Webinars and Sponsored Roundtables — Register Now
Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 11:00-11:30 AM CT
- Explain how transparency and manufacturer partnerships improve quality, consistency, and decision-making confidence in specimen management.
- Evaluate blood collection tubes beyond cost and commodity assumptions, incorporating clinical impact and risk into decision-making.
- Assess the potential risk points when using a blood collection device that has not been cleared for a specific purpose.
Roundtable presenters Nick Fingland, PhD, PMP, Senior Director, R&D Operations and Science, BD, and Chris Farnsworth, PhD, D(ABCC), Section Head of Clinical Chemistry, Professor of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 1:00-2:00 PM ET
Learn about digital pathology technology that is future-ready, yet practical for today’s
laboratory needs.
Webinar presenters Scott Hammond, Senior Systems Consultant, Digital Pathology Division, Wexner Medical Center, Department of Pathology, and Ursula Hofer, Imaging Technologist, Pathology Digital Imaging Lab, Wexner Medical Center, Department of Pathology, and Sandra Banky, PA(ASCP), Director of Operations, Wexner Medical Center, Department of Pathology.
Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY
Subspecialties
Interactive Product Guides
Product Spotlight
Binding Site, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific
| Company | Binding Site, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific |
|---|---|
| Name of instrument | Optilite |
| Contact | Haley Braffett |
| City, State | San Diego, CA |
| Phone | 858-291-4556 |
| Website | |
| Type of instrument | chemistry |
| List price/First year sold in U.S. | $111,521/2015 |
| Targeted hospital bed size/Targeted test volume | > 100/daily: > 50; monthly: ~1,000; annual: ~12,000 |
| Company manufactures instrument | yes |
| Other models in this family of analyzers | — |
| No. of units in clinical use in U.S./Outside U.S. (countries) | 360/1,611 (Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East) |
| Dimensions (H × W × D)/Instrument footprint | 24.4 × 37 × 27.6 in./7.09 sq. ft. |
| Weight empty/Weight fully loaded | 242 lbs./~260 lbs. |
| No. of different measured assays onboard simultaneously | 36 (36 can be run and calibrated at one time) |
| No. of user-definable (open chemistry) channels | 10 |
| Test throughput per hour/Assay run time | 120/8–23 min. (avg. 13 min.) |
| No. of direct ion-selective electrode channels | — |
| Detection methods | turbidimetry |
| Stat time until completion/specimen throughput for Ion-selective electrode | — |
| Stat time until completion/specimen throughput for Ion-selective electrode basic metabolic panel | — |
| Stat time until completion/specimen throughput for Ion-selective electrode complete metabolic panel | — |
| Typical time delay from ordering stat test until aspiration of sample | — |
| Fully automated microplate immunoassay system | — |
| Methodologies supported | — |
| Separation methodologies | — |
| Stat time until completion of a ß-hCG test | — |
| Stat time until completion of a cTn test | — |
| • Typical time delay from test order to aspiration of sample | — |
| Reagents refrigerated onboard/Reagents ready to use | yes (8°–10°C below ambient)/yes |
| Reagent lot tracking/Reagent inventory | yes/yes |
| Reagent form/Reagents barcoded | liquid chemistry (closed reagent system)/yes |
| Separate reagent pack for each specimen/for each test run | no/no |
| Walkaway capability/Walkaway duration | yes/90 min. or 54 specimens or 180 tests |
| Design of sample-handling system | rack |
| Uses washable cuvettes/Uses disposable cuvettes | no/yes (can store up to 360 cuvettes) |
| Min.–max. sample volume that can be aspirated at one time | 2–200 µL |
| Min. reaction volume/Min. specimen volume/Min. dead volume | 120 µL/assay dependent/150 µL |
| Dedicated pediatric sample cup | yes (dead volume: 150 µL) |
| Primary tube sampling | yes |
| Accommodates most standard tube sizes/Accepts nonstandard tube sizes | yes/yes (13 × 75 mm, 12 × 75 mm) |
| Pierces caps on primary tubes | no |
| Protects against probe collision | yes |
| Detects clots/liquid level/short sample | yes/yes/yes |
| Detection or quantitation for hemolysis, icterus, lipemia, clots | detection for hemolysis, clots; icterus, lipemia not available |
| Dilutes patient samples onboard/Susceptibility to carryover | yes (can be programmed to perform dilutions prior to analysis)/— |
| Automatic rerun capability | yes |
| Sample volume can be diluted to rerun out-of-linear-range high results | yes |
| Sample volume can be concentrated to rerun out-of-linear-range low results | yes |
| Autocalibration/Multipoint calibration supported | no (calibrants are not stored onboard)/yes (recommended avg. frequency: per lab protocol and every new lot) |
| Typical calibration frequency for ISE/therapeutic drugs/drugs of abuse/general chemistries/immunoassays | — |
| Automatic programmable start/Automatic programmable shutdown | no/no |
| Onboard real-time QC/Onboard software capability to review QC | yes/yes |
| Supports multiple QC lot numbers per analyte | no |
| Waste management | automated collection onboard instrument |
| Sample barcode-reading capability/Autodiscrimination | yes (Interleaved 2 of 5, Codabar, Code 39, Code 128)/no |
| Lab can control analyzer from remote computer | no |
| Instrument can diagnose its own malfunctions | no (operator intervention required to order parts) |
| System malfunctions can be diagnosed via remote monitoring | no |
| UPS backup power supply | yes |
| Data-management capability/LIS or EHR systems interfaced | onboard/Epic, Clinisys, Oracle Health, SCC Soft Computer |
| LIS interface provided/Bidirectional interface capability | yes (additional cost)/yes (broadcast download and host query) |
| Modem servicing provided/Service engineer on-site response time | no/next business day |
| Mean time between failures | 502 days (displays error codes for troubleshooting) |
| Average scheduled maintenance time by lab personnel | daily: 10 min.; weekly: 15 min.; monthly: 30 min. |
| Maintenance records kept onboard for user/vendor | some records (log)/no |
| Maintenance training demonstration module onboard | no |
| Training included with purchase/Avg. time for basic user training | yes (2 training slots)/2 days (primarily at customer site) |
| Advanced operator training/Extra charge for follow-up or advanced training | yes (at customer site)/$2,500 |
| Warranty provided/Cost of annual service contract (24 h/7 d) | yes (1 year)/$12,950 |
| Distinguishing features (supplied by company) | reduced carryover due to disposable cuvettes; dilution cascade to final result; intuitive software that includes three different antigen excess protection methods, optimized by assay |