Beckman Coulter Combines Chemistry and Immunoassay Testing On Single Platform; New SYNCHRON LXi 725 System Paves Way for Safer, More Efficient Medical Labs.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

FULLERTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 2002

Beckman Coulter, Inc. (NYSE:BEC) announced today the launch of the SYNCHRON LX(R)i 725 clinical system, which combines the company's market-leading chemistry analysis technology with its highly accurate immunoassay testing capabilities, innovative data management and automated sample handling. The new system has been FDA cleared and began shipping in November.

Representing an industry first, the SYNCHRON LXi 725 features closed-tube sampling technology for both chemistry and immunoassay testing, eliminating the need for technologists to de-cap samples and risk exposure to biohazards and repetitive motion injuries. The technology also helps improve the quality of patient test results by decreasing the risk of sample contamination as a result of exposure to air and evaporation.

"The SYNCHRON LXi 725 is a clear example of our commitment to leading the industry with new automated breakthroughs in chemistry and immunoassay testing," said Scott Garrett, president of Beckman Coulter's clinical diagnostics division. "The new features we have incorporated into this instrument enable labs to consolidate workstations, decrease preanalytical sample processing steps, increase worker safety and improve test turnaround time without compromising patient test results."

The SYNCHRON LXi 725 can perform 146 chemistry and immunoassay tests including basic critical care, metabolic, drugs-of-abuse, therapeutic drug monitoring, cardiac, thyroid, fertility, cancer, and other esoteric and specialty tests. The test menu includes Beckman Coulter's Access(R) AccuTnI(TM) troponin I and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein cardiac tests.

In addition, the system features parallel-processing technology to perform both immunoassay and chemistry tests simultaneously for optimal efficiency. This ability enables the system to run a basic metabolic panel in less than two minutes, the fastest available today, while at the same time run a critical cardiac troponin I test, which can be generated in as little as 14 minutes.

The automated capabilities of the SYNCHRON LXi 725 help laboratories reduce manual sample handling steps by allowing operators to load only one sample tube for both chemistry and immunoassay testing. Other features include the ability to rerun samples automatically for reflex testing based on user-defined criteria and state-of-the-art automated "flagging" of abnormal results for operator review.

Beckman Coulter, Inc. is a global biomedical company headquartered in Fullerton, Calif. The company develops and markets instruments, chemistries, software and supplies that simplify and automate laboratory processes throughout the biomedical testing continuum. Through pioneering medical research and drug discovery, specialty testing, and patient care diagnostics, Beckman Coulter supports all phases of the battle against disease. Annual sales for the company totaled $2 billion in 2001, with 62 percent of this amount generated by recurring revenue from supplies, test kits and services. For more information, visit www.beckmancoulter.com.