually targeted at detecting pathogenic bacteria
  • Genetic testing
  • Blood glucose
  • Liver function tests
  • Calcium

Electrolytes in the blood, such as sodium, potassium, creatinine and urea.

In vitro tests can be classified according to the location of the sample being tested, including blood and urine tests.

Some tests are used health professional settings such as clinical laboratories, and other tests are for consumers to use at home. The expression “in vitro” comes from Latin, literally meaning “within the glass.” The name reflects the fact that historically such tests were conducted in glass vessels, such as test tubes.

Unlike other forms of medical technology, IVDs never interact directly with the human body. Their value stems from the information they provide. This sets IVDs apart from medical devices and pharmaceuticals, and is part of what makes them unique among health technologies.

In the U.S., in vitro diagnostics products are medical devices as defined in section 210(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and may also be biological products subject to section 351 of the Public Health Service Act. Like other medical devices, IVDs are subject to premarket and postmarket controls. IVDs are also subject to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA ’88) of 1988.

The IVD industry is growing steadily due to a number factors, such as increased demand for infectious disease testing as new pathogen strains develop each year, such as in seasonal influenza and H1N1, and increased incidences of hospital-acquired infections. Other factors include aging demographics common to all developed nations and the accompanying increased incidence of chronic disease across all age cohorts of the population; advances in DNA sequencing; and growing demand from emerging markets, which are only now becoming able to pay for diagnostic devices.

FDA Issues Memo to Reclassify Many High Risk IVD Assays

WAS IT AN EXPECTED FLOOD OF APPLICATIONS TO REVIEW laboratory de…

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More Labs Recognize Big Changes Are Coming

ONE WAY TO DISCERN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR THE CLINICAL LABO…

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Labs Should Prepare for Arrival of ‘Perfect Storm’

CEO SUMMARY: In the near future, clinical labs and pathology groups will need to address three major developments. One involves the FDA proposed LDT rule. A second is the adoption by payers of guidelines that require genetic test claims to have Z-Codes. The third centers around coming ref…

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FDA Has a Ticking Time Bomb with LDT Rule

PROPOSED REGULATION OF LABORATORY DEVELOPED TESTS (LDTs)…

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Lab News Briefs

Siemens to Explore Sale of Its IVD Diagnostics Unit Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany, is reportedly looking into options for sale of its in vitro diagnostics (IVD) segment. The company’s “review co…

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OIG Reports Its Findings about CDC’s First COVID Test Problems

ONE MAJOR FAILURE BY FEDERAL AGENCIES in the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic was the development and release of an inaccurate and unreliable SARS-CoV-2 test, intended for use by public health labs. This was the finding of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) …

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Year’s Top 10 Lab Stories Contain Surprises & Twists

CEO SUMMARY: With the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic now in the rearview mirror of the nation’s clinical labs and pathology groups, the important news stories of 2023 were mostly about developments where the consequences will influence laboratory operations in coming years. Artificial intelligence…

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Payers Are Right to Be Wary of Claims for Some LDTs’ Value

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Most IVD Firms Increase Q3 2023 Base Business Revenue

Most in vitro diagnostics (IVD) companies reported increases in base business during the third quarter (Q3) 2023. The numbers, in the single digits, softened the blow from the continuing drop-off in COVID-19 test sales. Manufacturers of tests and laboratory instruments are launching ne…

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Machine Learning Poised to Give Clinical Labs New Capabilities

“One of the first questions I ask the laboratory team is ‘do you want to continue to be a factory or do you want to be a change agent in healthcare?’ They all answer that they want contribute to positive change.” —Michael Simpson …

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