Pre-barcoded Culture Media Plates for Paperless Environmental Monitoring

heipha Dr. Muller GmbH (heipha), a member of the Biotest Group and leading manufacturer of high-quality culture media for microbial diagnostics in the pharmaceutical industry, and MODA Technology Partners (MODA), a software company that specializes in automating environmental monitoring (EM), product and utility testing, have announced the availability of a new solution to further streamline automation of the Quality Control (QC) Micro process. The solution -- heipha-EM -- integrates the world-class MODA-EM™ platform with ready-prepared, pre-barcoded culture media plates from heipha.

heipha-EM (powered by MODA) is a paperless data acquisition, analysis, and reporting solution that improves EM and QC operations by eliminating inefficiencies and reducing error rates inherent in manual, paper-based systems. heipha-EM leverages mobile computing technology and advanced visualization tools for increased operational efficiency, improved quality, and reduced costs. With pre-barcoded culture media plates manufactured by heipha, the paperless process eliminates yet another common step inherent in paper-based processes.

The heipha-EM solution is available for purchase per a pricing model that correlates directly to the volume of media plates in use. In the USA, heipha media is available from Biotest Microbiology Corporation (BMC), Rockaway, New Jersey; in Germany, directly from heipha, Eppelheim, Germany; and, in the rest of the world, from Biotest's subsidiaries and microbiology distribution partners. heipha, Biotest and its subsidiaries and partners, and MODA will co-market the heipha-EM solution under a variety of support arrangements depending upon the country and location. This unique solution for integrated pre-barcoded media is also available with the complete MODA-EM solution, via direct purchase from MODA.

How it Works

By using pre-barcoded plates, technicians can boost their productivity by no longer having to manually print and label each plate to identify samples. Instead, a simple scan of a pre-existing barcode quickly and automatically identifies information about the media plate and the test being performed, thus eliminating the need for additional barcode label-creation. Processes are driven via electronic workflows to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), and each sample is automatically tracked through every step.

'heipha-EM combines our high-performance media plates with the best EM automation platform from MODA,' said Dr. Ulrich Eikmanns, Head of Product Management at heipha. 'This fits perfectly with our strategy to maximize value to our customers, combining media plates that are ready for immediate use with the MODA platform.'

'Our partnership with heipha and Biotest further extends the capabilities of the MODA-EM platform and makes it more compelling for companies to get their Green initiatives on track with MODA,' explains Michael Goetter, Vice President of Product Strategy at MODA. 'Pre-barcoded media plates support MODA's customer commitment to reduce and eventually eliminate the need for paper-based, labor-intensive environmental monitoring programs.'