Sampleminded’s Scalable Laboratory System Enables Cologuard to Significantly Increase Test Volume

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, Mar 02, 2015 (Marketwired via COMTEX) — Sampleminded®, a leader in the management of mission critical specimens and test results for regulated diagnostics labs, research labs and clinical trials, today announced its partnership with Exact Sciences Corp., the manufacturer of Cologuard®, the first and only FDA-approved noninvasive stool DNA screening test for colorectal cancer. By utilizing Sampleminded’s highly configurable and intuitive Laboratory System, Exact Sciences has been able to successfully manage the increasing number of samples and test results due to Cologuard’s global expansion.

“We evaluated a number of different options, but the Sampleminded team delivered,” said Theran Myers, Technical Laboratory Manager, Exact Sciences. “Our team had worked with giant off-the-shelf LIMS systems before, but they’re massive and expensive to implement. Trying to bend a big system like that to our needs would have taken too long and resulted in something we didn’t want. Sampleminded took all the complexities of our process and distilled it into a program that not only met our current needs, but anticipated future ones.”

Grounded in a deep understanding of Exact Sciences’ process, Sampleminded developed a LIMS alternative that is scalable and easily adapts to process changes. Because the solution understands the context of the test, it reminds the laboratory technicians of next steps and flags protocol inconsistencies. While Cologuard performs all result calculations, the user-friendly interface and barcode system of Sampleminded’s solution makes the process of tracking large volumes of samples and results more efficient and traceable. Immediately upon FDA approval, Exact Sciences was able to process 4,000 results in four months with ample room for additional scalability in the future.

“Before using Sampleminded, we were tracking everything manually,” said Myers. “Trying to look through a dozen drawers full of paper to find sample information was a daunting task. But Sampleminded’s solution allows us to go paperless which makes issue tracking and regulatory compliance a much easier task. As we grow and our needs change, it’s easy to make configurations because the solution is set up to anticipate future adjustments. For example, I was easily able to adjust a workflow for increased efficiency without compromising sample integrity or process consistnecy. With a few clicks, I was done.”

“Collaborating with the Exact Sciences team to understand their process was essential,” said Steve Fuhrman, managing director and co-founder, Sampleminded. “Our team walked through their testing process using bananas as our ‘samples’ to make sure we got it right. We were focused on creating a solution that would assist when something went wrong, but not interrupt when things were done correctly. It was important to deploy laboratory tools that could be configured as needed by team members who might not have technical knowledge. We are pleased that our solution is an integral part of Cologuard’s expansion and continued success.”

Sampleminded manages mission critical specimens and test results for regulated diagnostics labs, research labs and clinical trials. The team has broad experience in software development and consulting services in bioinformatics and clinical research, in addition to system integration for biomedical devices and life sciences companies. Sampleminded’s software and services are carefully aligned to customers’ goals and its highly configurable tools support partnership and collaboration in the areas of: Laboratory Management, Clinical Research Services and Scientific Data Management. Sampleminded is uniquely qualified to be your lab’s partner. Learn more at: http://sampleminded.com.