The Abaxis VetScan VUE is the first app-based diagnostic instrument in the veterinary marketplace. Paired with patented Rapid Test cartridges and the VUE mobile app, veterinarians are now able to quickly scan patient samples, diagnose life-threatening diseases, and automatically document the results directly to the patient's chart. All from the physician's own exam room.

Obtaining accurate test results is the most critical task in the diagnosis of infectious diseases and the veterinary treatment of our pets. However, the current in-house process is tedious and unglamorous. Prior to the release of the Vetscan VUE, veterinary staff were required to hand treat each Rapid Test and then perform a visual eye exam to determine the results after waiting for extended periods of time. Normally dozens of times each day. Erroneous diagnoses were common and all results were added to individual patient charts by hand.

The purpose of the Vetscan VUE reader and the VUE app integration was to deliver accurate results on every test while simultaneously saving time for the veterinary staff. Abaxis was developing the app-based system and needed hardware to bring the system to life. The industrial design was to represent the significance of the testing process and reflect the high-tech approach of the Vetscan system. However, the design also needed to appear simple and be easily understood by all users on staff. This would be achieved through a streamlined, purposeful form that simultaneously stood out from the array of medical devices in the vet office yet felt at home in the space. Additionally, low cost manufacturing was a requirement. This led to thoughtful consideration of a reduced part strategy and simple assembly.

While other products in the diagnostic field incorporate large touchscreens and onboard printers, the VUE takes a more minimalist approach. Offloading most of the functionality onto the user's common mobile device, the VUE is reduced to a quarter of the size of related devices and has only one physical UX touch point: the Rapid Test drawer.

When defining the new Vetscan language, the design team contrasted legacy Abaxis products with the modern geometric look of the upcoming VUE app. Resulting in a rounded front profile and an overall approachable form that is easily understood by the user. Vetscan Vue represents a true evolution of the Abaxis product family while retaining heritage to the previous generation.

The hero of the VUE design is the simple two-part housing strategy, which was created to fill multiple purposes. The directional extrusion of the housing leads the user's focus away from the visual mass of the main body in white to the business end of the device, the front face. This is where all the user interaction takes place. Which is celebrated with a fresh take on the Abaxis blue.

The inner face of the VUE is purposefully recessed to expose the fluid samples and keep the interior of the scanner sterile. The bold chamfered surface guides the user's fingers inward for an easy to locate grip on the drawer. Additionally, the two part strategy reduces entry points for fluid ingress and is easily cleaned.

Once a complex and analog process with extended periods of downtime, veterinary disease testing and analyzing has become highly intelligent with the Vetscan VUE. The VUE utilizes Wi-Fi technology to enable an automated process to Rapid testing at the point-of-care. Operators can use Abaxis' patented VetScan Rapid Test cartridges per usual, while additionally scanning, interpreting, and sharing the results instantly.The VUE uses a built in optical processor to interpret the results of eliminating the possibility of any subjective erroneous interpretations of the test and notifies the operator directly to their mobile device, anywhere in the clinic. The Vetscan VUE has made the testing process more accurate and more efficient.

Throughout its history, Abaxis has been a leader in both the medical and veterinary diagnostic markets, developing and delivering chemical and mechanical innovation since its founding. More recently, Abaxis has passionately committed to the power of design across all disciplines (industrial, mobile UI/UX, and web graphics). Coupling innovative hardware with a new user-facing Vetscan app, the VUE has generated significant excitement for good design both within the Abaxis offices and into the diagnostic industry as a whole. Early Vetscan prototypes were lauded at industry conferences and the success continues after reaching the market. The Vetscan VUE is now a flagship product proudly featured within the Abaxis product offering. The future Vetscan line will continue to develop along the same design language established by the Vetscan VUE, with additional diagnostic devices set to release in the near future.