What is an Immunoassay?
Immunoassays enable the identification and quantification of the presence of antigens and/or antibodies in a given sample (serum, plasma, blood, etc.). This is based on the immune reaction that occurs when an antibody recognizes a specific antigen in the sample being tested.
It is possible to detect and/or quantify the following:
- The different types of antigens (viruses, bacteria, parasites, hormones, and markers that are specific to certain diseases).
- The response to these antigens through the intermediary of antibodies present in the body. Immunoassays are used by centralized and decentralized laboratories, blood banks, emergency wards and fertility centers in both developed and developing countries. This technique is applied, for example, in the measurement of markers of infectious diseases, sepsis, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.
Why is Immunoassay Testing Important?
Immunoassay testing is an important tool in the field of diagnostics and provides key and sometimes critical information at multiple points along the healthcare continuum, from risk assessment and early diagnosis to treatment, patient follow-up, and disease management.
Diagnosis of diseases: Immunoassay testing is used to diagnose a wide range of diseases, including infectious and cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. By detecting the presence of specific molecules in the blood or other bodily fluids, clinicians can identify the underlying cause of symptoms to help determine the appropriate treatment plan for patients.
Monitoring treatment: Immunoassay testing is also used to monitor the effectiveness of treatment for certain infections and diseases. By measuring the levels of specific molecules over time, clinicians can determine whether the treatment is working or if escalation or de-escalation with more appropriate antibiotics is needed.
What Challenges are Laboratories Facing with Immunoassay Testing?
Immunoassay testing allows clinicians to perform a variety of diagnostics tests including immunochemistry, infectious disease, and emergency and critical care panel tests. A wide range of increasingly sophisticated diagnostic tests are used to establish or confirm a diagnosis, to determine appropriate treatment, and to monitor its efficacy. Clinicians rely on rapid diagnostics, but also demand quality and performance. Because all labs are operating in the context of cost pressure due to a highly competitive market, clinicians need to be able to run the right tests at the right time and get accurate information quickly.
bioMérieux fills a gap in the market, providing labs worldwide with Immunoassay solutions that offer:
- Low volume sample when single testing is appropriate
- Cost rationalization
- Workflow optimization
- Menus that fulfill market needs: Routine tests to answer daily demands, Emergency & critical care tests, High Medical Value (HMV) biomarkers
- Diagnostic/Panel area
- Technology not available on big instruments: Single test concept technology, Additional menu with connectivity (technology + informatics)
- Worldwide distribution
Our Immunoassay Testing Offer
Reliable, Flexible, Simple Immunoassay Testing
At the core of our immunoassay offer is the VIDAS® Solutions of instruments that represent one of the broadest installed bases of benchtop immunoanalyzers in the world. The success of VIDAS® is based on the quality of its reagents and the robustness and ease of use of its instruments, associating the single-test concept (one patient, one test, one result) with ELFA technology. The comprehensive VIDAS® menu offers more than 80 parameters for routine, emergency, complementary, and confirmation testing to allow clinicians to make the right treatment decisions.
Innovation is part of the VIDAS® DNA, with constant research into new parameters with high medical added value. The instruments are also evolving towards greater simplicity and automation for enhanced lab productivity.
The systems and reagents in the VIDAS® range have long enjoyed an excellent reputation earned by the system’s robustness and the quality of reagents. The large number of systems installed worldwide facilitates the launch of new parameters on a vast scale, making them rapidly accessible to large numbers of clinicians.
Disclaimer: Product availability varies by country. Please consult your local bioMérieux representative for product availability in your country.
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VIDAS® ToRC Panel
Serenity throughout Pregnancy
The VIDAS® ToRC panel includes 9 automated tests for the screening and diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, rubella, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections.
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VIDAS® Tumour Markers
Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring of Various Cancers
The VIDAS® panel of Tumour Markers offers a fast, automated, precise, and reliable solution to meet your diagnostic needs.
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MYACUTECASE™ Mobile App
All the information you need for confident clinical decision- making with the VIDAS® Emergency & Critical Care assays
Designed for healthcare professionals, MYACUTECASE™ is a first-of-its-kind app. Used in conjunction with clinical assessment and other laboratory findings, it provides comprehensive biomarker information and useful tools for:
Useful Resources on Immunoassay Testing
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