IDEXX Laboratories (Westbrook, Maine, USA) is a world leader in the development and manufacture of innovative products and services for animal health, or veterinary medicine.
Several years ago, IDEXX embarked on the development of a veterinary instrument, the LaserCyteTM Haematology System, to quickly and accurately check the complete blood count of subject animals.
Using Schneeberger MINIRAILS
provided a great solution to IDEXX engineers given the variety of small sizes from which to choose. Prototypes were made readily available in any rail length through the responsiveness and support from our factory.

The Company
Founded in 1984, IDEXX has grown to employ over 2100 people with sales exceeding $400M annually. The business is focused on serving the companion (household pets) and production animal health markets, providing better medical technology to veterinarians to more quickly and accurately diagnose health problems.

The Instrument
Prior to its introduction, in-clinic haematology instruments typically only identified a 3-part white blood cell differential count.
LaserCyteTM uses laser-flow cytometry, enabling clinics to determine the complete blood cell make-up of a sample. It counts the number of individual blood cells and white cells (five types), platelets and reticulocytes.

This is accomplished by passing a single cell wide steam of the blood sample through a laser beam, which identifies the blood components through differential light scatter. Each type of blood cells scatters light differently, thus giving a «finger print» of each cell.

The resultant analysis helps veterinarians make a highly informed diagnosis, all within a cycle item of approximately 10 minutes.

The Solution
The rails contribute greatly to the accuracy and automation of this bench top sized system, which is smaller than most PC monitors. Five MN9 MINIRAILS assemblies assist in the transfer of precise volumes of blood sample, reagents, wash solutions, and calibration samples within LaserCyteTM.

The MINIRAILS provided a great solution to IDEXX engineers given the variety of small sizes from which to choose. Prototypes were made readily available in any rail length through the responsiveness and support from our factory. IDEXX also found that the simple carriage design with capture balls facilitated and minimised assembly time.

Precision and smoothness to regulate fluid transfers were also critical in the selection of Schneeberger MINIRAILS . Volumetric transfers within LaserCyteTM range from 15 m L (micro litres) to about 1000 m L, but the highest precision is required during sample aspiration, dispensing and dilution. For example, the LaserCyteTM syringe pump aspirates and dispenses a 15 m L blood sample and creates a dilution with a precision of = 1% CV (Coefficient of Variance). The 15 m L aspiration/dispense is accomplished with a ~4.5mm movement of the MINIRAILS carriage.

The MINIRAILS satisfy these requirements with a lightly preloaded assembly to minimise degrees of freedom relative to the direction of motion, while also providing smooth and highly repeatable results.

IDEXX brought LaserCyteTM into full production in 2003 with an initial build rate of over 150 systems/month. The quality of the rails has been proven with an acceptance rate of about 99.9%. IDEXX expects instruments such as LaserCyteTM to remain in production for seven to ten years.