In-vitro diagnostics firm Accelerate Diagnostics has launched the Accelerate Arc system for quick and accurate microbial identification of positive blood cultures.
The new system, which comprises the Accelerate Arc module and blood culture (BC) kit, has been designed for laboratories that use matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI).
The Arc module is a new application of inline centrifugal and sample preparation techniques.
It provides cleaned and concentrated microbial cells suspension. The new system also enables direct transfer to a MALDI spotting plate with the BC kit.
Accelerate Diagnostics stated that the system eliminates the need for batching multiple specimen tests.
Furthermore, it has been designed to eliminate the overnight culture incubation requirement for existing users of MALDI.
The Arc module has a hands-on time of two to three minutes to run and is easy to use for laboratory technicians on any shift.
This cuts the wait time, as well as many manual steps, for delivering microbial Identification (ID) results for positive blood cultures.
Accelerate Diagnostics president and CEO Jack Phillips said: “The total cost to rapidly identify organisms from positive blood cultures could be at least 50% less than what you’re paying today for a rapid molecular ID solution.
“When you think of the extreme pressure that labs are under today, the Arc is a fast and inexpensive diagnostic tool, which frees up valuable technician time by automating the MALDI workflow.”
The company noted that the Arc system has been developed for research use only and is not for diagnostic procedures use.
