The NPHL has been working with Dr. Ann Fruhling, Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's College of Information Science and Technology, on a new project to help laboratories become more prepared for a bioterrorism event. The project which is funded by a Nebraska Research Initiative (NRI) grant aims to develop a laboratory-based Secure Telecommunications Application Terminal Package, termed "STATPack". The goal of the NRI program is to leverage Nebraska resources to develop new technologies that may have commercial potential.
STATPack™ is a secure, dedicated, HIPPA compliant web-based network system that will support telecommunications between clinical laboratories in Nebraska. In the initial phase of field implementation, the STATPack™ will be placed in regional hospital laboratories throughout Nebraska. This connectivity will allow for immediate communication and data transfer of urgent test related problems by transmitting images and text. This system will serve as means for providing immediate consultation with the NPHL, for example, a "unknown" organism growing from a culture that a laboratory may be processing, or a "suspicious" package delivered to the laboratory. The need for such a system became apparent during the anthrax scare in 2002 when laboratorians wanted immediate answers to questions concerning processing unusual organisms.
The STATPack™ system consists of a computer terminal and a high resolution digital camera by which pictures of culture plates may be taken. These images and descriptive text messages may be sent to the NPHL for consultation. NPHL will receive a notice that a laboratory is requesting consultation via a pager and on the system. Should a message need to be communicated to the laboratories, the STATPack™ system allows the NPHL to send notices to laboratories including an audible computer alarm.
A future version of the STATPack™ is planned that will allow laboratories to capture microscopic images of Gram or Fluorescent Antibody (FA) stains and send these images to a consultant.
For more information, please go to STATPack™Last updated: 2007.1