Benefits for Researchers:

• Access to a rich source of patient samples and clinical data to advance research efforts
• Significantly faster biospecimen procurement rates
• Reliable quality and quantity of annotated human biospecimens
• Opportunity for significant research study cost savings
• Ability to conduct novel and sophisticated research studies

iSpecimen’s pilot solution increased the number of specimens used per month on research by 28 times on average, greatly speeding up research programs.

 

For More Information

For more information about obtaining specimens and associated patient data from iSpecimen, please contact us.

 

High-Quality, Data-Rich Biospecimens for Research

As a researcher, one thing that’s critical to the success of your research program is the availability of high-quality biospecimens that meet your specific patient cohorts. But getting these specimens is not always easy. You can sponsor or contract research within healthcare facilities that provide you with access to patient populations of interest or you can purchase anonymized biospecimens from a highly-fragmented group of biobanks. The former option is extraordinarily time-consuming and expensive due to reliance on manual efforts, most of which focus on identifying and consenting patients who exactly match research requirements. The latter has its own problems – primarily that biobanks have limited access to suitable patient populations, questionable specimen quality and very limited phenotypic data.

The iSpecimen Solution

iSpecimen solves this problem using proprietary technology that allows researchers to search the millions of patient specimens flowing through our network of clinical laboratories each year and select individual specimens based on associated laboratory and medical record data. These specimens, most of which would otherwise be discarded after clinical testing, exactly match patient cohort criteria and provide a steady supply of richly-annotated specimens for a variety of validation studies as well as basic and translational research.

iSpecimen’s technology searches millions of medical and laboratory records for available samples that meet exact patient cohort criteria.

iSpecimen’s core technology keeps track of specimen type, collection time, test results and other specimen parameters, and combines this information with de-identified clinical data extracted from the patient’s electronic medical record – data such as diagnoses, concurrent medication and past medical history. Our services provide researchers access to valuable clinical data previously available only through lengthy and complicated patient enrollment processes.

Wide Range of Studies

Because of rapid specimen procurement and available quantities, the iSpecimen technology has proven particularly useful for high sample count studies that require a large number of samples and patient data, such as large-scale genome-wide association studies. It’s also proven invaluable for studies that require very customized annotation, such as those done in biomarker discovery and validation, in vitro diagnostic development and more.

Proven and Tested

The underlying technology employed by iSpecimen has been developed over the past seven years – supported in large part by $20M+ in government grants – and has been successfully placed into operation at two major teaching hospitals, effectively demonstrating proof-of-concept. Through this pilot operation, order-of-magnitude improvements in biospecimen procurement rates have been measured across numerous studies, accompanied by significant research cost reductions.

Legal and Compliant

Our processes are conducted in a manner to assure that only high-quality specimens are selected and are compliant with HIPAA and all other regulations governing the use of patient specimens and data. We help our clients set up IRB-approved protocols and also provide a fully-auditable chain of custody that is designed to meet the highest standards in research. In addition, the technology can be used to more effectively identify, consent and enroll patients for specific studies when more complicated clinical research is necessary.

For More Information

Are you interested in obtaining samples or finding out more? Please download our researchers brochure or contact us for more information.