Roche Diagnostics bets on mass spectrometry for lab automation

Seeks to extend the automation track to mass spectrometry… expanding the patient journey

AI- integrated ‘NAVIFY’ to accelerate laboratory data integration

Cost and regulatory hurdles remain… “Automation and digitalization are now survival strategies”

Roche Diagnostics Korea has positioned its ‘automated mass spectrometry solution’ as the final piece of the laboratory automation puzzle.

The vision is to extend the laboratory efficiency gained through existing core lab automation to mass spectrometry, delivering the most accurate results precisely when patients need them.

The company particularly emphasized a strategy to organically connect automated and digital platforms within the clinical setting, which is in line with Korea’s trend of seeking infrastructure expansion.

On February 6, Roche Diagnostics Korea hosted a media session titled “Beyond Data, To Certainty,” where it shared its vision for next-generation automated mass spectrometry solutions designed to maximize laboratory efficiency, alongside AI-driven digital insights.

(from the left) Sungho Cho, Head of Core Lab & POC at Roche Diagnostics Korea; Muhwan Yoon, Head of Digital Insights at Roche Diagnostics Korea

From ‘isolated islands’ to automated tracks... the evolution of mass spectrometry

According to Roche, mass spectrometry has traditionally functioned as an “isolated island” within diagnostic laboratories. While recognized as the gold standard for analytes requiring precise quantification, such as hormones and vitamin D metabolites, its complex process has necessitated highly skilled personnel performing manual processes in dedicated spaces.

Sungho Cho, Head of Core Lab & POC at Roche Diagnostics Korea, who led the presentation at the event, said, “Until now, mass spectrometry testing was inevitably conducted in batch mode. Samples were collected and analyzed only on specific days or outsourced to external laboratories, which meant patients sometimes had to wait a full week for results.”

Roche’s proposed solution is to integrate this ‘island’ into the automated laboratory track. From sample receipt and pre-analytical processing to analysis and result reporting, all steps are unified into a single automated workflow, seamlessly connecting mass spectrometry to core lab automation.

At the forefront of this strategy is the company's newly introduced ‘cobas pro i 601 analyzer’. Its core feature is the direct connection of the mass spectrometry equipment to the same track as standard automated immunoassay/biochemistry analyzers, integrating the entire process from sample loading to result generation.

Cho emphasized, “The era has arrived where random access (Anytime Testing) is possible for even mass spectrometry, allowing results to be confirmed on the day of testing and immediately reflected in treatment. This is the realization of Roche’s vision for a seamless, uninterrupted patient journey.”

NAVIFY's smart lab vision… adding ‘certainty’ to data

While mass spectrometry completes the hardware connection, Roche’s digital insights brand, ‘NAVIFY’ aims to create clinical value by analyzing the data flowing across the infrastructure.

Muhwan Yoon, Head of Digital Insights at Roche Diagnostics Korea, described NAVIFY as a comprehensive digital ecosystem encompassing diagnostics, clinical care, pathology, and molecular diagnostics. Roche’s digital strategy centers on AI-driven 3P principles: Prediction, Performance, and Personalization.

Specifically, AI algorithms identify patients' chronic disease risks early and provide recommendations to clinicians, while predicting laboratory workload to optimize staffing and reagent allocation. The core objective is to connect this to deriving personalized treatment options tailored to each individual patient.

NAVIFY-based solutions initially focused on clinical laboratories but have since expanded to include clinicians, pathology, and molecular diagnostics.

Yoon emphasized, “NAVIFY integrates not only diagnostic testing but also clinical, pathology, and molecular diagnostic data into a single ecosystem. It will become the tool for delivering a ‘true smart lab,’ which reduces the time medical staff spend on administrative tasks and allows them to focus solely on patient care.”

Cost and regulation remain challenges…but automation is inevitable

Looking ahead, cost and regulatory barriers remain key challenges for the adoption of innovative technologies in real-world clinical settings.

On this, Cho said, “Traditional manual workflows involve hidden costs such as high labor expenses for specialized personnel and management costs associated with human error. Roche’s automation systems reduce reliance on manual labor, significantly improving operational efficiency. In the long term, this represents a strategic investment that enhances both hospital profitability and diagnostic accuracy.”

Kit Tang, General Manager of Roche Diagnostics Korea

Yoon also stated, “We are lowering entry barriers by offering various options tailored to hospital situations, such as subscription models.”

He added that the company is actively engaging with regulators to address challenges arising from the intersection of digital technologies and traditional medical device approval frameworks. There is a growing consensus in the field that digitalization is a matter of survival.

In closing, Kit Tang, General Manager of Roche Diagnostics Korea, emphasized, “Roche’s mission is ‘Doing now what patients need next.’ Automating mass spectrometry and digitally connecting diagnostics are not merely for product launches. They represent our commitment to eliminating diagnostic uncertainty and providing confidence to patients.”

He added, “True patient-centered care is achieved not by introducing individual technologies, but by ensuring those technologies are organically connected in the clinical setting and translated into tangible benefits for patients.”