Portable Cardiac Marker System Aids Diagnosis

A new portable cardiac marker system is designed for on the spot point-of-care testing (POCT) cardiovascular diagnoses, aiding fast treatment decisions.

The cobas h 232 is a small, self-contained, portable analyzer intended for rapid, on-site determination of the important cardiac markers--N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), troponin T, CK-MB, myoglobin, and D-Dimer. By providing diagnostic information directly on the spot, the system helps in the assessment of symptoms indicative not only of cardiovascular conditions such as acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and heart failure, but also thromboembolic events, such as in patients presenting with such symptoms as chest pain or severe shortness of breath in the emergency room.

The system is maintenance-free and offers different levels of customizable quality control and data management features required for documentation and quality assurance in POCT. The analyzer is designed for use with pre-calibrated single-use test strip assays that are standardized to laboratory reference methods. Requiring only a single whole blood sample, the cobas h 232 system's touch-screen user interface guides the user during test handling, and the test result is provided within minutes.

The cobas h 232 is a product of Roche Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland). When connected to the Roche cobas IT 1000, a web-based POCT data management system that serves to collect and analyze the test results, the system offers effective remote management, enhanced workflow efficiency, and enhancements in quality assurance.

"I am proud that we are now able to offer the easy-to-use, handheld cobas h 232 point-of-care system for cardiovascular diagnosis that offers healthcare professionals in hospitals, as well as general practitioners, access to fast diagnostic results. Patients will benefit from rapid diagnosis and treatment decisions based on the health information provided, said Dr. Volker Pfahlert, head of Roche professional diagnostics.




Related Links:
Roche Diagnostics