Biomedical and clinical research relies on an abundance of subjects and their bio-samples, While researchers can count on large numbers of potential subjects for studying common conditions, they are not as successful acquiring samples for rare conditions, and they must recruit aggressively to enroll sufficient numbers of subjects. Even so, there remains a gap between samples needed and samples acquired which seriously bottlenecks medical research.

As an integrated module of BTM-Research HTSA closes this gap.
Recognizing that university medical centers process and discard many samples daily, HTSA facilitates collecting samples on a prospective basis. Researchers submit standing orders into HTSA′s database, and matching samples are flagged for salvage after laboratory work and before discard. HTSA requests the transfer of those samples into its repository where the samples are shipped to the researchers.                         

  Benefits At-a-Glance 

 Facilitates collecting discarded and prospective consented specimens for:

•     Genome-wide association studies;
•     DNA sequencing;
•     Antibody studies;
•     Viral pathogens, etc.

Lowers costs through improved efficiencies and economies of scale. Centralizes research operations in pathology. Handles direct research submissions for samples.

• Billing System. Lets participants recoup costs for their services.
• Query Integration. Supports searching for samples from specific patients. Users query CDRs based on clinical data like diagnosis or medication to build cohort tables, which are then fed into the Criteria Engine as search features.
• Honest Broker. Removes patient identifying information from samples before anyfurther processing. Communicates with legacy systems to link de-identified patient information with samples.

Open System Architecture allows easy integration with any laboratory systems, EMRs, EDCs, research databases, etc.

• Criteria Engine. Automatically searches for match between  requested  samples and the flow of discarded samples from the clinical pathology LIMS. Flags the match for shipment to PI (Catch and Release).
• Study Management. PIs can register IRBapproved studies and specify lab services to be performed.
• Integration. Specimen acquisition integrated with biomaterial tracking maintains quality assurance for both collection integrity and long term storage.
• Patient Management. Registers patients with demographic and consent data and ill numbers. Users can view a patient′s longitudinal and clinical history.
• Inventory Management. Tracks samples from acquisition until they are used in a study or discarded. Barcode scanners and printers speed the process and reduce errors. Enables users to request shipment of samples.
• Lab Results Management. Users request lab tests on samples that are new to, or already in, HTSA. Results are recorded either directly into HTSA or they can be transferred from another system.