bioMérieux First to Launch Bidirectional Connection with LIMS for Both Pathogen and Quality Indicator Data

24 October, 2007

bioMérieux launches BCI-Net to connect its TEMPO® and VIDAS® platforms to customer LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System). BCI-Net is a bioMérieux communication interface, designed to simplify, secure and speed up data management.

“bioMérieux is always looking for innovations that will bring increased productivity and traceability to our customers,” said Alexandre Mérieux, bioMérieux Corporate Vice President, Industrial Microbiology. “We are proud to be the first company to provide a bidirectional communication interface with the LIMS for both pathogen and quality indicator analysis.”

Today many laboratories are investing in LIMS to help them be compliant with the traceability legislation (ISO 17025) and to improve their productivity. BCI-Net ensures complete
traceability. Data quality and integrity are improved since analysis demands and results are automatically transferred between LIMS and the TEMPO® and VIDAS® platforms, thereby reducing possible transcription errors.

Connecting the bioMérieux analyses systems to the LIMS simplifies the laboratory workflow by reducing manual data transfers. The TEMPO®-VIDAS® LIMS connection also allows
customers to facilitate and accelerate their supply chain management by checking pathogen and Quality Indicator results as they come in.

With its open architecture platform, BCI-Net is able to connect VIDAS® and TEMPO® to most LIMS.

About TEMPO®
TEMPO® automates testing for Quality Indicator organisms, including total viable counts, coliform counts, Escherichia coli, and Enterobacteriaceae. The technology behind TEMPO® is based on a wellestablished microbiological method, called MPN (Most Probable Number). TEMPO® takes this classic MPN method and miniaturizes and automates the testing process through the use of a small plastic card, media vial and testing system. TEMPO®’s automation helps to simplify and standardize numerous preparation steps, interpretation, and test results.

About VIDAS®
VIDAS® is the world’s leading automated system for food-borne pathogen detection (including Listeria spp, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli O157, Staphylococcus enterotoxins). VIDAS® and its compact version, miniVIDAS®, are multi-parameter instruments using ELFA (Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay) technology, and based on a ready-to-use single-sample test concept.

About bioMérieux
Advancing Diagnostics to Improve Public Health
A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for over 40 years, bioMérieux is present in more than 150 countries through 35 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors. In 2006, revenues reached €1.037 billion with 83% of sales outside of France.

bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (reagents, instruments, software), which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Our products are used for diagnosing infectious diseases and providing high medical value results for cardiovascular emergencies and cancer screening and monitoring. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.
bioMérieux is listed on Eurolist by Euronext. For more information, visit http://www.biomerieux.com/.

Pioneering diagnostics