Webinars and Sponsored Roundtables — Register Now

Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 11:00-11:30 AM CT

Learning Objectives:
  • Explain how transparency and manufacturer partnerships improve quality, consistency, and decision-making confidence in specimen management.
  • Evaluate blood collection tubes beyond cost and commodity assumptions, incorporating clinical impact and risk into decision-making.
  • Assess the potential risk points when using a blood collection device that has not been cleared for a specific purpose.

Roundtable presenters Nick Fingland, PhD, PMP, Senior Director, R&D Operations and Science, BD, and Chris Farnsworth, PhD, D(ABCC), Section Head of Clinical Chemistry, Professor of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine.

Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY

Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 1:00-2:00 PM ET
Learn about digital pathology technology that is future-ready, yet practical for today’s
laboratory needs.

Webinar presenters Scott Hammond, Senior Systems Consultant, Digital Pathology Division, Wexner Medical Center, Department of Pathology, and Ursula Hofer, Imaging Technologist, Pathology Digital Imaging Lab, Wexner Medical Center, Department of Pathology, and Sandra Banky, PA(ASCP), Director of Operations, Wexner Medical Center, Department of Pathology.

Moderated by: Bob McGonnagle, Publisher, CAP TODAY

Subspecialties

Interactive Product Guides

Product Spotlight

QuidelOrtho

VITROS 4600 Chemistry System

Company

QuidelOrtho

Name of instrument

VITROS 4600 Chemistry System

Contact

Laura Osborne  

Email

laura.osborne@quidelortho.com

City, State

Raritan, NJ

Phone

800-828-6316   

Website

http://www.quidelortho.com

Type of instrument

chemistry

List price/First year sold in U.S.

—/2011

Targeted hospital bed size/Targeted test volume

150–4,500/daily: 600–3,000; monthly: 17,000–85,000; annual: 200,000–1.5 million

Company manufactures instrument

no (manufactured by Nypro Engineering and Technology group service; also sold by Cardinal, McKesson, more)

Other models in this family of analyzers

VITROS 350 Chemistry System, VITROS XT 3400 Chemistry System

No. of units in clinical use in U.S./Outside U.S. (countries)

> 160/> 980 (North, Central, and South America, more)

Dimensions (H × W × D)/Instrument footprint

53 × 92 × 33 in./21.4 sq. ft.

Weight empty/Weight fully loaded

1,400 lbs./—

No. of different measured assays onboard simultaneously

82 (82 can be run and calibrated at one time)

No. of user-definable (open chemistry) channels

20 (20 can be active simultaneously)

Test throughput per hour/Assay run time

845/2.5–20 min. (avg. 5 min.)

No. of direct ion-selective electrode channels

3

Detection methods

photometry, potentiometry, colorimetric, turbidimetric

Stat time until completion/specimen throughput for Ion-selective electrode

5 min./126 tests per hr.

Stat time until completion/specimen throughput for Ion-selective electrode basic metabolic panel

6 min./84 tests per hr.

Stat time until completion/specimen throughput for Ion-selective electrode complete metabolic panel

7.5 min./50 tests per hr.

Typical time delay from ordering stat test until aspiration of sample

1 min.

Fully automated microplate immunoassay system

Methodologies supported

Separation methodologies

Stat time until completion of a ß-hCG test

Stat time until completion of a cTn test

• Typical time delay from test order to aspiration of sample

Reagents refrigerated onboard/Reagents ready to use

yes (10°C)/yes

Reagent lot tracking/Reagent inventory

yes/yes

Reagent form/Reagents barcoded

dry chemistry, liquid chemistry (open reagent system)/yes

Separate reagent pack for each specimen/for each test run

no/no

Walkaway capability/Walkaway duration

yes/120 min. or 160 specimens or 8,940 tests

Design of sample-handling system

continuous load and unload, circular routine sample center

Uses washable cuvettes/Uses disposable cuvettes

no/yes (can store up to 348 cuvettes)

Min.–max. sample volume that can be aspirated at one time 

2–200 µL

Min. reaction volume/Min. specimen volume/Min. dead volume

0 µL/2 µL/35 µL

Dedicated pediatric sample cup

yes (dead volume: 35 µL)

Primary tube sampling

yes

Accommodates most standard tube sizes/Accepts nonstandard tube sizes

yes/yes (micro sample cups, 10.25 × 45 mm, 12 × 75 mm, 12 × 100 mm, 13 × 75 mm, 13 × 100 mm, 16 × 75 mm, 16 × 100 mm)

Pierces caps on primary tubes

no

Protects against probe collision

yes

Detects clots/liquid level/short sample

yes/yes/yes

Detection or quantitation for hemolysis, icterus, lipemia, clots

detection and quantitation for hemolysis, icterus, lipemia; detection for clots

Dilutes patient samples onboard/Susceptibility to carryover

yes (can be programmed to perform dilutions prior to analysis)/0

Automatic rerun capability

yes

Sample volume can be diluted to rerun out-of-linear-range high results

yes

Sample volume can be concentrated to rerun out-of-linear-range low results

yes

Autocalibration/Multipoint calibration supported

no (calibrants are not stored onboard)/yes (recommended avg. frequency: 6 mos. or lot change for most chemistry assays)

Typical calibration frequency for ISE/therapeutic drugs/drugs of abuse/general chemistries/immunoassays

6 mos./6 mos./6 mos./6 mos./—

Automatic programmable start/Automatic programmable shutdown

no/no

Onboard real-time QC/Onboard software capability to review QC

yes/yes

Supports multiple QC lot numbers per analyte

yes

Waste management

manually by user

Sample barcode-reading capability/Autodiscrimination

yes (Interleaved 2 of 5, UPC, Codabar, Code 39, Code 128, ISBT 128)/—

Lab can control analyzer from remote computer

no

Instrument can diagnose its own malfunctions

yes (operator intervention required to order parts)

System malfunctions can be diagnosed via remote monitoring

yes

UPS backup power supply

yes

Data-management capability/LIS or EHR systems interfaced

onboard/—

LIS interface provided/Bidirectional interface capability

yes (additional cost)/yes (broadcast download and host query)

Modem servicing provided/Service engineer on-site response time

yes/4 hrs.

Mean time between failures

— (displays error codes for troubleshooting)

Average scheduled maintenance time by lab personnel

daily: 5 min.; weekly: 30 min.; monthly: 20 min.

Maintenance records kept onboard for user/vendor

yes (includes audit trail of who replaced parts)/no

Maintenance training demonstration module onboard

yes

Training included with purchase/Avg. time for basic user training

yes (2 training slots)/5 days (at customer site)

Advanced operator training/Extra charge for follow-up or advanced training

yes (at customer site)/yes

Warranty provided/Cost of annual service contract (24 h/7 d)

yes (1 year)/depends on plan selected

Distinguishing features (supplied by company)

Intellicheck technology reports on diagnostic checks throughout the testing process to minimize errors for consistent performance; designed to use single-patient consumables without the need for water, eliminating risk of carryover; MicroSensor technology automates detection of HIL interferences 

More products
in this guide

Alinity ci-series
ASI Evolution RPR Syphilis Analyzer
Pictus 700 (P700)
Agility Automated ELISA System
AIX1000 Agglutination Instrument
Yumizen C1200
Yumizen C560
VITROS 3600 Immunodiagnostic System
VITROS XT 7600 Integrated System
cobas pro integrated solutions
dIFine P30 Processor
IMMULITE 2000 XPi Immunoassay System
Phadia 250 Laboratory System
B⋅R⋅A⋅H⋅M⋅S KRYPTOR GOLD
QUANTA-Lyser 3000