Qiagen QiaStat-Dx
Qiagen announced the European launch of the QiaStat-Dx during the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Madrid. The company also launched the first test on the system, a 21-pathogen respiratory panel. QiaStat-Dx is a fully integrated and automated molecular testing system based on real-time PCR. It can detect up to 48 viral and bacterial targets simultaneously, enabled by microfluidic test cassettes coupled with a six-wavelength optical sensor. There are also plans for the instrument to run immunoassays based on time-resolved fluorescence detection. The system, previously developed by StatDx as the DiagCore, received CE marking in January, prior to Qiagen's acquisition of StatDx.
Siemens Healthineers Fast Track Cycler, FastFinder Software
Fast Track Diagnostics, a Siemens Healthineers company, launched the Fast Track Cycler molecular testing platform and complementary FastFinder software at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
The Fast Track cycler, for research use only, is a compact thermocycler weighing about 2 kg and measuring about 150mm3. It uses magnetic induction technology and does not require calibration. It also is equipped with Fast Track lyophilized PCR reagents, enabling users to simply add nucleic acid extracts to prepared tubes before placing them in the cycler. Up to 10 thermocyclers can be connected to one computer, and labs can use a range of one to 480 wells.
The FastFinder software, developed in collaboration with UgenTec, is a fully automated, CE IVD-marked real-time PCR interpretation platform compatible with all Fast Track multiplexed PCR kits. The software allows users to fully automate and standardize analysis of kits on the Thermo Fisher Scientific ABI 7500 and Roche LightCycler 480 PCR platforms. The software features statistical machine learning to accurately analyze all amplification curves, automatically recombining the results and processing them through an assay-specific decision tree to product a final result.
Swift Biosciences Accel-Amplicon Plus Cancer NGS Panels
Swift Biosciences has launched a suite of nine tumor-specific gene panels using its Accel-Amplicon technology. The Accel-Amplicon Plus Cancer NGS Panels enable detection of SNVs, copy number variants, and small indels. The company has launched four disease-focused panels for colorectal cancer, Lynch syndrome, lung cancer, and myeloid malignancies. In addition, it has also launched five gene panels, including one that focuses on comprehensive coverage of the TP53 gene, two BRCA-focused panels, an EGFR panel, and a pan-cancer panel. The panels are compatible with Illumina's sequencing instruments. Just 10 nanograms of sample input are required, and sample inputs can include DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue and fine needle aspirates, as well as cell-free DNA. In addition, Swift has also launched its Swift Bioinformatics Resources, which include both open-source and commercial bioinformatics tools to analyze NGS data.