Figure 1.

The Idylla™ molecular diagnostic platform. The console is a touch-screen-operated computer supplemented with barcode scanning and communication capabilities and works as a local command center where sample information is entered, tests are initiated, and test results are displayed. The instrument executes a test-specific protocol within the cartridge through multipurpose instrument-cartridge interfaces. Each instrument has a computer, memory and a variety of sensors on board. A single instrument measures 30.5 × 50.6 × 19 cm and weighs 20 kg. Up to 8 instruments can be connected to a single console to accommodate higher-throughput needs. The total power consumption of an installation consisting of a console and an instrument is as low as 200 W. The cartridge is a single-use, disposable plastic consumable with all necessary reagents and controls onboard in lyophilized or liquid form. After the clinical sample is loaded into the cartridge, the latter is closed with an airtight seal and placed in the instrument, which then automatically executes a predefined assay protocol, including the complete measurement and analysis of the data. The cartridge contains an extraction component and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) disk with 5 individual chambers in which the reverse-transcription PCR takes place. In each chamber, up to 6 differently fluorescent–labeled reporter dyes can be detected. Cartridges do not require cold chain transport and are stored at ambient conditions. This figure is available in black and white in print and in color online.