Roche Launches New Blood Gas Digital Solution for Diagnosis of COVID-19 Patients with Respiratory Compromise

Roche (Basel, Switzerland) has launched Roche v-TAC, a digital diagnostic solution that allows clinicians to obtain results for arterial blood gas values from patients with respiratory or metabolic abnormalities via a simpler, less invasive venous puncture through the use of a digital algorithm.

Through the Roche v-TAC digital solution, staff without specific training to draw arterial blood samples can withdraw a venous blood sample instead and digitally convert these values into arterial blood gas values, which can help free up specialist healthcare staff to other tasks. Roche v-TAC is available in markets accepting the CE mark and could help simplify the screening, diagnosis and monitoring of patients with respiratory compromise in the current COVID-19 pandemic.


Roche’s v-TAC is fully integrated for use with Roche’s cobas b 123 POC and cobas b 221 systems using the Roche cobas infinity POC solution. The cobas b 123 POC system is a mobile, cartridge-based, blood gas analyzer designed for POC testing to measure blood gases, electrolytes, metabolites and oxygen saturation and neonatal bilirubin. With various configurations and a throughput of up to 30 samples per hour, the cobas b 123 POC system can easily be customized to the clinical needs of the ICU, ER, NICU, OR, dialysis units or the laboratory. The cobas b 221 system is a fully automated blood gas analyzer for the quantitative measurement of blood gases, electrolytes, metabolites and oxygen saturation and neonatal bilirubin. The system is designed to be used in POC settings such as emergency departments, intensive care units and laboratories.

“In an emergency situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Roche v-TAC could also help healthcare professionals to assess disease severity faster in patients and closely monitor potential deterioration in patients with respiratory compromise,” said Thomas Schinecker, CEO Roche Diagnostics. “Digital tools based on clinical algorithms like Roche v-TAC can help improve and simplify delivery of care in emergency situations faster and where it is most needed.”