Advanced solutions for streamlined respiratory diagnostic testing

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc has introduced new solutions aimed at simplifying and automating respiratory diagnostic testing. The newly launched Thermo Scientific™ KingFisher™ Apex™ Dx, an automated nucleic acid purification instrument, and the Applied Biosystems™ MagMAX™ Dx Viral/Pathogen NA Isolation Kit have been designed to enhance preanalytical workflows in clinical laboratories.

In a bid to offer in vitro diagnostic (IVD) and in vitro diagnostic regulation (IVD-R) approved automated sample preparation solutions, these cutting-edge products provide laboratories with increased confidence in downstream results.

Clinical laboratories conducting respiratory testing demand the highest quality results, and the high-throughput, versatile KingFisher Apex Dx system meets these needs. This automated system enables labs to recover quality nucleic acids for sensitive downstream applications, ensuring maximum consistency, reproducibility, and reliability. The system integrates into a modular sample preparation to real-time PCR analysis workflow, delivering precise results, accurate data management, and robust security features compliant with cybersecurity and diagnostic regulatory standards. Complementing this, the MagMAX Dx Viral/Pathogen NA Isolation Kit offers advanced formulation for reproducible results and is fully compatible with the automation features of the KingFisher Apex Dx.

Ellie Mahjubi, Vice President and General Manager of Sample Preparation at Thermo Fisher Scientific, emphasised: “The KingFisher Apex Dx system builds on decades of product expertise and innovation customers have come to trust in our KingFisher instrument line. The combination of the Apex Dx system and the MagMAX Dx Viral/Pathogen NA Isolation Kit further simplifies sample preparation for clinical labs so they can have confidence in downstream results when testing for respiratory diseases.”

The KingFisher Apex Dx system supports the extraction of up to 24 or 96 DNA, RNA, protein, or cell samples, seamlessly transitioning from clinical research to diagnostics with research use only (RUO) and IVD software modes. Integration with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) or Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) is facilitated via Diomni Enterprise Software, enhancing data management and workflow optimisation.

The MagMAX Dx Viral/Pathogen NA Isolation Kit, with its advanced formulation, maximises nucleic acid yield from routinely tested respiratory pathogens such as S. aureus, M. tuberculosis, influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2. This kit also aligns with greener policies, incorporating REACH-compliant components and responsibly sourced packaging.

The MagMAX Dx Viral/Pathogen NA Isolation Kit is currently available in North America and is set to be introduced soon to other regions.

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