American multinational medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), has announced the worldwide commercial launch of a new automated instrument that prepares samples for clinical diagnostics using flow cytometry, enabling a complete "walkaway" workflow solution designed to improve standardisation and reproducibility in cellular diagnostics.

The BD FACSDuet Premium Sample Preparation System leverages liquid-handling robotics to automate the entire sample preparation process, for both in vitro diagnostics (IVD) and user-defined tests, including cocktailing, washing and centrifuging – and then automatically transfers samples to the physically integrated BD FACSLyric Clinical Flow Cytometry System, without human interaction.

By being integrated with the flow cytometer, the BD FACSDuet Premium System enables a "walkaway" workflow solution that requires fewer manual steps, fewer resources and less user hands-on time than previous solutions.