ELITechGroup Molecular Diagnostics places 500th system, distributes 3.5 million SARS-CoV-2 tests

PUTEAUX, France, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ELITechGroup Molecular Diagnostics (ELITechGroup), a leading global provider of diagnostic testing products, today announced that it has distributed more than 3.5 million SARS-CoV-2 tests worldwide. The company has also installed more than 500 of its lead diagnostics instrument, the ELITe InGenius polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system, globally, with over a hundred placed since the beginning of the pandemic. The system allows laboratories to reliably detect SARS-CoV-2 in only a few hours, as well as conducting parallel testing for other diseases, such as flu, in order to ensure a correct diagnosis.

The ELITe InGenius has been widely used in hospitals and other healthcare settings since 2016, and thanks to its reliability and easy adaptability, ELITechGroup was among the first companies to have SARS-CoV-2 tests on a sample-to-result system. ELITechGroup has been at the forefront of fighting the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe and has been supplying tests on its system since early March in Italy, and other affected countries, such as France, the UK, the Benelux and more.

The ELITe InGenius is a fully automated solution that can process 12 samples in parallel to deliver results in less than 2.5 hours. This brings several benefits over centralized high-throughput testing approaches as there is no waiting for a large batch of samples to accumulate before testing, and no delays from sending samples off premises to a central laboratory.

By performing extraction, amplification and result interpretation in one device, the ELITe InGenius replaces the multiple devices needed to perform such tasks separately. Full automation also means there is no need for constant supervision, allowing laboratory staff to perform other valuable work. More importantly, the limited hands-on time helps reduce the risk of infection for users. The instrument is straightforward to use, with only minimal training from ELITechGroup's service and support team required.   

The ELITe InGenius offers the widest molecular diagnostics menu available on a sample-to-result system, with 38 CE-IVD assays dedicated to the individual needs of healthcare settings, be it immuno-compromised patient monitoring; detection of respiratory, gastro-intestinal, sexually transmitted or nosocomial infections; meningitis and encephalitis, as well as diagnostics of genetic factors.

Commenting on the advantages  of the ELITe InGenius for hospital settings, Dott.ssa Anna Paola Callegaro, Virology Area Coordinator and Biobank UOSD Director of ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII – Bergamo (Italy), said: "The modular configuration of the ELITe InGenius system enables us to carry out molecular virology routine with results on the day. The 'sample-to-result' solution reduces the need for manual intervention by the technician and allows the analysis of multiple viral targets on the same sample, thereby significantly improving the lab's efficiency."

Discussing the suitability of the ELITe InGenius for hospital settings, Prof. Borys Todurov, Director of the  Heart Institute in Kyiv (Ukraine), said: "The uniqueness of this instrument is that for the first time the testing does not require special rooms, everything can happen in a normal laboratory. Before, our biggest concern was the possibility of infecting a researcher."

"The continued rapid spread of the novel coronavirus makes it important for every country to test as many patients as possible, as quickly as possible," said ELITechGroup CEO, Christoph Gauer. "We are proud to have played an essential role in equipping healthcare staff with the testing tools they need. We have now expanded our manufacturing capacity to help provide additional ELITe InGenius systems to both new and existing hospitals and laboratories, globally and to support healthcare systems to prepare for the expectedly increasing demand for rapid and reliable diagnostics for all patients." 

About ELITechGroup Molecular Diagnostics:
ELITechGroup is a privately held group of worldwide manufacturers and distributors of in vitro diagnostic equipment and reagents. By bringing together IVD specialty companies that offer innovative products and solutions, ELITechGroup has become a major contributor in advancing clinical diagnostics to laboratories in the proximity market, those operating closer to the patient.

About ELITech InGenius®:
The ELITech InGenius® is a versatile, fully automated sample-to-result instrument ideal for hospitals and laboratories requiring mid-throughput diagnostics services. It delivers results quickly, reliably and with minimal hands-on time needed by staff, who do not need to be highly trained. The flexible system can process 12 samples at once, handle 25 different specimen types, and the menu can cover a variety of clinical applications, including the monitoring of immuno-compromised patients, respiratory, sexually transmitted, nosocomial, gastrointestinal infections, meningitis, encephalitis, genetic factors and more.

SOURCE ELITechGroup MDx LLC