Qiagen has announced the launch of EZ2 Connect MDx for use in diagnostic laboratories, making the in vitro diagnostic (IVD) platform for automated sample processing available for widescale use 18 months after being made available for research.

With a high degree of automation, the EZ2 Connect MDx enables labs to purify DNA and RNA from 24 samples in parallel in as little as 30 minutes. The device now carries the EU’s CE-IVD compliance marking for IVD for the European Union and other countries that accept this designation. It is also available in the United States, Canada and other countries.

EZ2 Connect MDx can extract nucleic acids from blood plasma, serum, stool and other sample types using magnetic-bead technology. High process safety is ensured with prefilled and sealed reagent cartridges, as well as load checking through integrated cameras. Other features include UV decontamination, onboard pipetting and heating as well as automated piercing of the sealed cartridge. The resulting analyte is compatible with a variety of downstream technologies such as real-time PCR, digital PCR and next-generation sequencing.