Laboratory Automation & Instrumentation
Power Protection Systems
Franek Technologies, Inc. Testimonials
University of Texas. Health Science Center at San Antonio, Institutional Mass Spectrometry Laboratory
As part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio,
the Institutional Mass Spectrometry Laboratory offers services including molecular
mass determination; protein identification and characterization; electron impact and
chemical ionization mass spectrometry; and 1-D and 2-D gel electrophoresis. For more
information, visit: http://www.uthscsa.edu/mass-spectrometry
“In a single telephone conversation, the engineering consultants at Franek Technologies
knew exactly what level of power protection we needed for our LTQ. We clearly benefited from
their years of industry experience, and I can now rest assured that our instrument will receive
smooth and conditioned power around the clock so that our analyses will not be interrupted.
This is a huge relief for me. Simply put, I wouldn’t order another mass spectrometer without
including supplemental power protection. In the future, I will request Franek Technologies
power protection units in all my grant applications. The Franek Technologies units protect
all aspects of operation and to me that is a requirement, not a luxury.“
Dr. Susan T. Weintraub
Professor of Biochemistry
Core Director, Institutional Mass Spectrometry Laboratory
MultiGEN Diagnostics
MultiGEN Diagnostics technology enables conventional DNA
sequencing to be used in routine testing applications. Its test procedure is
fully automated and is able to process more than 1,000 samples per day in a
single laboratory. The MultiGEN Diagnostics advantages over conventional methods
includes: highest specificity; simultaneous identification of multiple genomic
targets; result format is a nucleotide sequence electropherogram; cost is substantially
less than present methods; results are available within 24 hours via e-mail,
Internet or fax; clients can also view results on a secured Internet site;
and sensitivity is equal to or greater than existing methods.
“I’ve seen first-hand what can happen in a laboratory that does not have the
level of power protection offered by the Franek Technologies units. I was extremely
impressed with the quick response and high level of applications engineering
expertise that Franek Technologies brought to the solution. With the level
of throughput and the critical nature of the samples being processed, we intend
to ensure that our instrumentation is operating at peak performance 24/7. The
laboratory cannot afford any downtime or damage caused by substandard, unconditioned
power. The secondary investment in Franek Technologies power protection solutions
is not a luxury, it is a necessity.”
Dr. T. Vinayagamoorthy, President
MultiGEN Diagnostics
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a campus of the Louisiana State
University System and conducts basic, clinical and population research. It
is the largest academically based nutrition research center in the world,
with the greatest number of obesity researchers on faculty. The Center's
nearly 600 employees occupy several buildings on the 234-acre campus. For
more information, visit www.pbrc.edu.
Pennington’s Genomics Core Facility
The Genomics Core Facility (GCF) provides DNA sequencing, DNA fragment analysis,
qualitative and quantitative analysis of DNA and RNA samples, quantitative
PCR, microarray spotting, hybridization, and scanning, robotics, and bioinformatics
services. Individual and small group training and consultation services are
offered for sequence analysis, real-time PCR, and microarray analysis. The
goal of the GCF is to provide high quality service at low cost to facilitate
research.
“It is imperative that we protect not only our significant investment in instrumentation
but also the irreplaceable patient samples that we receive. Franek Technologies
has helped us immensely in this area. Our investment in Franek Technologies
systems has also assisted us with our overall budgetary planning. Because we
know that our instruments will run smoothly 24/7, our facility’s performance
is now so consistent that we are able to easily predict our budgets, knowing
that we will not have any major unexpected repairs due to substandard power.
This is a wonderful benefit when our bottom-line is so important for future
funding and research.”
Susan Newman, Laboratory Manager
Genomics Core Facility
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Microcheck, Inc.
Microcheck, Inc. is an independent microbiology laboratory specializing in
microbial identification of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and actinomycetes. The
company supports quality control programs for the pharmaceutical, medical
device, personal health, sterile manufacturing/packaging, agriculture/food,
raw materials, water testing, research, bioremediation, and other industries.
