A new range of ELISAs provides differentiated analysis of antibodies against Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever. According to Immunological Methods for the Detection of Infectious Diseases (MiQ. 2017), separate detection of antibodies against phase 1 and phase 2 antigens of C. burnetii is recommended to aid discrimination of acute and chronic infections. Acute primary infections are characterized by IgM and later IgG antibodies against phase 2 antigens, while antibodies against phase 1 antigens occur only in chronic infections. Three new ELISAs from EUROIMMUN provide sensitive detection of IgM or IgG antibodies against phase 2 antigens or IgG antibodies against phase 1 antigens and thus support the differentiation of acute and chronic C. burnetii infections. In evaluation studies with precharacterized sera the three ELISAs demonstrated high sensitivities and high specificities, underlining their suitability for use in screening analyses. The ELISAs are fully automatable.

Q fever occurs worldwide and is transmitted to humans by direct or indirect contact with infected animals, consumption of unpasteurized milk or bites from infected ticks. Acute infections manifest with mild flu-like symptoms, whereby complications such as atypical pneumonia or remittent fever can occur. Chronic courses are characterized by infection durations of more than six months and mostly lead to chronic endocarditis. Diagnosis of Q fever is based primarily on serological methods.

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The global spread of carbapenemresistant Acinetobacter spp., and particularly A. baumannii, in healthcare settings causes a major threat to patient survival. Worldwide, drug-resistant Acinetobacter spp. are responsible for serious nosocomial outbreaks, mostly in intensive care units. Even though different resistance mechanisms have been described, production of Amber Class D oxacillinases OXA-23-like hydrolysis enzymes is the most frequently acquired mechanism. Fast and accurate detection of OXA-23-producing strains remains challenging at the laboratory level. Specific identification of oxacillinase-expressing Acinetobacter requires genotypic molecular assays that remain expensive and not commercially available. However immunochromatography lateral flow tests are cost-effective and convenient to detect drug-hydrolysing enzymes. Today, a large panel of lateral flow tests to detect carbapenemase-expressing Enterobacteriacea, named “RESIST”, is commercialized by the Belgian company Coris BioConcept. In order to fulfill the unmet need for fast and reliable detection of drugresistant Acinetobacter, Coris BioConcept developed a new lateral flow assay, “OXA- 23 K-SeT”, for the specific identification of OXA-23-mediated carbapenem-resistant in Acinetobacter spp. from a single colony. With results available in less than 15 minutes, this easy-to-use and instrument-free rapid test represents the first phenotypic, specific and non-molecular confirmatory assay for OXA-23 detection. It will expand the RESIST range of products already adopted nowadays by routine and reference laboratories worldwide, offering an additional tool to ensure the successful treatment of patients and to prevent the spread of carbapenemase-producing bacteria in healthcare settings.
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The recently launched cobas pro integrated solutions is now available for countries accepting the CE mark. This next generation of innovation in the Serum Work Area improves operator experience to help streamline and simplify equipment and processes. With a  simple-to-use and newly designed interface, cobas pro integrated solutions allows for up to 2,200 tests per hour with three modules working in parallel and perfectly synchronized in order to improve efficiency. Furthermore, it boasts up to 3.25 hours less operating time, while 93% of Roche Immunoassays have reaction times of 18 minutes or less. The new cobas pro integrated solutions offers several advanced features, including automated maintenance and cobas AutoCal, together with an intelligent, on-the-fly reagent loading concept. These features aim to optimize the day-to-day experience of laboratory professionals, reducing the time they spend on manual operations. cobas pro integrated solutions introduce key innovations including cobas SonicWash, which is an ultrasonic probe cleaning on the Clinical Chemistry and Ion-Selective Electrode analytical units which assures sample integrity, as well as efficient and flexible sample routing; together with the cobas AutoCal, which is an automated calibration procedure on the clinical chemistry analytical unit which saves precious hands-on time.

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Beckman Coulter Diagnostics has announced achievement of CE Mark of its DxH 520 hematology analyser, designed to help physician office laboratories deliver high-quality results with increased productivity and ease. With as little as two environmentally friendly reagents, the compact 5-part differential system enhances efficiency and resource management through a comprehensive feature set that automates daily tasks. This reduces the amount of time spent on laboratory operations and frees time for patient care. The company used its time-proven flagship DxH 800 hematology solution as the predicate method for the DxH 520 system, establishing a strong correlation throughout the entire DxH line of hematology analysers. This provides a high level of continuity of care for clinical laboratories, regardless of whether they are small- or high-volume facilities. The DxH 520 analyser fills a need for a comprehensive solution that increases productivity while driving down costs for physician office laboratories. It features proprietary dynamic-gating method that improves sample flagging, and reduces slide reviews and technical interpretation, while maintaining effective clinical sensitivity. As an upgrade from a 3-part to a 5-part differential instrument, the DxH 520 analyser gives the clinician more information by which to make decisions when assessing a patient. A robust IT and data-management package helps reduce clerical errors and inefficiencies, and allows for easy retrieval of up to 30,000 patient samples. The system’s small 17 µL aspiration is ideal for puncture samples from infants, geriatric, oncology and critical care patients. Closed tube aspiration capability both simplifies analysis and ensures safety for laboratory technologists by eliminating sample exposure. The easy-to-use interface enables technologists to access any screen in three clicks or less, saving valuable time. The system’s two reagents and on-board cleaner can be replaced in five minutes or less, and its aqueous-based cyanide-, azide- and formaldehyde-free reagents eliminates disposal costs. This is in contrast to competitive systems that use five or more reagents— many of which are primarily composed of organic solvents that require additional costly disposal fees. The analyser’s low-energy requirements – half the power demand of other analysers in its category – further lower operating costs.

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Chromsystems has launched the first CE-IVD validated HPLC assay for antibiotics. It allows the quantitative determination of ampicillin, cefepime, ceftazidime, linezolid, meropenem and piperacillin in human serum and plasma. The assay is used to monitor the blood levels of these antibiotics and also provides qualitative data for sulbactam and tazobactam. The exceptional high stability of calibrators and controls as well as two internal standards ensure a precise quantification. The assay also includes a Priming Solution that increases the stability of the patient samples. The HPLC determination with subsequent UV detection is divided into two groups and requires only one column and one sample prep for all parameters.

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