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Connecting a Roche cobas b 101 to your EHR or LIS
Quick answer
Yes. Roche describes bidirectional connectivity for the cobas b 101 using the POCT1-A standard, and the operator's manual sends network traffic through its Base Unit Hub port. Catenix connects on that side, receives HbA1c, lipid and CRP results, and sends them to your EHR or LIS.
The cobas b 101 is a small benchtop analyser that runs single-use discs for HbA1c, a lipid panel and CRP. Roche Canada pitches it at pharmacies, physician offices, outpatient clinics and satellite labs, the places where a diabetes or cardiovascular review happens in one visit.
Sample sizes are small: 2 microlitres for HbA1c, 19 for lipids and 12 for CRP, applied straight to the disc. A single HbA1c or lipid test takes about six minutes, CRP under four, and an HbA1c plus lipid pair under fifteen. The lipid disc reports total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL, with LDL calculated.
| What | How Catenix handles it |
|---|---|
| Disc menu | HbA1c, lipid panel, CRP |
| Sample volume | 2 uL HbA1c, 19 uL lipids, 12 uL CRP |
| Time per disc | About 6 min (HbA1c, lipids); under 4 min (CRP) |
| Network port | BUH (Base Unit Hub) terminal |
| Other ports | USB for a PC, USB for stick or printer, barcode scanner terminal |
| Memory | 5,000 patient and 500 control results |
Choosing BUH over USB
Under Setup, Options, Computer, the b 101 offers three choices: Disabled, USB for one directly attached PC, or BUH to reach a network or data manager through a Base Unit Hub. For an EHR link, BUH is the setting to pick, and the manual points to POCT1-A for that connection. The manual also warns against plugging other devices into the BUH socket or using a multiport USB hub.
Results exported to a USB stick still work for archiving, but they do not reach the patient record on their own.
Per-operator QC on a shared analyser
The b 101 can require each operator to have run QC within a set period, weekly, monthly or every few months, before they can test patients. It also has an instrument-wide QC lockout, an optical check lockout, and a limited number of STAT tests for urgent cases.
Control results that reach Catenix are filed apart from patient results, graded with Westgard rules and charted on Levey-Jennings plots, and a failed control holds patient results for that test. Operator ID stays attached to each result.
Mapping the panel
HbA1c, each lipid fraction and CRP are mapped to their EHR codes during setup. Results without a matching patient wait for review in Catenix, and every message is stored with its result.
Roche and cobas b 101 are trademarks of their owners. Catenix is an independent connectivity provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by Roche.
Questions people ask
Which port on the cobas b 101 connects to a network?
The BUH terminal, through a Base Unit Hub. The USB 1 port is for a single directly attached computer.
Is the cobas b 101 bidirectional?
Roche describes it as bidirectional over POCT1-A. What is exchanged beyond results is confirmed during setup.
Can the cobas b 101 lock out an operator who has not run QC?
Yes. Its Operator Lockout setting requires each operator to run QC within a chosen interval before patient testing.
Related: Abbott Afinion 2 connection · Siemens DCA Vantage connection · QC lockout and operator competency · 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 November 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.