New Pregnancy Assay Receives CE Marking and FDA Clearance
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 20 Jan 2014 |

Image: The new high standard \"Access Total βhCG (5th IS)\" assay for pregnancy determination from Beckman Coulter Diagnostics (Photo courtesy of Beckman Coulter).
The approved new pregnancy determination assay features a broad dynamic range and is the first to standardize to the World Health Organization's latest international standard.
To help move reproductive health management forward, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics of Beckman Coulter (Brea, CA, USA) has received the CE marking and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its new "Access Total βhCG (5th IS)" assay. It is the first βhCG assay standardized to the highly purified World Health Organization (WHO) 5th International Standard (IS) for glycoprotein chorionic gonadotropin. The βhCG assay is critical in routine and emergency diagnosis as it is frequently ordered on women of childbearing-age who require treatment, which could potentially be harmful to a fetus. The expanded utility of the assay has also been CE Mark approved for Down syndrome assessment during pregnancy.
“As the first manufacturer to standardize to the WHO 5th IS, the new βhCG assay is an example of Beckman Coulter’s continuing dedication to lead the way in this important diagnostic field,” said John Blackwood, senior vice president of Product Management for Beckman Coulter Diagnostics; “The new assay is just one example of the innovations that comprise Beckman Coulter’s reproductive health portfolio—the most comprehensive immunoassay reproductive panel available on the market.”
The assay features a broad dynamic range with automatic onboard dilution capability, reducing the need for manual sample dilutions. As a part of the standardization, reference ranges have been updated to include additional populations that include women over the age of 40, postmenopausal women, and men. Additionally, in response to changing laboratory environments and the challenges faced in collecting serum samples, Beckman Coulter has further improved the Total βhCG (5th IS) to make it more resilient to preanalytical factors.
"Access" reproductive solutions are part of a comprehensive assay menu featured on the Access and UniCel Immunoassay Systems.
Related Links:
Beckman Coulter
To help move reproductive health management forward, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics of Beckman Coulter (Brea, CA, USA) has received the CE marking and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its new "Access Total βhCG (5th IS)" assay. It is the first βhCG assay standardized to the highly purified World Health Organization (WHO) 5th International Standard (IS) for glycoprotein chorionic gonadotropin. The βhCG assay is critical in routine and emergency diagnosis as it is frequently ordered on women of childbearing-age who require treatment, which could potentially be harmful to a fetus. The expanded utility of the assay has also been CE Mark approved for Down syndrome assessment during pregnancy.
“As the first manufacturer to standardize to the WHO 5th IS, the new βhCG assay is an example of Beckman Coulter’s continuing dedication to lead the way in this important diagnostic field,” said John Blackwood, senior vice president of Product Management for Beckman Coulter Diagnostics; “The new assay is just one example of the innovations that comprise Beckman Coulter’s reproductive health portfolio—the most comprehensive immunoassay reproductive panel available on the market.”
The assay features a broad dynamic range with automatic onboard dilution capability, reducing the need for manual sample dilutions. As a part of the standardization, reference ranges have been updated to include additional populations that include women over the age of 40, postmenopausal women, and men. Additionally, in response to changing laboratory environments and the challenges faced in collecting serum samples, Beckman Coulter has further improved the Total βhCG (5th IS) to make it more resilient to preanalytical factors.
"Access" reproductive solutions are part of a comprehensive assay menu featured on the Access and UniCel Immunoassay Systems.
