Catenix vs Radiometer AQURE: POCT Software Compared

Quick answer

Short version. AQURE is Radiometer's centralised point-of-care IT solution. It connects Radiometer analysers and, according to Radiometer, devices from more than 30 other POCT vendors, giving a hospital POCT team one console for device access, operator competence, QC review and alerts. It fits best where blood gas analysers sit at the heart of the estate and the laboratory wants one view over the hospital's devices. Catenix is a modular POCT platform for a wider range of settings: NHS trusts and community diagnostic centres, but also private clinics, occupational health and multi-site networks that want QC, quality management, reporting and billing in one subscription. It is not either or. Keep AQURE or your EPR where it already works and run Catenix alongside as the connectivity and quality layer for the sites and analysers it does not reach.

Side by side

Dimension	AQURE	Catenix
Core focus	Centralised control of a hospital point-of-care estate: device status, operator access, QC and alerts from one console. Radiometer describes it as a digital service supporting uptime, workflow optimisation and quality assurance.	A modular POCT platform: analyser connectivity, QC and quality management, results delivery, reporting, inventory and billing, switched on per site as needed.
Device coverage	Radiometer analysers plus devices from more than 30 other POCT vendors, covering blood gas and electrolytes, glucose, coagulation, cardiac markers, haemolysis and urinalysis. What each connection supports (QC results, operator management, configuration) depends on the manufacturer; remote access applies to Radiometer analysers only.	Analysers that speak HL7 v2, POCT1-A2, ASTM E1394, FHIR or REST, with support confirmed model by model during implementation, through an on-site edge gateway that stores and forwards if the network drops, or a staff phone in Pocket Gateway mode. Not tied to one manufacturer.
Quality control	Automated QC processing with Westgard rules and method comparison rules, a Peer Quality Control module that compares analyser QC with a peer group on Levey-Jennings plots, email alerts to the POCT coordinator when performance criteria are missed, and QC and consumables traceability.	QC captured as it happens, Levey-Jennings charts, Westgard multi-rule, lockouts, an EQA module and a statistics workbench for verification (CLSI EP15, EP09, EP06, EP17). Extends to ISO 15189:2022-aligned quality management: audits, non-conformances, CAPA, risks and management review.
Operator management	Device access granted only to trained, certified operators, with Active Directory integration and direct hospital learning management system (LMS) integration so access follows training records. Operators can be added to devices from the desk rather than at each analyser.	Operator competency recorded against the person who ran each test, with certification tracking and lockouts for lapsed operators.
Multi-site administration	Radiometer describes staying in control of point-of-care tasks across all the connected hospitals in a region from one dashboard. Confirm the licensing model for multiple sites with the vendor.	Multi-site administration built in: sites, users, devices and policies managed centrally, with regional data residency.
LIS or EPR delivery	Radiometer's UK materials state connectivity to the hospital information system (HIS) and laboratory information system (LIS) directly, with results captured into the patient's medical record. Confirm supported interfaces for your EPR with the vendor.	Designed and ready to connect over open standards (HL7 v2 or FHIR) to any LIMS, LIS or EPR that accepts them, including primary care systems such as EMIS Web and SystmOne, with a tamper-evident audit trail.
Deployment and hosting	Public materials do not state whether AQURE is installed on hospital servers or hosted by Radiometer. Confirm hosting, infrastructure and support arrangements with the vendor.	Cloud platform with UK hosting available and regional data residency, plus a small on-site edge gateway. Cyber Essentials certified, GDPR-aligned.
Commercial model	Offered within Radiometer's Connect and Care portfolio alongside maintenance, support and training services. Pricing is not published; confirm with the vendor.	Subscription per site plus optional modules. No per-test fees.
Best fit	A hospital or laboratory POCT team, often with Radiometer blood gas analysers at the core, wanting one console for device access, QC and operator compliance.	Organisations that need connectivity and quality across mixed settings: hospital, community diagnostic centre, private clinic, occupational health or a multi-site network, and want reporting and billing in the same system.
Region	Sold internationally, with UK materials aimed at NHS hospital and community diagnostic centre settings.	UK and international, with regional data residency and UK hosting available.

Already have systems in place?

Having AQURE, or an EPR that already receives point-of-care results, is not a reason to rule Catenix out. Catenix is modular, so the usual first step is the connectivity and quality control layer: connect the analysers and sites that sit outside your current console, capture their QC with Levey-Jennings and Westgard evaluation, and deliver results over HL7 v2 or FHIR into the record you already run. Nothing has to be replaced. Quality management, inventory, reporting or billing can be switched on later if they earn their place. What you already have decides which modules you use, not whether Catenix fits.

Questions clinics ask

Paraphrased from the questions POCT coordinators, laboratory managers and clinic owners raise in buyer forums and on calls.

What is Radiometer AQURE?

AQURE is Radiometer's point-of-care IT solution. Radiometer describes it as a digital service that supports high uptime, workflow optimisation and quality assurance with centralised control. In practice it is a console for a hospital POCT team: it manages which operators can use which devices, collects QC and patient results, runs Westgard and method comparison rules automatically and emails the POCT coordinator when performance criteria are not met. It is closely associated with Radiometer's ABL blood gas analysers but is not limited to them.

Does AQURE support non-Radiometer analysers?

Yes, according to Radiometer's published materials. AQURE connects Radiometer analysers and devices from more than 30 other POCT vendors, covering glucose, blood gas and electrolytes, coagulation, cardiac markers, haemolysis and urinalysis. Radiometer notes that what each connection supports, such as QC results, operator management or device configuration, depends on the device manufacturer, and that remote access applies to Radiometer analysers only. Ask for the current AQURE device connectivity list and check your exact models.

Is AQURE available outside hospitals?

Radiometer's UK site presents AQURE alongside its analysers for community diagnostic centres, describing device-to-lab connectivity so the laboratory can manage POCT devices and operators outside the hospital. Its core materials are written for hospital settings such as emergency departments, intensive care and STAT laboratories. Whether AQURE is offered to a standalone private clinic or an occupational health provider is not stated publicly, so confirm with the vendor. Catenix is designed for those settings as well as hospitals.

Does AQURE do Westgard rules and peer QC?

Radiometer states that Westgard rules and method comparison rules are automated in AQURE, and that a Peer Quality Control module compares your analysers' QC performance with a selected peer group on Levey-Jennings plots, with monthly reports kept for inspection. Catenix also applies Westgard multi-rule evaluation and Levey-Jennings charting, adds lockouts and sign-off records, and includes a statistics workbench for analyser verification to CLSI protocols. Compare the two on the specific rules and reports your accreditation assessor asks for.

How does Catenix differ from AQURE?

AQURE is a device management console built around a hospital's point-of-care estate. Catenix covers that layer too, connectivity, QC, operator competency and audit trail, but as a modular platform that also runs quality management aligned to ISO 15189:2022, EQA, inventory by lot and expiry, reporting and billing, priced per site with no per-test fees. The two can run alongside each other: keep the existing console for the devices it covers and use Catenix for the sites and analysers it does not.

See Catenix for yourself

The fairest comparison is your own analysers on your own bench. Book a walkthrough, or read what POCT middleware is and how the categories differ. Other comparisons: all compare pages.

Sources

Comparisons are compiled from vendors' own public materials as of September 2026 and describe product categories in good faith. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used for identification only. Details change; confirm specifics with each vendor. Catenix does not interpret clinical results and provides no clinical decision support.