title: The cobas® 6800/8800 System: a new era of automation in molecular diagnostics.
abstract: Molecular diagnostics is a key component of laboratory medicine. Here, the authors review key triggers of ever-increasing automation in nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) with a focus on specific automated Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing and platforms such as the recently launched cobas® 6800 and cobas® 8800 Systems. The benefits of such automation for different stakeholders including patients, clinicians, laboratory personnel, hospital administrators, payers, and manufacturers are described. Areas Covered: The authors describe how molecular diagnostics has achieved total laboratory automation over time, rivaling clinical chemistry to significantly improve testing efficiency. Finally, the authors discuss how advances in automation decrease the development time for new tests enabling clinicians to more readily provide test results. Expert Commentary: The advancements described enable complete diagnostic solutions whereby specific test results can be combined with relevant patient data sets to allow healthcare providers to deliver comprehensive clinical recommendations in multiple fields ranging from infectious disease to outbreak management and blood safety solutions.
authors.affiliation: a Roche Molecular Systems Inc ., Pleasanton , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.affiliation: a Roche Molecular Systems Inc ., Pleasanton , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Christian O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: b American Red Cross , Gaithersburg , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Stramer
authors.affiliation: c LabCorp , Burlington , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Body
authors.affiliation: d Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
authors.forename: P Shawn
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: e Roche Diagnostics International, Inc ., Rotkreuz , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reisch
authors.affiliation: f Faculty of Health Sciences and National Health Laboratory Service , University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg , Republic of South Africa.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: f Faculty of Health Sciences and National Health Laboratory Service , University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg , Republic of South Africa.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.affiliation: g America's Blood Centers , Washington , DC , USA.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: a Roche Molecular Systems Inc ., Pleasanton , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Will
authors.affiliation: a Roche Molecular Systems Inc ., Pleasanton , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Liesenfeld
mesh_terms: D057205:Automation, Laboratory / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
keywords: Nucleic acid amplification testing; assay development; blood product safety; diagnostic solutions; infectious diseases; laboratory automation; outbreak management; patient management; polymerase chain reaction