EKF announces acquisition of Separation Technology, Inc.

EKF Diagnostics announces that it has acquired Separation Technology, Inc. (STI), the Florida-based manufacturer of in vitro diagnostics devices for hematology testing.

This acquisition complements EKF’s existing offering in the hemoglobin testing marketplace, which includes Hemo Control (also sold as HemoPoint H2 in the USA and Asia). Notably, STI’s primary instrument is the UltraCrit™ hematocrit measurement device, which is FDA-cleared for blood donor screening.

STI develops, manufactures, and markets specialty IVD devices, including ultrasound instruments and tabletop centrifuges, for the hematology testing market. It also has an in-house engineering capability, including product design, production support, and new product development.

STI’s UltraCrit™ is the first and only hematocrit/hemoglobin device to use ultrasound technology. The hematocrit reading is displayed automatically in about 30 seconds and provides a hematocrit value that allows for standardization for all collections, including whole blood, apheresis, and double red cell collections.

UltraCrit™ uses reagentless cuvettes, a significant point of differentiation between different analyzers. STI also manufactures a range of centrifuges, including HemataStat™, which is also used for hematocrit reading.

Julian Baines, CEO of EKF, commented: “The acquisition of STI is a great natural fit with our existing point-of-care business, and UltraCrit™ provides us with a leading product for measuring hematocrit during blood donor screening with huge potential both within the US and internationally.”

STI’s revenues are currently concentrated in the US market; however, the business has sought to expand its offering into markets outside of the US and has recently registered products in Brazil (UltraCrit™), Kazakhstan, Russia, and Thailand. STI currently employs 15 staff, is based in Sanford, Florida, USA, and is being sold by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

The acquisition of STI follows a year of strong organic growth in 2013 by EKF Diagnostics. EKF has an installed base of over 50,000 analyzers globally and manufactures nearly 50 million tests annually.

Highlights for 2013 include a 42% increase in the Company’s sales of Hemo Control (HemoPoint H2) and a 75% increase in sales for its Quo-Lab® and Quo-Test® glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) point-of-care analyzers. The company’s Biosen range of glucose and lactate analyzers also showed a significant sales increase of 20%.

For more information on EKF Diagnostics, please visit www.ekfdiagnostics.com. Separation Technology Inc. has more information at www.separationtechnology.com.