Seegene have introduced a new multiplex-formatted diagnostic test covering the most common virus and bacteria respiratory infections in a single reaction tube.

The Seeplex® 18-plex Respiratory Test is the only diagnostic test capable of simultaneously detecting 18 of the most prevalent respiratory infections -- both virus and bacteria born -- in a single test. The Seeplex® 18-plex Respiratory Test robustly detects 11 different respiratory RNA viruses, 2 DNA viruses, and 5 pneumonia bacteria from samples including nasopharyngeal aspirates, nasopharyngeal swabs and bronchoalveolar lavage.

By enabling healthcare personnel to test for 18 different pathogens for the cost similar to testing for a single pathogen, the Seeplex® 18-plex Respiratory Test breaks the mold of a 'single pathogen, single test' testing regime and high false positives/negatives results associated conventional multiplexing. Traditional tests, such as viral culture and Ag-Ab test, are laborious, time consuming and cost inefficient. The Seeplex® 18-plex Respiratory Test eliminates these drawbacks by multiplexing without cross reactivity and achieving rapid test results at a minimal cost per test, thus setting a new standard for the most economical method of choice for molecular diagnostics of respiratory infections.

The Seeplex® 18-plex Respiratory Test detects Influenza A virus; Influenza B virus; Human respiratory syncytial virus A; Human respiratory syncytial virus B; Human parainfluenzae virus 1; Human parainfluenzae virus 2; Human parainfluenzae virus 3; Human coronavirus 229E/NL63; Human coronavirus OC43/HKU1; Human rhinovirus; Human enterovirus; Human adenovirus; Human bocavirus; Legionella pneumoniae; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Chlamydophila pneumoniae; Haemophilus influenzae; Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

The Seeplex uses Seegene's proprietary DPO™ (Dual Priming Oligo) primer system, performed in a single tube with capillary electrophoresis for automated detection.