Well over 200,000 isolates have been identified to species at Microcheck
since 1988. Microcheck’s scientific teams are experts in bacterial identification,
fungi identification, gene sequencing, environmental monitoring, and microbiology
testing. For more information, call (866) 709-6600 or visit www.microcheck.com.
“I sleep better at night knowing that our ABI Genetic Analyzer will run
24/7 regardless of what’s going on weather-wise outside our laboratory. It
would be irresponsible to our clients not to have a Franek Technologies’
unit supporting the Genetic Analyzer as the risks are just too great and
directly tied to our bottom line. Our investment in this level of protection
is insurance and an absolute necessity for Microcheck.”
Dr. Mike Sinclair, CEO/Laboratory Director
Microcheck, Inc.
XDx
Founded in 2000, XDx is a molecular diagnostics company based in South San
Francisco, Calif. Setting the stage for a new era in personalized medicine,
XDx is one of the first companies to develop and commercialize practical
applications built on insights from the Human Genome Project. The company
has developed a proprietary new method for non-invasively monitoring the
immune system by measuring gene expression in a patients peripheral blood.
The technology offers the potential to decrease healthcare costs and significantly
improve the quality of life for patients with a variety of life-threatening
or life-altering, immune-mediated diseases.
“With Franek Technologies’ power protection systems in place, we don’t
have to worry about the brownouts that we know are going to occur in our
labs. We made sure that our instruments were going to run smoothly 24/7,
before experiencing any problems. We can now run tests, even over the weekend,
without a second thought. Having this peace of mind allows us to focus on
what’s really important, our research and ultimately, the long-term health
of post-cardiac transplant patients.”
Elizabeth King, Research Specialist
XDx
The State of Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Laboratory
The Wyoming Public Health Laboratory is the diagnostic hub of the public health
support network for both the state’s health care providers and the citizens
of Wyoming, providing a diversity of laboratory services & testing over
80,000 samples yearly, to assure protection for the health of our communities.
The WPHL serves as the state’s advanced level diagnostic facility to alert
physicians and epidemiologists to outbreaks, provide technical advice, recognize
disease patterns and new pathogens. The WPHL consists of specialized
testing sections including Chemical Testing, Microbiology Testing, and the
Bioterrorism Response Laboratories. For more information, visit http://wdh.state.wy.us/PHSD/lab/index.html.
“The power distribution analysis provided by Franek Technologies was comprehensive
and has been used extensively. Now that the systems are in place and operational,
we are confident that the Franek Technologies LPS units are protecting exactly
what they were purchased to do. Each LPS unit is running very well and we
have not experienced a single outage since installation.”
Jim Walford, Laboratory Manager,
State of Wyoming Public Health Laboratory
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Biotechnology Center
While a complex science, biotechnology is rapidly becoming one of the most
significant industries in our nation. The focus of the UNLV Biotechnology
Center is to provide the education necessary to train students interested
in pursuing careers in biotechnology as well as to encourage new community-based
business/industry in this field.
“Laboratories no longer have to rely on hypothetical scenarios or guess
work to justify the need for initial and additional laboratory power protection.
This case study puts real numbers to the economic impact of the inherent
instability of laboratory power that is so prevalent today. The results show
that laboratories operating sensitive instrumentation need to budget for
certified laboratory power protection to protect their bottom line.”
Dr. Walter Goldstein, Coordinator of the Biotechnology Center
Shadow Lane Campus, University of Nevada Las Vegas
"Category III-3 instrumentation-grade laboratory battery backup power
protection is something extra you need when dealing with sensitive
instrumentation. Franek Technologies' systems protect our extensive investment
in equipment, as well as our time. The people attending our training should
have the best experience possible, and we can't afford to have our instrumentation
knocked out in the middle of a seminar. We're not only protecting our investment,
but also our reputation. It's just good business sense."
