Summary: Bruker announced enhancements to its clinical microbiology and infection diagnostics portfolio, including a new automated system for MALDI Biotyper target preparation and a panel for simultaneous detection of M. tuberculosis complex bacteria.
Takeaways:
- Bruker announced a new MBT Pathfinder IVD robot for automated MALDI Biotyper target preparation
- A new LiquidArray MTB-XDR panel offers simultaneous detection of M. tuberculosis complex bacteria, and their resistances to five WHO-recommended second-line drugs against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
- A pending acquisition by ELITech has received all regulatory clearances; closing is now expected in the second quarter of 2024
Bruker unveiled enhancements to its diagnostic solutions in microbial identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), early sepsis diagnostics, and other infectious disease assays.
Automated Sample Preparation for Microbial identification
The workflow of the latest MALDI Biotyper, a microbial identification system, uses MBT Compass HT IVD software to increase throughput by up to 600 samples per hour, and automated instrument tuning via IDealTune. A new optional workflow now offers semi-automated sample preparation via the MBT Pathfinder IVD robot to avoid time-consuming, repetitive and error-prone manual tasks.
Improving Sepsis Testing
When the correct antibiotic treatment for sepsis is given quickly, outcomes can improve dramatically. The IVD-CE MALDI Biotyper, used in conjunction with the MBT Sepsityper IVD Kit, can identify pathogens within 20 minutes from a positive blood culture bottle. Bruker offers additional clinical workflows for rapid functional antibiotic resistance testing, like the MBT STAR-Carba IVD assay for the detection of carbapenemase activity, the company says.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST)
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing can indicate which antimicrobial regimen is effective for patients. Bruker’s UMIC tests deliver accurate results for single antibiotics and combinations, and the MICRONAUT range offers AST of multiple antibiotics in a single test in a user-friendly workflow in compliance with CLSI/EUCAST recommendations, according to the company. The UMIC portfolio covers five antibiotics and combinations, namely colistin, piperacillin-tazobactam, vancomycin/teicoplanin, daptomycin and cefiderocol.
In addition, Bruker is developing the new MBT-fAST assay for rapid AST of gram-negative bacteria from positive blood cultures directly on the MALDI Biotyper platform. The MBT-fAST clinical studies are planned for the second half of 2024.
Bruker also intends concurrent clinical studies for IVDR certification of lipid A-based colistin resistance detection. This and the on-going development of microbial species and subspecies differentiation based on lipid patterns will further enhance the value of the MALDI Biotyper sirius system for clinical laboratories, the company says. The MALDI Biotyper sirius is a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry system for microbial identification that uses the negative ion mode for microbial lipid analysis. Currently, this feature is for Research Use Only (RUO), setting the stage for forthcoming clinical applications.
Further reading: Bruker Launches MALDI Biotyper Solutions, LiquidArray
Outbreak control
The Bruker IR Biotyper enables efficient microbial strain typing of bacteria and yeasts for real-time epidemiological surveillance for a range of disease-causing pathogens. During outbreak scenarios within hospitals, the IR Biotyper can help prevent the spread of hospital-acquired infections (HAI). The IR Biotyper for hospital hygiene and infection control can be combined with the MALDI Biotyper for microbial species identification.
New Gastrointestinal Syndromic Panel
The new LiquidArray Gastrointestinal syndromic panel facilitates the simultaneous detection of up to 26 pathogens responsible for gastroenteritis. This streamlines clinical decision-making by allowing the simultaneous analysis of multiple targets from a single sample.
The rise of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug resistant M. tuberculosis strains has added complexity to TB diagnosis and treatment—and global travel is causing re-emergence in formerly low risk countries. Bruker’s new multiplex mycobacteria test LiquidArray MTB-XDR VER 1.0, detects TB-causing bacteria of the M. tuberculosis complex and identifies resistance to five WHO-recommended second-line drugs.
“Bruker is committed to innovation in routine microbiology and infectious disease testing,” says Wolfgang Pusch, PhD, president of the Bruker Microbiology & Infection Diagnostics division. “This includes nearly universal microbial identification with the MALDI Biotyper, rapid blood culture analysis with the MBT Sepsityper IVD Kit, early implementation of diagnostics for new antibiotics with our UMIC portfolio, real-time epidemiological surveillance with the IR Biotyper, and syndromic panels with our LiquidArray assay portfolio.”
Pending ELITechGroup Acquisition Regulatory Clearances
As announced on Feb. 28, 2024, Bruker Corporation has signed a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire ELITechGroup, excluding the ELITech clinical chemistry business. All regulatory clearances for this acquisition have now been received, and closing of the acquisition is expected during Q2 2024, subject to remaining closing conditions.
Featured image: The MBT Pathfinder IVD. Photo: Bruker
