Major upgrade to the automation line at the Lakeshore General Hospital’s central lab makes it one of the most advanced in the OPTILAB-MUHC cluster

We are thrilled to announce the inauguration of a transformative new automation line at the heart of the central lab at the Lakeshore General Hospital, an OPTILAB-MUHC facility.  The introduction of this cutting-edge technology marks an important step in the continuous improvement of diagnostic services and is expected to bring a 60% increase in capacity and a 35% reduction in average turnaround times.

The new automation line will bring the following improvements:

Complete automation: The system offers a total laboratory automation solution, covering pre-analytical and post-analytical steps.

Reduction in manual handling: It significantly reduces manual processing steps, thereby improving the operational efficiency of the laboratory.

Error detection: The system detects up to 70% of the most common pre-analytical errors within the first few seconds of processing each tube.

Intelligent sample routing: It optimises sample management, ensures STAT test prioritisation and enables automatic repeat analysis of samples with abnormalities.

"The arrival of this technology represents a major gain for patients, clinicians and the entire community by accelerating access to reliable results, which are essential for rapid and effective care management. We hope this marvelous new equipment sparks interest from lab technicians and medical technologists to join our fabulous team at the Lakeshore,” said Dr Alan Spatz, Medical Director of the OPTILAB-MUHC.

“We would also like to highlight the exceptional work of the laboratory staff,” said Enzo Caprio, Clinical-Administrative Director of OPTILAB-MUHC “Their expertise, commitment and resilience have been indispensable throughout the process of installing, validating and transitioning to this new system. Their exemplary contribution ensures that this technological deployment will translate into real benefits for our patients and our institution.”

“I would like to sincerely thank the entire laboratory team for your exceptional work in setting up our new analytical chain. This project would never have been possible without your collaboration, involvement, and dedication,” said Natasha Riley, Laboratory Manager, Lakeshore General Hospital.  “Thanks to your constant presence, team spirit, and remarkable professionalism, we have succeeded in achieving something we can all be proud of.”

"This new automation chain is a decisive step toward enhancing the speed and reliability of our diagnostic services. I would like to recognize the exceptional work of our laboratory staff and thank the leadership of the OPTILAB-MUHC cluster, particularly Dr. Alan Spatz and Enzo Caprio, for their invaluable collaboration. Together, we are providing our population with faster access to high-quality results." Dan Gabay, President and Executive Director of the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal.

The project is a testament to the great collaboration between OPTILAB-MUHC and the CIUSSS de l'Ouest de l'Île. A number of teams worked together to make this project possible. Congratulations to everyone involved and stay tuned for updates on the impact of this technology on staff and patients alike.