Dr. Walter Goldstein, Coordinator of the Biotechnology Center
Shadow Lane Campus, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Ventura County Sheriff's Department, Forensic Science Laboratory
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory is a full-service
laboratory responding to 19 law enforcement agencies in Ventura County. The
31 full-time forensic scientists and 8 support staff of the laboratory analyze
approximately 8,500 cases per year in the following disciplines: DNA, trace,
firearms, controlled substances, toxicology, and forensic alcohol. The laboratory
is accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory
Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) and complies with quality standards issued
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and meets the FBI’s DNA Advisory Board
(DAB) standards for forensic DNA testing laboratories.
“Prior to the installation of the Franek Technologies power protection
systems, we experienced sample loss and instrumentation damage due to power
fluctuations within the various laboratories. Based on the losses, I had
no problem justifying the additional, and critical, expense of the Franek
Technologies units. One of the things that impressed me most about working
with Franek Technologies was how extremely budget conscious the team is.
They really worked with me to design a system that met not only our specific
technological needs, but also fit within my strict budget. ”
Renee Artman, Forensic Science Laboratory Manager
Ventura County Sheriff's Department
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Conducting cutting-edge translational (proteomics) pathology research, the
Rosenblatt Clinical Proteomics Laboratory seeks to understand the communication
break down between the constellations of protein molecules that trigger cells
to divide, proliferate, and metastasize to become cancerous cells. The goal
is to then take this knowledge and translate it to patient applications -
from “research bench to clinical bedside” - to enable more individualized
treatment for patients.
“When considering an investment of $350,000 in a highly-sensitive piece
of equipment, I believe it’s vital to provide additional laboratory-grade
power protection. I’ve seen too many times what can happen to instrumentation,
samples, and a research effort from inconsistent power delivery. I also believe
that whenever a laboratory invests in high-end instrumentation, it should
be protected and additional LPS protection should be figured into the overall
cost from the get-go. In my lab, I need to know that we are delivering pure
power to the instrument the way it should be and well within the manufacturer’s
specifications. Our investment in Franek Technologies’ power protection solutions
is definitely money well spent.”
Dr. Kevin P. Rosenblatt, Asst. Professor of Pathology,
Assoc. Director, Translational Pathology Division,
Director Clinical Proteomics Program
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center,
Department of Pathology
Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratories
The Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratories are some of the busiest
full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the world, receiving more
than 160,000 cases in need of diagnostic assistance each year. At its two
major locations in College Station and Amarillo, Texas, the laboratories
perform diagnostic testing for thousands of veterinary hospitals and clinics
in Texas and throughout the country. Two poultry labs, one in Center,
Texas and the other in Gonzales, Texas, serve the poultry industry through
disease surveillance and diagnostic testing.
“With the unstable power conditions within our laboratory, our new Thermo
Electron LC-MS could not go unprotected. Franek Technologies came very
highly recommended by a fellow LC-MS operator/diagnostic chemist who was
running similar instrumentation to what we had just bought. Working
with Franek Technologies’ engineering team was a dream. They are extremely
knowledgeable about the Thermo instrument’s specifications; the whole process,
from my initial inquiry at the company’s website through installation, went
smoother than I ever could have imagined.”
Dr. Catherine Barr, Veterinary Toxicologist
Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratories
University of Michigan Medical School Biomedical Mass Spectrometry
The Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Facility provides unique, hands-on training
to graduate and post-doctoral students, as well as faculty members, on the
fundamentals of mass spectrometry for application to future pursuits in pharmacology. Through
research at the facility, many new drug candidates are identified and modifications
on existing drugs are developed. Investigators focus on a wide-array of areas,
such as cardiovascular health, oncology, and autoimmune diseases, with a
huge variety of applications. As one of the top medical schools and research
institutions in the country, the training provided at the Biomedical Mass
Spectrometry Facility ensures that the top graduate students are well prepared
to enter the field of pharmacology and make great strides in drug discovery.
“I’ve seen first-hand what can happen to a laboratory without power conditioning.
Brown-outs and power surges can cause extensive damage to mass spectrometry
equipment. We need power clean enough for our sensitive research equipment.
If we are going to invest significant resources in research instrumentation,
we need to go the extra step to protect the instrumentation and keep things
running smoothly.”
