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BACT/ALERT® VIRTUO®

Blood Culture Automation Built on a Decade of Experience

BACT/ALERT® VIRTUO® brings a decade of real-world performance, implemented by labs worldwide to deliver fast, accurate, and fully automated blood culture results. Designed to bring a fully automated blood culture system that integrates loading, incubation, monitoring, unloading, and quality control into a single, uninterrupted workflow, removing manual steps and handling risk.1,2

BACT/ALERT VIRTUO is designed to integrate with laboratory workflows and support customer operations, adapting to the specific needs of your lab.

BACT/ALERT VIRTUO
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virtuo-in-use

Every Hour Counts in Bloodstream Infections

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) and sepsis demand speed and precision. In patients with septic shock, mortality increases by 7.6% for every hour of delay in effective antimicrobial therapy.3 Blood culture is an integral part of BSI detection and management, but results are only as reliable as the workflow behind them.

Challenges with Traditional Blood Culture4

  • Delays in bottle loading and incubation
  • Manual handling variability and staffing constraints
  • Missed or delayed positives due to suboptimal sample volume or delayed entry
  • Increased risk of false negatives and workflow inefficiencies

Without automation, labs face a trade‑off between speed, accuracy, and scalability when patient lives are on the line.

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BACT/ALERT VIRTUO: Automated Blood Culture

BACT/ALERT VIRTUO redefines what automation means in blood culture diagnostics. This fully automated blood culture system is designed for fast detection of microorganisms responsible for BSIs.

Unlike manual or semi‑automated systems, BACT/ALERT VIRTUO delivers continuous, robotic automation from bottle load to final unload, delivering immediate incubation, consistent monitoring, and real‑time insights independent of lab hours or staff availability.1 The system's tightly integrated automation engine is engineered to deliver consistency, accuracy, and reliability at scale.

BACT/ALERT VIRTUO: Optimize Workflow Efficiency2

Faster Time to Detection1,4

  • Advanced growth detection algorithms help achieve earlier progression to identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (ID/AST), which supports more timely targeted therapy.
  • These algorithms continuously monitor microbial growth based on established colorimetric technology.1

Reduced Workload & Increased Throughput

  • Automated loading, unloading, and bottle management may help reduce workload by up to 75%.2
  • Dedicated positive and negative bottle chutes reduce unnecessary handling of negative cultures while supporting faster access to positives.
  • Configurable audible and visual on-screen alerts for positive and negative bottles.

Improved confidence in results with enhanced traceability and compliance1

  • Smart scanning technology images each bottle for full barcode traceability and fill-volume measurement.
  • Real-time blood volume detection alerts staff of over- or under-filled bottles (CAP MIC.22640 compliant).

Smart Resource Utilization

  • Any trained technologist can initiate incubation on demand, enabling smarter resource utilization across centralized and decentralized settings.
  • Increase bottle loading throughput by adding up to three additional capacity incubators to one primary BACT/ALERT VIRTUO without additional resources.
  • Large Intuitive touchscreen interface with one touch navigation to pre-programmed instrument reports, including temperature, bottle fill volume, and calibration.
  • Total integration with MAESTRIA™ and CLARION™, our data management suite to provide visibility over laboratory operations and monitor contamination rates.
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Platelet Testing

BACT/ALERT VIRTUO brings full automation to platelet bacterial and fungi testing5, enabling laboratories and blood centers to detect contamination faster, respond sooner, and scale testing efficiently as volume and regulatory requirements grow.

  • Designed to support faster detection through automated monitor and real -time notifications, supporting early intervention before platelet release.
  • Less hands‑on time with load‑and‑go workflows that reduce manual handling and labor burden1
  • Scalable performance for high-volume testing, supporting growing platelet volumes without added staffing or operational complexity1
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BACT/ALERT Culture Media

BACT/ALERT FAN® PLUS media designed to support faster detection and improved microorganism recovery5

  • Antimicrobial neutralization in each bottle to neutralize antimicrobials in collected blood samples
  • Direct positive bottle inoculation for molecular identification and resistance gene detection patterns with compatibility with our BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® TORCH and VITEK® REVEAL™  Systems
  • FDA‑cleared for delayed entry up to 24 hours5
  • Broad pathogen recovery across blood and sterile body fluids5
  • Dedicated Pediatric bottle for low blood volume specimens5
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Service & Support

lab-consultancy

Lab Optimization Consultancy

Collaborative every step of the way, we bring you customizable services that help you create the balance that makes the most of your lab talent and expertise. Leverage our clinical laboratory expertise to

  • Support rapid decisions
  • Increase productivity
  • Maximize quality
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Award-Winning Service

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Exceptional service is part of the foundation that helps us lead with compassion, going beyond industry standards to achieve our goal of making the world a healthier place.

We have over 60 years of experience in lab operations. This expertise drives our commitment to deliver expert support, marked by fast response times and professional field service. Our team provides reliable, knowledgeable assistance whenever and wherever it's needed.

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VILINK® Remote Connectivity

VILINK provides a direct connection between bioMérieux’s technical support representative and your systems.

  • Featuring  full traceability and data security via user-approved access and SSL-based encrypted communication.
  •  VILINK enables our service support teams to offer real-time troubleshooting and operator training at your request, reducing downtime and improving efficiency in your laboratory.
Discover More About VILINK
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Technical Specifications1

  • Automation: Load up to 40 FAN Plus or PF Plus (Pediatric bottles) at one time.
  • System Scalability: Up to 4 BACT/ALERT VIRTUO Modules can be connected at one time
    • (1) VIRTUO A + (3) VIRTUO B units
    • System Bottle Capacity: 428 (VIRTUO A only) to 1,712 bottles (modular configuration)
  • Detection Technology: Colorimetric growth detection
  • Workflow: Continuous 24/7 operation, centralized or decentralized placement
  • Connectivity: MAESTRIA™ middleware integration, LIS connectivity, VILINK remote services compatibility

Resources

REFERENCES:
  1. BACTALERT VIRTUO System User Manual - Rel 3.1
  2. Altun O, Almuhayawi M, Lüthje P, Taha R, Ullberg M, Özenci V. Controlled evaluation of the new BacT/Alert Virtuo blood culture system for detection and time to detection of bacteria and yeasts. J Clin Microbiol. 2016;54(4): 1148-1151.
  3. Kumar A, et al. Duration of hypotension before initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy is the critical determinant of survival in human septic shock. Critical Care Medicine. 2006;34(6):1589–1596.
  4. Halperin AV, del Castillo Polo JA,Cortes-Cuevas JL, Cardenas Isasi MJ,Ampuero Morisaki MBirch R, Sánchez Diaz AM, Cantón R,,2022.Impact of Automated Blood Culture Systems on the Management of Bloodstream Infections: Results from a Crossover Diagnostic Clinical Trial. Microbiol Spect r10:e01436-22.
  5. Package Insert BACT/ALERT. Ref. 410851/410852/ 410853
  6. BACT/ALERT® VIRTUO® achieved IMV ServiceTrak™ Best Service, Best System Performance, and Best Customer Satisfaction awards in the Blood Culture category for 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

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