Abbott reported that it will preview the m2000, its new real-time PCR automated molecular diagnostic system, at the annual American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) meeting in Chicago (July 23-27). Here is more about the system:
“The m2000 has been designed to help our customers deliver patient test results quickly and efficiently, with extremely accurate results,” said Edward Michael, president, Abbott Molecular. “This innovative system represents our continued commitment to accelerate automation for the clinical molecular laboratory and improve the diagnosis, monitoring and care of patients with infectious diseases and other serious illnesses.”
The m2000 system consists of two instruments: the Abbott m2000sp and the m2000rt. It links an automated sample preparation instrument (m2000sp) with an integrated real-time PCR amplification and detection instrument (m2000rt) via software to provide automation from sample extraction to the reporting of the final test result. The m2000 is designed to take much of the time and labor out of preparing samples for testing. Its robotic arm, for example, eliminates such steps as manual pipetting, reducing hands-on time required to prepare samples for DNA/RNA testing by as much as 75 percent.
The m2000 is pending 510(k) clearance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Abbott Molecular has submitted a Premarket Approval Application in the United States for a viral load test for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) for use on the m2000 system.