Ultra-fast centrifuge at Aspirus Ontonagon gets patients their lab results quicker

Donors to the Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital Foundation provided all the funding to purchase an ultra-fast centrifuge for the Aspirus Ontonagon laboratory.

A centrifuge is a machine used to separate a fluid into its liquid and solid components for testing. It does this by spinning a vessel containing a fluid at a high speed.

The Aspirus Ontonagon lab is using its new StatSpin Express 3 Centrifuge to spin blood into its components – red blood cells, platelets and plasma. It can do this in only three minutes. The lab’s previous centrifuge took 10 minutes to produce the same result.

Thanks to the new centrifuge, staff members are more productive and can perform lab testing on each patient seven minutes sooner. Better yet, patients get their results seven minutes faster.

“The purchase of this centrifuge is important because it enhances the high level of service we can provide to our patients,” said Christina Asiala, UP Regional Laboratory Services director for Aspirus. “Being able to diagnose a patient seven minutes sooner could be a matter of life or death for some patients. A patient having a heart attack, for example, or a patient needing a blood transfusion can get their blood seven minutes faster. We are extremely grateful to the Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital Foundation for providing us with this highly innovative technology in our lab.”

“The Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital Foundation’s support for the purchase of this centrifuge is a great example of how community support with contributions made to the Foundation are used to enhance the care and services offered at Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital,” said Jim Jessup, Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital Foundation board president.

If you’d like to contribute to the Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital Foundation, call 906.884.8107 or visit aspirus.org/foundations.