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Connecting a Beckman Coulter AU480 to your LIS or EHR
Quick answer
Yes. The AU480 has an RS-232C serial host connection that can run results-only or bidirectional. The Catenix gateway reaches that port through a serial device server, answers online test requisitions with the tests ordered in your EHR, and sends matched results back. The host message settings are confirmed on your AU480 during setup.
The Beckman Coulter AU480 is a fully automated, random-access clinical chemistry analyser with STAT capability. It combines photometry with an optional indirect ISE unit, running 400 photometric tests an hour, or up to 800 an hour with ISE. On board it holds 60 photometric tests plus sodium, potassium and chloride by ISE.
Low- to mid-volume hospitals and laboratories use it as their primary chemistry analyser, and larger labs often keep one as a dedicated specialty or STAT instrument.
| What | How Catenix handles it |
|---|---|
| Analyser type | Random-access clinical chemistry with STAT |
| Throughput | 400 photometric tests/hour, up to 800 with ISE |
| On-board menu | 60 photometric tests plus 3 ISE (Na, K, Cl) |
| Physical link | RS-232C serial, bridged with a serial device server |
| Host communication | Results-only or bidirectional |
| Sample ID | Barcoded primary tubes and sample racks |
Results-only or bidirectional: picking the mode
Tests on the AU480 can be requisitioned at the console or online. With online requisition, Catenix replies to each barcoded tube with the tests ordered in the EHR, so nobody re-keys the request. If your lab prefers to keep the AU480 results-only, tests are chosen at the console and Catenix matches each result to its order by sample ID.
During setup we read the AU480's online settings with your team and map each of its test numbers to the matching EHR code.
STAT samples and the serial port
The AU480 has up to 22 STAT positions on a cooled turntable, with STAT interrupt and automatic repeat runs. Every message the analyser sends is stored alongside the result, so a repeated test can be traced back to what arrived and when.
As the host port is serial, the gateway talks to it through a serial device server on the lab network. It reconnects by itself after a network drop, and if the internet goes down it holds results on site and forwards them once the connection returns.
How Catenix handles AU480 QC and results
Control runs are recognised and filed as QC, never as patient results. Catenix grades them with Westgard rules against your targets and keeps Levey-Jennings charts; a failed control holds patient results for that test. Any result without a matching order waits for review.
Beckman Coulter and AU480 are trademarks of their owners. Catenix is an independent connectivity provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by Beckman Coulter.
Questions people ask
Can the Beckman Coulter AU480 take test orders from an EHR?
It supports bidirectional communication and online test requisition. With that enabled, Catenix answers with the tests ordered in your EHR for each barcoded tube.
How does the AU480 physically connect?
Through its RS-232C serial port. A serial device server puts that port on the network so the Catenix gateway can reach it.
Can we keep the AU480 results-only?
Yes. Tests are then selected on the analyser and Catenix matches each result to its EHR order by sample ID.
Related: Lab analyzer to EHR for small labs · Beckman Coulter AU680 connection · Beckman Coulter DxC 700 AU connection · Device library
Product and company names are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only. Catenix moves, stores and displays results with traceability; it does not interpret results or give clinical advice. Reviewed October 2026.
Tell us your setup
Send us your analyser and the system you want results in, and we will confirm how it connects, usually within one working day. Ask about your setup.