Glossary

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■Noninvasive measurement technologies

Methods of measuring blood hemoglobin concentration that do not require blood sampling decrease the burden on the person being tested. This technology is currently highly valued in sports medicine, and may well find future use in examination of children and pregnant women.

■Non-hematology

Non-hematology refers to all diagnostics fields other than hematology, including coagulation, immunochemistry, urinalysis, and clinical chemistry.
*Hematology: investigates the functions and characteristics of blood cells (white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, etc.).

■Non-laboratory clinical testing

Tests carried out directly on the body such as X-rays, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and electroencephalograms (EEGs).

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■Official Development Assistance (ODA)

Not only governments but various groups and organizations including international organizations, NGOs, and private companies are engaged in international cooperation in support of social and economic development of countries. The funds and technical assistance which governments provide to developing countries are called Official Development Assistance (ODA).

■OSNA (One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification) method

A technique developed by Sysmex that does not require extraction or purification of nucleic acid in the pre-treatment process, enabling one-step amplification.

■Online QC

Online QC monitors the status of customers' analyzer which connects to the server of Sysmex Customer Support Center.

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■Particle measurement technology

Technology used to measure instantaneously the size and number of blood cells or industrial particles only a few microns across. Sysmex uses this technology to develop testing equipment and products for industrial testing devices.

■Point of care testing (POC testing)

POC testing is defined as laboratory testing that takes place in the vicinity of the patient. It functions effectively in such settings as clinics, outpatient facilities, ICUs, and operating theaters. It may also be referred to by similar expressions such as Near Patient Testing or Bedside Testing.

■Postgenome

This refers to the search for useful genes and identification of their functions, and the identification of the differences in base sequences that give rise to variation among individuals. Progress in postgenome research is expected to contribute to developments in medical technology such as "tailor-made therapies" produced according to an individual's particular sequence of bases.

■Precision management

A management method used to guarantee the values measured by customers' testing equipment. Confirmation that the customer's equipment is functioning correctly.

■Protein chip

A chip used to test quickly and cheaply for a target protein.
Sysmex is developing a protein chip that uses a new protein quantification method (patent pending) in which a single antibody is used against a single antigen. This chip will offer speed and outstanding cost-performance.

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■Quality of life (QOL)

Quality of life (QOL) refers to the maintenance of human dignity and improved wellbeing. Recently, emphasis is being placed on more patient-oriented treatment that enables the individual to regain his or her original vitality and to live a more comfortable lifestyle.

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■Reagent

A pharmaceutical product for medical use in laboratory testing, also called an in vitro diagnostic product. It is not used directly on the human body, but on blood or other bodily fluids sampled from the body.

■Regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine refers to the active use of cells to restore the function of structures or organs in the living body that have suffered functional damage or failure.

■Risk diagnosis

Tests that determine what types of disease a person may develop in future.

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■Screening

Screening is the process of between the normal and the abnormal. In laboratory testing, its purpose is to distinguish between items that require detailed investigation and those that do not.

■Sensitivity (includes explanation of anticancer drugs)

Effectiveness of drugs on patients. Effects and efficacy of the same drug vary from patient to patient.

■Service and support, technical explanations

Sysmex provides service and support to help customers using Sysmex testing devices to interpret test results and deal with problems with their equipment. Service and support also includes proposals for new testing methods from an academic perspective.

■Specimen

Material necessary for testing. May include blood, cerebrospinal fluid, pus, punctured fluid, urine and feces. Also called test material.

■Supply-chain management (SCM)

An approach to managing business activities. SCM uses comprehensive management of all business activities from upstream to downstream, from order acceptance and acknowledgement and material purchasing to inventory management and product shipping, to eliminate excess inventory and reduce costs.

■Sysmex network communication systems (SNCS)

SNCS is a service that enables customers to connect their analyzers to the Sysmex Customer Support Center via a network, and provides real-time external quality control, failure monitoring and web-based information.

■Sysmex Way

Sysmex Group's corporate philosophy, established in April 2007, comprising the Mission (Sysmex's social raison d'être and how we hope to contribute to society), the Value (the values and management style that we must abide by), and the Mind (the mindset and code of conduct that every employee within the Group must observe).

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■Tailor-made medicine

Medical care that assesses patients' individual sensitivity to drugs, selects appropriate medicines and dosages, and determines the optimum administration period, before drug administration begins.

■Technopark

Sysmex Group's R&D hub, established in October 2008 under the concept of "Creation of 'Knowledge' and its Inheritance" on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of our foundation.

■Testing center

A testing center is a business specializing in testing. In recent years, some hospitals have begun to outsource routine testing work to testing centers.

■Total laboratory automation (TLA)

A system product that uses a specimen transport device to connect a number of analytical devices. In conjunction with a testing information system it enables automation and streamlining of laboratory testing.

■Tumor marker

Tumor markers are substances produced only by tumor cells that are detectable in urine and blood samples. The detection of these markers and measurement of their volume is used to aid cancer diagnosis and in assessing its clinical progress.

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■Uncovered treatment

Treatment not covered by medical insurance. All costs are borne by the patient.

■Urinalysis/urine testing

Urinalysis investigates whether sugar, protein, or blood is present in urine. It is used to check for the presence of urinary tract stones, kidney function, and signs of diabetes.

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■Whole blood testing

Testing of blood taken from the body in its original state, without the need for processing to prepare a test sample (as was previously the case). Sysmex's serum-testing equipment makes this possible.

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