Rapid Testing for Infectious Diseases Incorporates Automated PCR System

A fully automated, integrated system for rapid testing for infectious diseases incorporates a new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system.

The system, called Jaguar, is an integrated bench-top molecular diagnostic system that provides hands-off operation. The system incorporates clinical sample preparation, nucleic acid extraction, and microfluidic real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, and detection. The self-contained workstation is designed to accommodate on-demand and batch workflows. It requires minimal laboratory space and minimal skill levels to generate up to 24 real-time PCR results in under two hours.

BD Diagnostics (Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA), a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), and HandyLab, Inc. (Ann Harbor, MI, USA) have entered into an exclusive agreement for BD to commercialize its molecular assays on a new BD MAX system, an automated molecular diagnostic testing platform in development using HandyLab's Jaguar instrument. BD will focus initially on its BD GeneOhm line of molecular assays to detect major pathogens associated with healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

BD produces rapid molecular test methods to help detect major HAI-associated pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and toxigenic Clostridium difficile.

HandyLab develops, manufactures, and sells novel molecular diagnostic products including real time microfluidic PCR technology. HandyLab's platform reduces the time, cost, and complexity of testing while improving the quality of results.

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BD Diagnostics
HandyLab, Inc