Group B Strep
Handheld diagnostic test
Quidel AmpliVue_GBS_sm_optThe AmpliVue Group B Strep Assay from Quidel Corp, San Diego, is a non-instrumented molecular diagnostic test that employs a novel amplification technology with a handheld device. Combining isothermal Helicase Dependent Amplification (HDA) with lateral flow technology, AmpliVue detects Group B Streptococcus (GBS) from enriched broth cultures of specimens from antepartum women. GBS is a serious pathogen that may create sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis in newborns, and bloodstream infections and pneumonia in adults. The assay is FDA cleared and available throughout the US and Europe.
Quidel
(800) 874-1517; www.quidel.com

Chromogenic Agar
Identify urinary tract pathogens
Bio-Rad chromogenic agar
A non-selective chromogenic agar for the isolation, differentiation, and enumeration of urinary tract pathogens, the UriSelect 4 Medium from Bio-Rad, Hercules, Calif, provides differentiation and immediate identification of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp, and Proteus mirabilis. It also presumptively identifies other urinary pathogens, including those in the KESC group (Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia, and Citrobacter) and the PMP group (Proteus, Morganella, and Providencia). The UriSelect4 Medium offers enhanced discrimination of mixed cultures and results within 18 to 24 hours.
Bio-Rad
(510) 724-7000; www.bio-rad.com

Tissue Preparation Solution
Integrated, automated workflow
Siemens Tissue Preparation solution
The Tissue Preparation Solution from Siemens, Malvern, Pa, enables molecular pathology laboratories to extract high-quality nucleic acids from fresh frozen tissues and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues to help identify infectious disease. Though the two tissue types generally require separate workflows and toolkits, the Siemens solution integrates these workflows into a fully automated, standardized solution to improve productivity and efficiency and deliver consistent, reliable testing results.
Siemens
(888) 826-9702; usa.healthcare.siemens.com

Linearity Panel for Human Herpes Virus
Reactivity with Cytomegalovirus DNA
SeraCare CMV Linearity Panel_opt
The nine-member CMV DNA AccuSpan Linearity Panel from SeraCare Life Sciences, Milford, Mass, provides serial dilutions of a cultured virus with established reactivity for Cytomegalovirus DNA, one of the herpes viruses that causes cellular enlargement. The panel comprises seven positive members representing serial log dilutions of cultured virus in CMV DNA negative diluent, one negative member prepared from the diluent, and one member of diluent to perform additional dilutions as desired. Results of the test have been calibrated to the World Health Organization’s international standard for CMV nucleic acid amplification techniques.
SeraCare Life Sciences
(508) 244-6400; www.seracare.com

Gram-Negative Blood Culture Test
Quick identification of superbugs
The Nanosphere BC-GN CARTRIDGEtest from Nanosphere, Northbrook, Ill, is a rapid in vitro diagnostic test that identifies a broad spectrum of gram-negative bacteria that cause bloodstream infections and determines resistance to commonly used antibiotics. While conventional microbiological methods may require 2 to 4 days to produce bacterial identification and resistance results, the Verigene BC-GN test provides results of blood culture positivity within 2 hours. Among the genetic markers of antibiotic resistance that Verigene BC-GN detects are five genes that can identify Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), or antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” The Verigene BC-GN has received FDA clearance.
Nanosphere
(847) 400-9000; www.nanosphere.us