Ai Scientific secures major Italian order

Brisbane-based clinical automation systems manufacturer, Ai Scientific, has secured a multi-million dollar order from Italian distributor, Medical Systems.

"It's not the first time that we've actually sold a significant amount into Italy, but it's certainly our largest order," said Ai Scientific's strategic business development manager Stewart Fox.

Ai Scientific was established in 1975 and has developed an automated laboratory sample handling system called the PathFinder which confirms a blood sample's arrival, then determines what tests are required, prioritises the sequence of tests, places the test tubes in the correct rack and then confirms that all required tests have been completed. It also provides management reports on the specimen throughout the testing process. The software, and five independent robots, which work simultaneously, is worth several hundred thousand dollars.

Version 3, a modular version of the Pathfinder, known as the US3, can be dispersed throughout the laboratory, which means that the equipment can operate in the post-analytical stage as well as the pre-analytical stage, said Fox.

"Now, because we can alliquot, we can sort, we can barcode read and all those sorts of things, we can actually perform functions after the analysis is complete," he said.

Medical Systems is the second largest supplier in the Italian clinical market with more than 1000 clinical instrument installations and 70 technical engineers in Italy.

Ai Scientific shipped its first Pathfinder unit to Italy in 1999 and there are now 26 installed there, with another 10 due to be installed before the end of the year. An Ai Scientific senior applications engineer spends six months a year in Italy providing technical training and support for the Medical Systems team.

Medical Systems has placed an order for 100 US3 units with deliveries expected to begin in January 2007.

While the initial offtake is worth in excess of $10 million, Fox said that with other deliverables and options, such as associated software, the deal is worth much more.

While Ai Scientific is currently only supplying Pathfinders to the Australian and Italian markets, the company intends "to cautiously introduce it" to other markets in the future, said Fox.

"The fact that the [Queensland] premier is actually across there in Italy talking to our distributors' customers is a very significant development for us," he said.