Zoetis adds CHCM and PCT to Vetscan OptiCell: full analysis

Zoetis is adding two new hematology parameters to Vetscan OptiCell, its cartridge-based, AI-enabled point-of-care analyzer: cellular hemoglobin concentration mean, or CHCM, and plateletcrit, or PCT. The company says that makes OptiCell the first and only point-of-care hematology analyzer to offer CHCM, a metric that until now has largely been associated with reference-lab platforms. The update increases the analyzer’s total parameter count to 24. (vettimes.com)

The move builds on a broader diagnostics push from Zoetis. Vetscan OptiCell launched in late 2024 in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, and Zoetis expanded the platform into Europe in 2025. In launch materials, the company positioned the analyzer as a fast, low-maintenance CBC system built around single-use cartridges and proprietary microfluidic technology designed to align cells for imaging and reduce sample handling complexity in clinics. Zoetis has also been tying OptiCell into a wider connected diagnostics strategy that includes Vetscan Imagyst blood smear review and the ZoetisDx ecosystem. (dvm360.com)

What’s new here is the addition of parameters that could sharpen interpretation of both red cell and platelet disorders in-clinic. Vet Times, citing Zoetis, reported that CHCM provides a direct measurement of the average hemoglobin concentration within individually analyzed red blood cells, while PCT reflects the volume percentage of blood occupied by platelets. Zoetis’ Michelle Larsen, head of medical platforms, clinical studies, and medical education, said the additions give clinicians more depth when evaluating red blood cell and platelet abnormalities in sick patients. Zoetis president of global diagnostics Abhay Nayak framed the update as part of a larger pipeline strategy aimed at strengthening clinical decision-making at the point of care. (vettimes.com)

The clinical significance of CHCM is worth unpacking. Cornell’s eClinPath describes CHCM as the mean optical hemoglobin concentration of intact red blood cells, measured directly as cells pass through a laser. That differs from the more familiar MCHC, which is calculated from lysed-cell hemoglobin and hematocrit. Because of that difference, CHCM can be less vulnerable to artifacts that distort MCHC, including lipemia, hemolysis, and agglutination. A recent canine hematology paper likewise noted that CHCM is directly measured and is largely unaffected by some interferences that can falsely increase MCHC. (eclinpath.com)

Industry coverage around the announcement has been largely descriptive rather than critical, but the framing is consistent: this is an incremental capability expansion rather than a brand-new platform launch. That matters because practices already using OptiCell may gain added diagnostic information without changing analyzers. It also gives Zoetis another differentiation point in the increasingly competitive in-clinic diagnostics market, where speed, ease of use, connectivity, and menu expansion all shape purchasing decisions. (vettimes.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the biggest takeaway is workflow. If CHCM performs in practice the way reference-lab literature suggests, clinics may be able to interpret some anemia cases with more confidence before sending samples out, especially when traditional hemoglobin indices are vulnerable to artifact. PCT could also add nuance when platelet counts are borderline, discordant, or complicated by clumping. That won’t replace smear review, clinical context, or referral lab support, but it could make the in-house CBC more decision-ready during same-day workups. (eclinpath.com)

There’s also a business and operational angle. Zoetis has been pitching OptiCell as a compact, minimal-maintenance system that supports efficiency in practices dealing with rising caseloads and staffing strain. Adding higher-value parameters without adding reagent complexity fits that message and may help the company deepen recurring use of its cartridge-based diagnostics platform. That said, independent validation data specific to the new parameters on OptiCell were not readily available in the sources reviewed, so veterinary teams will likely want to see real-world performance data and workflow experience as adoption broadens. (dvm360.com)

What to watch: Zoetis said the CHCM and PCT additions are expected to roll out in 2026, so watch for market-by-market availability, any supporting validation data, and whether the company pairs the update with more training or decision-support content for anemia and platelet interpretation. (vettimes.com)