Dr. Kate Noon, Manager, Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Facility
University of Michigan Medical School
Symrise Inc.
Symrise Inc. is part of Symrise GmbH & Co. KG, a global leader in creating
and supporting brands for its customers, some of the largest food, beverage,
fine fragrance, and consumer product companies in the world. World class
customer support and on-time delivery requires sophisticated analytical capability
with high reliability.
“One of the real values of working with Franek Technologies, aside from
their engineering expertise and catalog of certified designs, was the ease
of installation. Each LPS system was delivered with labeling on the LPS that
matched a corresponding label on the bench top power distribution box, all
tying back to the quote and engineering specification sheets. Plus, every
unit was pre-programmed for the load that it would carry. Installation was
truly plug-and-play. We couldn’t be more pleased with our relationship with
Franek Technologies.”
Dr. John Walradt, Director, Research Analysis
Symrise, Inc.
Hoxworth Blood Center
Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, is
celebrating 70 years of saving lives. At least 350 volunteer blood donors
and 40 volunteer platelet donors are essential each day to keep up with the
demands of tri-state hospitals and their patients. Founded in 1938, we serve
29 hospitals in 17 counties in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern
Indiana. Annually, Hoxworth collects over 90,000 units of blood from local
donors.
“Since our automated blood collection machines run on AC current, power
outages are devastating for us. It’s not only that we are unable to draw
blood during an outage, but if we are in the middle of a collection, we automatically
lose this sample. Blood platelet donations, for example, take about 1 � hours
so it’s critical that we can extend the life of our machines for at least
this amount of time.”
Michael Anderson, spokesperson
Hoxworth Blood Center
Adair’s Electric, Inc.
Adair’s Electric is a leading electrical contract company specializing in large-scale
power protection installations.
“Working with Franek Technologies has opened new doors for us at Adair’s
Electric, such as our work with the City of Hope. Together we can offer comprehensive
power protection services that other vendors can’t provide. From the initial
consultations to completed installations, we partner with our clients to
ensure their significant investment in equipment is protected and this is
what sets our team apart. We look forward to working with Franek Technologies
on many projects in the future.”
Rik Adair’s, President
Adair’s Electric, Inc.
Dynamic Concepts
Founded in 1979 and based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., Dynamic Concepts, Inc. is
a leading application and web hosting service provider for SMB (Small Medium
Business) and enterprise markets. DCI operates a data center that hosts global
network applications and provides web and e-mail services to clients all
over the world. The company also develops operating systems technology, Unix-based
tools and business development languages for software developers, resellers
and users who deploy enterprise-wide solutions and applications on SCO, Solaris,
Hewlett Packard HPUX, Linux and Windows 2000. Dynamic Concepts software
and data center solutions service a wide range of industries including hospitals,
reservation centers, construction sites, catalog services, food and beverage
outlets, property management organizations, escrow companies, financial institutions
and medical and dental clinics. For more information on Dynamic Concepts,
please visit http://www.dynamic.com.
“To provide the utmost performance and data security to our customers,
it is imperative that our data center remain fully operational, regardless
of environmental or power conditions. The power protection system that we
have developed with Franek Technologies’ engineers allows us to do exactly
that. Their engineering expertise has enabled our Service Level Agreement
(SLA) to meet and exceed 99.9% uptime while providing for future expansion.”
Dell Wolfensparger, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing
Dynamic Concepts
US Army’s Automated Biological Agent Testing System (ABATS)
Automated Biological Agent Testing System (ABATS) will automate real-time polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) and immunoassays for a variety of environmental samples
including air, food, mail, and soil. ABATS will be used to test for a variety
of biological threat agents of concern to the U.S. military as part of the
Homeland Defense effort.
“Our goal is to replicate ABATS at key locations nationwide to decrease
the burden on public health laboratories. Since each location will have differing
power quality, we needed a power conditioning and battery back-up system
that would normalize power input and protect our results. Franek Technologies
offered this solution and its LPS is critical to the project’s success.”
Isaac Fruchey, Automation Laboratory Manager
ABATS Project