BD Unveils Cloud-Based, Wireless PoC Diagnostic Device for the Flu

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a global medical technology company, has announced the launch of its next generation wireless rapid diagnostic system for detection of influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and group A strep, with new traceability and secure patient health record documentation features and functionality.
 
The new wireless BD Veritor Plus System provides healthcare providers and laboratorians in physician offices, clinics, hospitals and integrated delivery networks (IDNs) with objective, lab-quality immunoassay test results within minutes. This rapid and accurate solution streamlines the point-of-care (POC) diagnostic workflow and enables providers to quickly review patient results to assist in determining the appropriate treatment in a single consultation. The system can help detect influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and group A strep while the patient is still on site, which enables faster decision making for an earlier intervention opportunity.
 
The BD Veritor Plus System benefits from the demonstrated performance of the legacy BD Veritor System and offers new features to improve quality control (QC) by identifying QC results. The enhanced documentation functionality includes user ID, specimen ID and test kit lot to improve traceability, which decreases manual documentation.
 
The new BD Veritor Plus System also offers the BD Cloud Connectivity Solution―a technology that allows users to wirelessly transfer test data securely to an electronic medical record (EMR) or a laboratory information system (LIS) to enable data access across an entire IDN. This can help to reduce potential errors associated with manual documentation and streamlines POC testing workflow to enable physicians to more easily access test results and use the information to determine next steps in patient care.
 
Millions of people are sickened by influenza in the U.S. each year.¹ Additionally, most children will have respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by the time they are two² and 20 percent to 30 percent of sore throats in children are caused by group A Streptococcus.³ The BD Veritor Plus System, with enhanced features, can aid in the diagnosis of these disease states.
 
“As we are on the cusp of the flu season, it is critical that providers have the diagnostic tools they need to assist them in quickly and accurately identifying infectious diseases, like flu, RSV and strep and in assigning treatment protocols,” said Dave Hickey, president of Diagnostic Systems at BD. “The BD Veritor Plus System’s ability to provide reliable test results and wirelessly transfer them to health records could ultimately lead to better outcomes through rapid detection and simplified workflow.”
 
¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seasonal Flu, More Information. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/disease.htm Accessed August 15, 2016.  
² Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV): Infection and Incidence. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/infection.html Accessed August 19, 2016,  
³ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work. Sore Throat. http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/for‐patients/common‐illnesses/sore‐throat.html Accessed September 08, 2016.