Chlamydiology and Rickettsiology

Workflow and Maintenance Characteristics of Five Automated Laboratory Instruments for the Diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sam Ratnam, Dan Jang, Jodi Gilchrist, Marek Smieja, Andre Poirier, Todd Hatchette, Jean-Frederic Flandin, Max Chernesky
E. Munson, Editor
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.03549-13

Article Figures & Data

Figures

  • FIG 1
    FIG 1

    Total hands-on time for each instrument for 96 and 192 tests. *, the 96-test workflow used walk-away mode, and the 192-test workflow used high-throughput mode. △, additional hands-on time was required for processing 192 samples relative to 96 samples.

  • FIG 2
    FIG 2

    Times to results for 96 and 192 tests. *, the 96-test workflow used walk-away mode, and the 192-test workflow used high-throughput mode. For Panther, the time to the first result was 3 h 51 min 2 s, the time to the last result for 96 samples was 5 h 27 min 2 s, and the time to the last result for 192 samples was 7 h 41 s.

  • FIG 3
    FIG 3

    Cumulative hands-on time for maintenance based on 96 tests per day, 20 working days per month.

Tables

  • TABLE 1

    Description of automated platforms studied

    InstrumentManufacturerConfigurationSpecimen capacityNo. of controls per run
    m2000 RealTimeAbbott MolecularBatch system; separate units for specimen extraction (m2000sp) and detection (m2000rt)93a3
    Viper XTRbBD Diagnostic SystemBatch system; single unit for specimen extraction and detection92c4
    cobas 4800Roche Molecular DiagnosticsBatch system; separate units for specimen extraction (x480) and detection (z480)94a2
    TigrisHologic Gen-ProbeBatch system; single unit for specimen extraction and detection178c4
    PantherHologic Gen-ProbeNonbatch, random-access system; single unit for specimen extraction and detection1182

    • ↵a Maximum number of specimens processed per run with return visits.

    • ↵b Two modes of operation, walk-away and throughput.

    • ↵c Maximum number of specimens processed per batch without a return visit.

  • TABLE 2

    Hands-on and automation times for processing 96 testsa on five automated instruments

    Stage of assay processingTime (h:min:s) for:
    m2000 RealTimeViper XTRbcobas 4800TigrisPanther
    Preanalytical interaction0:02:350:04:430:02:460:03:340:02:05
    Reagent prepn and loading0:08:510:12:070:05:100:04:450:04:49
    Sample prepn and loading0:09:360:08:080:15:580:08:510:06:56
    In-process interaction2 visits, 0:02:00None1 visit, 0:02:25NoneNone
    Postanalytical interaction0:09:300:10:060:08:000:03:030:03:46
    Daily maintenance0:25:051:05:480:06:000:08:170:03:26
    Total hands-on time0:57:571:40:520:40:190:28:300:21:02
    Automation5:15:483:06:273:23:004:27:005:06:00

    • ↵a Second-generation assays for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae in vaginal swabs and urine samples.

    • ↵b Viper XTR was used in walk-away mode.

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