Asiri Laboratories introduces SL’s 1st rapid infectious disease diagnostic system

From left: Analytical Instruments (Pvt.) Ltd Deputy General Manager B. Anantharajah, Sales Manager S. Balamurugan, Asiri Hospital Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd Asiri Laboratories Director Neil Priyath John and Microbiology Department Head Deepthi Perera 

In a landmark step toward advancing infectious disease diagnostics, Asiri Laboratories has introduced the BioFire FilmArray System — a cutting-edge multiplex PCR platform that transforms pathogen detection with unmatched speed, accuracy and confidence.

This breakthrough marks a significant leap in Sri Lanka’s diagnostic capability, empowering clinicians with rapid syndromic testing that enables simultaneous detection of 20-30+ pathogens within 45-60 minutes, compared to days with conventional methods. 

In modern clinical practice, timely and precise diagnosis is critical for managing infectious diseases and controlling outbreaks. The BioFire FilmArray system directly addresses these challenges through syndromic molecular testing, identifying causative pathogens and antimicrobial resistance markers in a single, fully automated process. 

The current diagnostic panels include pneumonia, meningitis/encephalitis and blood culture identification.
With minimal hands-on time and seamless automation, the platform enables clinicians to rapidly initiate targeted therapies, optimise patient management and reduce hospital stays — ultimately improving outcomes and efficiency across the healthcare continuum. 

Powered by nested multiplex PCR technology, the BioFire FilmArray provides superior sensitivity and specificity, even detecting polymicrobial infections often missed by conventional culture methods.

Key advantages include results in approximately one hour from sample to answer, simultaneous detection of bacteria, viruses, yeasts and resistance genes, a closed contamination-free testing process, approximately two minutes of hands-on time, value in critical and emergency care environments, and support for better antimicrobial stewardship through informed therapy decisions.