Table 3.
Cost analysis of standard urine cytology versus microfilter-based urine cytology techniques.
| Item | Standard Cytology
|
Microfilter Cytology
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Cost per sample | Cost per unit | Description | Cost per sample | Cost per unit | |
| Sample Transportation | ||||||
| Packaging | • Plastic specimen container | 0.40 | • Regular envelope | 0.02 | ||
| • Specimen transport box | 1.15 | • Biohazard specimen bag | 0.20 | |||
| Shipping 1 | • Next Day Air delivery | 14.87 (6.30-44.27) | • Next Day Air delivery | 3.57 (0.95-13.42) | ||
| Subtotal | 16.42 (7.85-45.82) | 3.79 (1.17-13.64) | ||||
| Sample Preparation | ||||||
| Cytotechnologist 2 | • For sample loading, centrifugation, slide preparation, cytocentrifugation (approx. 5.5 minutes per sample) | 2.75 | • On-site filtration, slide preparation (maximum 4 minutes per sample) | 2.00 | ||
| Consumables | • Centrifuge tube | 0.45 | • 20 ml syringe | 0.45 | ||
| • Cytology Funnel | 1.45 | • Microfilter | 1.00 | |||
| • Glass slide | 0.20 | • Glass slide | 0.20 | |||
| • Ethanol fixative | 0.20 | • Ethanol fixative | 0.20 | |||
| • Miscellaneous (gloves, pipette tips, PAP stain dyes etc.) | 0.50 | • Miscellaneous (gloves, pipette tips, PAP stain dyes etc.) | 0.50 | |||
| Subtotal | 5.55 | 4.35 | ||||
| Basic Equipment 3 | ||||||
| • Centrifuge | 3,937.00 (2,878.00-5,729.00) | Reusable glass beakers (12/set) | 131.40 (59.70-303.20) | |||
| • Cytocentrifuge | 7,000.00 (3,693.00-10,510.00) | • Reusable acrylic cassettes | 5.00 (3.50-6.50) | |||
| • Cytocentrifuge clips (6/pack) | 290.63 (191.95-326.29) | |||||
| Subtotal | 11,227.63 (6,762.95-16,565.29) | 136.40 (63.20-309.70) | ||||
| GRAND TOTAL | 21.97 (13.40-51.37) | 11,227.63 (6,762.95-16,565.29) | 8.14 (5.52-17.99) | 136.40 (63.20-309.70) | ||
Assuming intra-state delivery in flat-rate overnight box (for urine samples) or envelope (for processed microfilters), shipping maximum number of samples per package. Costs may be higher for specialized medical courier services.
Wage calculated at $30 per hour.
Does not account for equipment maintenance and depreciation costs, which are higher for standard cytology.
Above estimates also do no account for (a) cytopathology evaluation time, which is shorter for microfilter cytology, and (b) facility set-up costs, which may vary by institution and geography.
All estimated costs in US dollars.
For line items >$3.00, median costs are indicated; range provided within parentheses.