(Yicai) April 29 -- Chinese immuno chemiluminescence diagnostic kit developer Chemclin Diagnostics’ two new automated immunodetection kits are likely to replace the country’s reliance on imported in-vitro diagnostic equipment, which perform tests on extracorporeal bodily samples as opposed to in-vivo tests that are conducted in the body itself.

Chemclin unveiled its LiCA AT 5000 and LiCA αAT detection sets, that took around six years to develop, at the 18th National Congress of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, held in Wuhan, central Hubei province last week. They target medium and large-sized medical institutions and physical examination centers.

Diagnostic equipment using chemiluminescence immunoassays has long been dominated by developers in Europe and the US, especially those utilizing small-molecule immunoquantitation analysis, as they are very difficult to develop, Yicai learned at the conference that was organized by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association.

Chemclin can provide a similar or better product than its international rivals, Chairman Li Lin told Yicai. The Beijing-based firm aims to surpass multinationals and make first-class diagnostic kits. It works closely with doctors who know the needs of front-line medical workers in order to convert its technology into high-performance products.

Making the IVD kits was even harder than the R&D, Li said. There are many variable factors during the manufacturing process and Chemclin had to make sure it had many experts vetting quality control. A single piece of equipment has over 2,000 parts, he added.

The technological breakthrough will not only increase the accuracy of diagnosis but also provide a new solution to lower costs and increase the efficiency of diagnostics, Yang Ximing, a doctor at Dongzhimen Hospital under Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, told Yicai.

Lowering the cost of diagnosis is a major challenge facing laboratories, Yang said. How to lower costs and increase efficiency while ensuring the accuracy of diagnosis needs in-depth analysis, he said.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor