Letting the data speak: Nightingale’s platform combines features that reduce variability and provide reliable data. The platform provides very stable measurements over time, the data is highly reproducible and accurate.
NMR technology is widely recognized as a very robust technology, known for the absence of batch effects. Additionally, Nightingale has invested heavily into developing a highly automated platform and EN ISO 13485:2016 certified quality management system to further increase the robustness of the technology and operations. Nightingale’s platform combines features that reduce variability and provide reliable data: minimal sample preparation, and fully automated sample measurement and bioinformatics analyses.
Nightingale’s platform delivers very stable measurements over time. Red dots illustrate consistency of measurement for the same quality control sample measured numerous times (each measurement includes the complete sample processing protocol). Gray background shows the normal variation observed in the study population. CVs are on par with routine clinical chemistry.
The data from the measurements in UK Biobank demonstrates the stability of the technology. Here we show an example of the platform consistency and stability with 100.000 UK Biobank samples measured in two Nightingale’s laboratories utilizing six NMR spectrometers during a 9-month period. Samples have been randomly selected from the whole UKB sample collection and randomly distributed between the instruments (shown in plots with different colors). Virtually identical distributions between instruments demonstrate that Nightingale’s platform is highly reproducible. Biomarker distributions in the UK Biobank from five consecutively measured sample batches for all biomarkers can be found here.
Typical biomarker coefficients of variations (CV%) in the Nightingale’s platform. The most of CV%s are below 5% and almost all are below 10%. The results are between-instrument CV%s for the control samples measured when profiling a batch of 5,000 UK Biobank samples. The distribution of biomarker’s coefficients of variation for UK Biobank’s blind duplicate samples and Nightingale Health’s internal control samples are available here and consistency of the blind duplicate measures for individual biomarkers is shown here.
Comparison of routine and emerging biomarkers analyzed by Nightingale to clinical chemistry in FinHealth 2017 study collection with ca. 6,000 participants. The clinical chemistry was measured in a central lab soon after collection (from frozen samples). The Nightingale NMR measurements were done from frozen samples a year after the sample collection.