This week Copan launched videos demonstrating proper sample collection technique for respiratory samples. The new videos were created for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and The Joint Commission to be used in a web-based course on influenza diagnosis and treatment in ambulatory settings for healthcare providers.

The educational videos show proper technique for collecting respiratory specimens for influenza using swabs, aspirates and washes. Demonstrations of Nasal and Nasopharyngeal swab sample collection use FLOQSwabs^TM by Copan and Copan’s Universal Transport Media (UTM). Additional videos demonstrate proper technique for Nasal Aspirates and Nasal Washes.

Copan has been committed to education from the beginning and education has been critical to Copan’s success. Copan was the first to market innovative Flocked Swabs for quantitative collection of biological samples. Education has been critical to show the equivalency of the new invention to the gold standard for respiratory sample collection.

Proper sample collection plays a critical role in obtaining proper test results for patients. “Copan has always been committed to providing educational resources to those at the laboratory and at the point of care,” said Copan Executive Vice President, Norman Sharples. “We recognize that though our products may be used at the beginning of the process, there is a human being waiting on accurate and timely results at the end. We are proud to play an important role in safeguarding public health and we strive to help improve the specimen collection process through valuable educational resources, which we have always provided free of charge,” concluded Sharples.

The videos have been launched during the 28^th annual Clinical Virology Symposium (CVS) in Daytona Beach on April 22^nd – 24^th, 2012. Copan is providing free DVD copies of the educational videos during CVS. These videos are also available on Copan’s website (copanusa.com).

Copan holds patents for flocked swabs in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and China.

About COPAN Group

With a reputation for innovation, Copan is the leading manufacturer of collection and transport systems in the world. Copan’s collaborative approach to preanalytics has resulted in Flocked Swabs, ESwab, UTM^®: Universal Transport Medium™ and laboratory automation, WASP^® and WASPLab. Copan carries a range of microbial sampling products, inoculation loops, and pipettes. For more information, visit www.copanusa.com