Home / Devices / Connecting a Radiometer ABL90 FLEX to your LIS with Catenix
Connecting a Radiometer ABL90 FLEX to your LIS with Catenix
If your clinic runs a Radiometer ABL90 FLEX, you use it to produce blood gas results at the bedside. The awkward part is what happens next. Someone reads the figures off the screen or a printout and types them into the patient record, then does it again for the next sample. That takes time, it invites transcription slips, and it leaves you without a tidy electronic trail of who ran what and when.
This page explains, in plain terms, what it takes to get results from an ABL90 FLEX (or an older ABL735) flowing into the systems you already run, so the numbers land in the patient record automatically and your quality control stays where it belongs: separate from patient results.
Quick answer
Yes, a Radiometer ABL90 FLEX can be connected so results reach your LIS or EHR without retyping. The analyser uses a result interface from the ASTM messaging family, usually over a serial connection, and that serial link can be carried across your network with a small converter. Catenix places an on-site gateway next to the analyser, captures each result as it is produced, keeps quality control data separate from patient results, and forwards the patient results onward to the systems you nominate.
| Aspect | What it means for an ABL90 FLEX |
|---|---|
| Interface family | ASTM messaging family (a widely used laboratory result format) |
| Transport | Serial connection, which can be carried over the network using a converter |
| Direction | Results into Catenix (result capture) |
| Quality control | QC data is recognised and held separately from patient results |
| Onward delivery | Patient results forwarded to your LIS or EHR |
What the ABL90 FLEX is
The Radiometer ABL90 FLEX is a blood gas analyser used at or near the point of care. It reports a panel of blood gas and related measurements. The older ABL735 sits in the same family of blood gas analysers and is handled in the same way for connectivity purposes.
Catenix does not interpret these measurements or make any judgement about them. Our role is purely connectivity: we move the result that the analyser has already produced into the systems you use to record and review it. Nothing on this page is clinical guidance, and we make no claim about the analyser's performance or its suitability for any clinical purpose.
How it connects
An ABL90 FLEX offers a result interface built on the ASTM messaging family. ASTM is a long-established way for laboratory instruments to send results as structured electronic messages rather than as printed text. In practice this link is usually a serial connection at the analyser. Because a serial cable only reaches so far, that connection is commonly carried across your ordinary network using a small serial-to-network converter, which lets the analyser sit wherever it is convenient while the data travels back to a central point.
Catenix connects by placing a small on-site gateway alongside the analyser. The gateway listens for the results the analyser sends, whether the link is a direct serial cable or a serial connection carried over the network. It works with the general interface the device already offers, so there is no need to change how staff operate the analyser day to day. We deliberately keep to the general shape of the interface here: the protocol family and the transport. The finer detail of a given manufacturer's interface belongs in that manufacturer's own documentation, not on a public page.
Results and quality control in Catenix
As each result is produced, the gateway captures it and passes it up to your Catenix cloud workspace. From there Catenix does two important things. First, it separates quality control material from patient samples. QC runs are recognised and routed into your QC records rather than being mistaken for a patient result, so a control that is out of range never lands in someone's chart and your QC history stays clean and reviewable. Second, it takes the genuine patient results and forwards them onward to the systems you nominate, such as your LIS or EHR.
The outcome is straightforward. Results flow through without anyone retyping them, quality control stays separate from patient data, and an audit trail is kept of what was captured and where it went. You can read more about the wider platform on our platform overview, and about how we handle data on our security and trust pages.
Getting connected
To connect an ABL90 FLEX you need three things: the analyser with its result interface enabled, a network point near it (or a serial-to-network converter if the analyser will sit away from your network), and a Catenix gateway placed on site. We work through the specifics with your team so the analyser keeps running normally while the connection is set up, and so results are checked as they arrive before you rely on the feed.
If you would like to scope a connection for your site, or you are not sure which of your analysers can be linked, talk to us. For pricing, see pricing. You may also find our other device explainers and resources useful when planning a project across more than one analyser.
Questions clinics ask
Can I connect a Radiometer ABL90 FLEX to my LIS?
Yes. The analyser offers a result interface from the ASTM messaging family, and Catenix captures those results through an on-site gateway and forwards them to your LIS or EHR. Staff carry on using the analyser as normal while results flow through automatically.
Do I need to change how staff use the analyser?
No. Catenix works with the interface the analyser already offers, so the day-to-day workflow at the device stays the same. The gateway simply listens for the results the analyser produces and passes them on.
Does the analyser need to be plugged straight into the network?
Not necessarily. The link is commonly a serial connection, which can be carried across your network using a small serial-to-network converter. That lets the analyser sit wherever is convenient while the data travels back to a central point.
What happens to my quality control runs?
Catenix recognises QC material and keeps it separate from patient results, routing it into your QC records instead of into a patient chart. This keeps your QC history intact and stops a control result being mistaken for a patient one.
Will there be a record of what was sent?
Yes. Catenix keeps an audit trail of the results it captures and where they are forwarded, so you can see what flowed through. You can read more on our trust and security pages.
Can you also connect our older ABL735?
Yes. The ABL735 is a blood gas analyser in the same family and is handled the same way for connectivity. Get in touch through contact and we can scope both devices together.
Product and company names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners. Reference to them is for identification only and does not imply any affiliation with, endorsement by, or certification from those owners. This page describes connectivity and data handling only and is not clinical advice.
Reviewed July 2026. Back to integrations. Going deeper on the standard: our ASTM messaging guide.
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