When to reach for a 13-target respiratory panel

Method & sample types

The iCassette platform from Igenesis multiplexes 13 respiratory targets, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B and RSV alongside further bacterial and viral targets, from a single nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab. The cassette format is designed for near-patient (point-of-care) use as well as centralised lab workflows, which is worth noting when you are deciding where in the pathway to deploy it.

The clinical case for a broad panel over single- or dual-target testing is straightforward during respiratory season: symptoms across influenza, RSV, SARS-CoV-2 and several bacterial causes of respiratory illness overlap substantially, and choosing which single assay to run first is often a guess. A 13-target panel answers the differential in one pass instead of a sequence of ordered tests.

Controls & interpretation

As with any multiplex design, channel allocation matters: each target occupies its own detection channel so a positive result is unambiguous, and the cassette carries its own internal control to confirm that sample and reagents performed correctly before any target result is reported. A run with a failed internal control should not be interpreted target-by-target, repeat from a new sample.

Workflow integration

Because the format is cassette-based, hands-on time per sample is low compared with an open PCR workflow that requires separate extraction, and the near-patient option shortens the path from sample to actionable result considerably, relevant both for infection-control decisions (isolation, cohorting) and for antiviral treatment windows that are time-sensitive for influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Labs running high respiratory-season volumes should weigh cassette throughput against a centralised open-system panel for peak-load capacity.