Roche has introduced cobas 6800/8800 Systems, two integrated and fully automated molecular testing systems for blood and plasma donor screening in markets accepting the CE mark.

The cobas 6800/8800 Systems offer the fastest time to results with the highest throughput available, along with the longest walk-away time, enabling laboratory staff to drive increased workflow efficiencies, while adapting to their ever-changing testing demands.

“The integrated and fully automated design of the new cobas 6800/8800 Systems will allow labs to generate a high volume of results faster, with fewer manual steps, thus improving laboratory operations,” said Harry Bos, Ph.D. MBA, Director of Diagnostics, Sanquin Blood Supply, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. “These systems will help ensure a safe blood supply as the dynamics of the blood screening industry continue to rapidly change.”

“The cobas 6800/8800 Systems represent a new class of molecular diagnostic instruments,” said Roland Diggelmann, COO of Roche Diagnostics. “Over the last several years, we have collaborated with top industry leaders and several hundred customers to design a platform that truly meets the evolving needs of the molecular diagnostics laboratory. These systems will set new industry standards with technical innovation for throughput, speed-of-results, automation and flexibility that have not been seen before in a molecular diagnostic system. We are proud of the benefits they will bring to people and the healthcare environment.”

The portfolio launched includes the cobas 6800 and 8800 Systems, the cobas p 680 instrument to support the creation of donor sample pools, and three next-generation assays for donor screening: cobas MPX, cobas WNV and cobas HEV. In Q4, a next-generation cobas DPX test will be released to complete the donor screening menu.

The systems menu will continue to expand beyond blood donor screening, including multiple tests for viral load monitoring. The cobas 6800/8800 Systems are now available in all markets accepting the CE mark in Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Systems are not currently available in the United States.

The cobas 6800 and 8800 Systems are fully automated solutions designed for donor screening, viral load monitoring, women’s health and microbiology testing. They are available in medium and high throughput models. Based on the Nobel-prize winning PCR technology, the systems are designed to deliver increased automation and throughput with shorter time to results, providing users with greater flexibility to increase overall workflow efficiencies.