Roche is now selling its Cobas 6800 and 8800 molecular testing systems for blood and plasma donor screening in countries that accept the CE mark, the company said Tuesday.

The new systems, which are available in medium and high throughput models, are also designed for viral load monitoring, women's health and microbiology testing.

According to Roche, the Cobas systems offer the fastest time to results with the highest throughput available, with each system delivering results for the first 96 tests in less than 3.5 hours. During an eight-hour shift, the 6800 System will provide up to 384 results, while the 8800 will yield 960.

The Cobas systems also allow for long walk-away time — up to eight hours for the 6800 and four hour for the 8800, the company says. The systems are based on polymerase chain reaction technology, which increases automation and workflow efficiencies and adapts to changing testing demands, the company adds.

Along with the 6800 and 8800 systems, Roche is launching the Cobas p 680 instrument, to support creation of donor sample pools, and three assays for donor screening: the Cobas MPX, WNV and HEV. A fourth assay, the Cobas DPX, will launch later this year. — Kellen Owings

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