Pathatrix™ Auto Instrument

Quickly and easily concentrate pathogens and spoilage organisms from a wide range of food and environmental sample matrices for downstream testing by PCR, immunoassay or culture with Applied Biosystems™ Pathatrix™ Auto Instrument.

The Pathatrix Auto Instrument and its companion kits concentrate and isolate specific bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria from sample volumes of up to 60mL. The system supports cost-saving pooling protocols, facilitates shorter sample enrichment times to reduce overall time to results, and removes PCR inhibitors that can lead to indeterminate results.

• Fully automated – simply load and push the button
• Cost effective – supports pooling protocols that save up to 90% on downstream detection costs
• Faster time to results – concentrates target organisms from 10 to 60mL samples, so less enrichment time is required
• Fewer false positives and indeterminates – isolates specific bacteria from background flora and PCR inhibitors
• Validated – workflows validated by the AOAC Research Institute

Simple-to-Use, Automated System
The Pathatrix Auto Instrument automates the concentration and isolation of target bacteria from 10 to 60mL sample volumes in only about 15 minutes. Simply add a 10 to 60mL liquid sample to a sample vessel, add paramagnetic beads that are either antibody-coated or cationic depending on the target organisms of interest, and load the assembly with a filled elution tube into the instrument. Kits for the isolation of Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria, Campylobacter and Cronobacter — which include the sample vessel, elution vessel, and corresponding beads — are available separately.

The Pathatrix Auto Instrument uses a proprietary technology to re-circulate the entire sample over a “capture phase” where the paramagnetic particles are immobilized. Target organisms are captured onto the immobilized beads, then washed and the beads eluted. The entire process takes only 15 minutes. After elution, the captured organisms, cleaned and purified, are ready for a wide variety of detection methods including PCR, Lateral Flow, ELISA and plating on selective agar.

Protocols are universal and each cartridge can be run independently, making the system convenient and easy to use. Just load, push the button to start, and walk away.

Supports Cost-saving Pooling Protocols Validated by the AOAC Research Institute
Because the Pathatrix Auto Instrument efficiently concentrates target bacteria from large volumes, it supports pooling protocols where up to 10 samples may be pooled after enrichment but before downstream detection. Pooling of ten post-enrichment samples reduces downstream detection costs by up to 90%. Pooling protocols validated by the AOAC Research Institute are available for Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria.

Reduces False-Positive and Indeterminate Results
The Pathatrix Auto Instrument, when used in conjunction with its associated target organism-specific kits, efficiently isolates target organisms away from background flora and potential PCR inhibitors. The result is fewer indeterminate readings due to PCR inhibition and fewer false positives. The system has been successfully used upstream from PCR with “difficult” matrices such as chocolate, spices, and chicken litter samples, as well as with dozens of other food sample types.

Components
The Pathatrix Auto Instrument includes 5 Cartridges, a Cartridge Holder, a Sample Vessel Holder and an Elution Vessel Holder. The Elution Vessel Holder includes a magnet to capture paramagnetic particles after elution.

The Pathatrix Auto is compatible with 100-240V (50-60 Hz) power outlets, and is supplied with three different power cords (NEMA 5-15, BS 1363 and CEE 7/16 Europlug).

To speak with a technical specialist about how the Pathatrix Auto Instrument can streamline your specific food testing workflow, please contact us.