Related Links:
Beckman Coulter
Latest Immunology News
- Immune Enzyme Linked to Treatment-Resistant Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Simple Blood Test Could Replace Biopsies for Lung Transplant Rejection Monitoring
- Routine TB Screening Test May Reveal Immune Aging and Mortality Risk
- Biomarkers and Molecular Testing Advance Precision Allergy Care
- Point-of-Care Tests Could Expand Access to Mpox Diagnosis
- T-Cell Senescence Profiling May Predict CAR T Responses
- Finger-Prick Lateral Flow Test Detects Sepsis Biomarkers at Point of Care
- Study Highlights Low Sensitivity of Current Lyme Tests in Early Infection
- Immune Aging Clock Quantifies Immunosenescence and Identifies Therapeutic Target
- Study Finds Influenza Often Undiagnosed in Winter Deaths
- Combined Screening Approach Identifies Early Leprosy Cases
- Antibody Blood Test Identifies Active TB and Distinguishes Latent Infection
- FDA Approval Expands Use of PD-L1 Companion Diagnostic in Esophageal and GEJ Carcinomas
- Study Identifies Inflammatory Pathway Driving Immunotherapy Resistance in Bladder Cancer
- Microfluidic Chip Detects Cancer Recurrence from Immune Response Signals
- Cancer Mutation ‘Fingerprints’ to Improve Prediction of Immunotherapy Response
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers May Improve Childhood Epilepsy Diagnosis
Childhood epilepsy remains a major neurological disorder with unmet needs for accurate, non-invasive biomarkers, as conventional tests such as electroencephalography and neuroimaging can have limited sensitivity... Read more
Blood-Based Sensor Detects Early Signs of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are increasing as populations age, yet diagnosis remains largely symptom-driven and often occurs after irreversible brain damage has begun. Earlier detection,... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
Position Statements Outline Evidence Standards for Multi-Cancer Detection Tests
Cancer screening is intended to reduce mortality, but policy decisions often depend on early indicators that may not fully reflect true survival benefit. The emergence of blood-based tests capable of detecting... Read more
Gene Fusion Patterns May Flag High Risk Solitary Fibrous Tumors
Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare subtype of sarcoma, a cancer that develops in connective tissues such as fat, muscle, blood vessels, and fibrous tissue. SFTs most commonly arise in the chest cavity... Read moreHematology
view channel
Higher Ferritin Threshold May Improve Iron Deficiency Detection in Children
Iron deficiency in school-age children can affect brain development, learning, growth, and physical performance, yet early deficiency may be missed when screening focuses mainly on anemia.... Read more
Stem Cell Biomarkers May Guide Precision Treatment in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive blood cancer that most often affects older adults and still carries a poor prognosis despite therapeutic advances. Venetoclax-based regimens have improved... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
FDA-Cleared Gastrointestinal Panel Detects 24 Pathogen Targets
Clinical guidelines support testing based on patient presentation in suspected gastrointestinal infections, yet available technologies have often forced laboratories to choose between panels that are too... Read more
New AMR Assay Supports Rapid Infection Control Screening in Hospitals
As antimicrobial resistance spreads worldwide, healthcare-associated infections are placing a growing burden on hospitals, increasing the need for faster and broader diagnostic solutions.... Read morePathology
view channel
AI Tool Extracts Immune Signals from Biopsy to Inform Myeloma Therapy
Multiple myeloma is a bone marrow malignancy in which patients can respond very differently to the same treatments, making initial therapy decisions difficult. Clinicians must choose among options such... Read more
Rapid AI Tool Predicts Cancer Spatial Gene Expression from Pathology Images
Gene expression profiling can inform tumor biology and treatment selection, but spatial assays remain costly and time-consuming. Results can take weeks and cost thousands of dollars, limiting large-scale... Read moreTechnology
view channel
AI-Enabled Assistant Unifies Molecular Workflow Planning and Support
Clinical laboratories and research groups face increasingly complex molecular workflows and expanding technical documentation spread across multiple systems. Fragmented digital tools can slow experiment... Read more
AI Tool Automates Validation of Laboratory Software Configuration Changes
Regulated laboratories face heavy documentation and requalification demands when software configurations change, slowing improvements and discouraging beneficial updates. A new capability now automates... Read moreIndustry
view channel
New Distribution Agreement Expands Access to CE-Marked Precision Oncology Assays
Eurobio Scientific (Les Ulis, France) has signed a distribution agreement with Canhelp Genomics (Hangzhou, China) to broaden availability of the Canhelp‑UCa and Canhelp‑Origin assays. The agreement extends... Read more








