New Blood Gas And Electrolyte Analyzer From Roche

Main Category: Blood / Hematology
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 27 Aug 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Roche Diagnostics announced the launch of a new blood gas analyzer in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, South Africa), Asian and Latin American markets. The cobas b 121 (BGE) system meets expectations for a low cost, reliable instrument for the rapid determination of blood gases and electrolytes.

The cobas b 121 (BGE) system supports clinical laboratories in facing the challenge of increasing cost pressure on health care. High levels of automation and low levels of maintenance mean very little operator intervention. This combined with its economy mode, maintenance free, long-life sensors and reusable waste bottles help to save costs.

Reliable and cost effective

During the development of the instrument, Roche has focused on reducing the complexity and the cost in order to provide a premium, yet cost effective solution for clinical laboratories. This was achieved by utilizing the already existing and proven cobas b 121 platform, which was simplified and reduced to the analytes needed for the rapid determination of blood gas and electrolytes status as well as acid base disorders. Although the complexity has been reduced on the cobas b 121 (BGE), it has kept the touch screen interface and high levels of on-board data management and connectivity. Customers currently using separate analyzers for blood gas and electrolyte measurements can now consolidate blood gases and electrolytes on one analyzer for greater efficiency.

About the system

The cobas b 121 (BGE) system delivers high quality measurements in 50 seconds including blood gases (pH, PCO2, PO2), electrolytes (Na+, K+, Ca++, Cl-) and hematocrit (Hct). From these measurements a number of parameters is additionally calculated, for instance Base Excess (BE).

The instrument is one of the fastest BGE systems for medium to high throughput (30 samples per hour) situations, and the maintenance free sensors and high volume, reusable reagent bottles make it easy to operate and reliable. Calibrations are run automatically with a liquid calibration system, making it entirely gas-free.

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world's biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, and is a market leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2007, sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 36.8 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 9.3 billion francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2007. Worldwide, the Group employs about 79,000 people. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.roche.com.

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Roche