Roche Diagnostics has launched its new molecular laboratory instrument, the cobas 5800 System, in the UK. Through improved automation, the new system can help raise testing volumes, improve operational efficiency, and manage the increasing demand that many laboratories are experiencing, Roche said.

The new system is part of the same family of instruments as the cobas 6800 and 8800, which have analyzed millions of COVID PCR tests over the last two years. The cobas 5800 is designed to process large numbers of tests for infectious diseases and respiratory illnesses, including SARS-CoV-2.

“The need for flexible, reliable, fully-automated diagnostic solutions has never been more acute, said Geoff Twist, managing director of Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland. "By building on a system with proven reliability and performance, we continue to simplify laboratory operations to help ensure patients are diagnosed and put on the right treatment pathway as quickly as possible.”

The system has a small footprint making it accessible to many more laboratories, particularly those with less space. The fully automated system, which consolidates 90% of routine testing on a single platform, minimizes laboratory workers’ hands-on time and improves productivity. The system provides a scalable solution for smaller labs seeking big lab performance, or for bigger labs seeking small lab agility.

The cobas 5800 uses a processing digital platform, the Molecular Work Area, which currently performs more than 10 million tests each month on more than 1,000 installed systems around the world.

“Clinicians and patients rely on accurate and timely results to make informed decisions, and in vitro testing on systems like the cobas 5800 play a crucial role in helping the NHS to provide these results in a highly pressurised environment," Twist said.

“The NHS is facing another exceptionally challenging period – as it continues to respond to COVID-19 whilst also tackling the huge backlog of patients which has built up during the pandemic - and we’re delighted to bring the compact cobas 5800 to the UK market at a time when labs up and down the country are working harder than ever.