Roche: New tool reduces manual operations in the lab
According to Roche Diagnostics, the new cobas pro integrated solutions enhances automated lab procedures with 93% of Roche Immunoassays experiencing reaction times of 18 minutes or less.
Dr. Benjamin Lilienfeld, IBL CPS Serum Work Area Systems, Roche Diagnostics International Ltd, said the cobas pro integrated solutions is the first Serum Work Area (clinical chemistry and immunochemistry) analyzer that is part of a new generation of analyzers.
“Both a new low and high throughput analyzer, as well as a fully-integrated mass spectrometry analyzer, are in development,” Lilienfeld told us.
Including input from customers, the new solutions were developed in collaboration with the company’s long-term partner Hitachi High-Technologies.
“The new solution addresses the need for further automation and simplification of processes in the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) lab,” said Lilienfeld.
Changing testing needs
Lilienfeld said the lab market can expect further consolidation, “We will continue to see the labs growing bigger and processing more tests,” he added.
In parallel, Lilienfeld said the industry is seeing “a lack of highly educated lab personnel,” which puts pressure on IVD labs. He added, “Of course the need for high medical value tests addressing unmet medical needs will continue and it will be crucial to continue to invest in this area.”
“At the same time, we will see Point of Care (POC) importance growing in order to decentralize emergency testing and testing for chronic diseases,” explained Lilienfeld.
Driving this change is an aging population, increasing pressure on health care systems in terms of costs, and hence pressure on In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) lab budgets, as well as lack of highly educated lab personnel.
Personalization for pathology workflows
Roche also this week launched its uPath enterprise software for digital pathology. The offering provides “a new standard of personalization for pathology workflows,” according to the company.
The software decreases image-rendering times and integrates automated image analysis to improve workflow and collaboration.
As part of the development process, Roche acquired Leeds Virtual Microscope (LVM) technology from the University of Leeds, UK, and the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
Jill German, head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics said in a press release, “This launch is another major milestone in our commitment to the advancement of patient care through digital pathology, empowering pathologists to deliver next-level personalized health care solutions.”
