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Connecting a Roche cobas c 111 to your LIS or EHR
Quick answer
Yes. The cobas c 111 has a bidirectional ASTM host interface on an RS-232 serial port, and it can query the host for orders in real time. Catenix's gateway, reached through a serial device server, answers each query with the tests ordered in your EHR and sends matched results back to the EHR or LIS.
The cobas c 111 is a compact benchtop analyser for photometric clinical chemistry and homogeneous immunoassays, running 60 to 85 tests an hour. Its menu of more than 40 tests covers general chemistry, lipids, CRP, HbA1c on whole blood or haemolysate, iron and anaemia, and bone markers.
It is the main analyser in many small labs, small hospitals, clinics and satellite labs, and larger sites use it as a backup to bigger cobas systems or as a dedicated STAT or HbA1c instrument.
| What | How Catenix handles it |
|---|---|
| Analyser type | Benchtop clinical chemistry and homogeneous immunoassay |
| Throughput | 60 to 85 tests/hour |
| Interface | ASTM, bidirectional |
| Physical link | 2 x RS-232 serial (host and barcode scanner) |
| Orders | Real-time order query from analyser to host |
| Barcode reader | External; Code 128, Codabar, Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 39, EAN, UPC, QR |
Two serial ports, two jobs
The cobas c 111 has two RS-232 ports: one for the host and one for its barcode scanner. The reader is external rather than built in, so check it is connected and set to the symbology on your tube labels. The host port is the one the Catenix gateway uses, through a serial device server on your network.
Real-time order query on the c 111
When a barcoded sample is presented, the analyser asks the host what to run. Catenix replies with the tests ordered in the EHR, so staff do not choose them by hand. STAT samples are still prioritised by the analyser, and on-board dilution of samples and calibrators works as normal.
Results are matched to their order by sample ID and sent to the EHR or LIS. Test codes are mapped to the EHR's codes during setup, and any result without a matching order waits for review.
Keeping QC and the connection in order
Where control runs reach Catenix they are filed as QC, graded with Westgard rules against your targets and charted on Levey-Jennings plots, with a failed QC holding patient results for that test. The gateway reconnects on its own after a network drop and stores results on site during an internet outage. Every message is kept with its result.
Roche, Roche Diagnostics and cobas c 111 are trademarks of their owners. Catenix is an independent connectivity provider, not affiliated with or endorsed by Roche Diagnostics.
Questions people ask
Can the cobas c 111 download orders from an EHR?
Yes, through a host such as Catenix. The analyser queries the host in real time and Catenix answers with the EHR's orders.
Does the cobas c 111 have a built-in barcode reader?
No. It uses an external reader on its second RS-232 port. It reads Code 128, Codabar, Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 39, EAN, UPC and QR.
Which protocol does the cobas c 111 use?
ASTM over RS-232 serial, bidirectional.
Related: Lab analyzer to EHR for small labs · Roche cobas c 311 connection · HL7, POCT1-A2 and ASTM explained · 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.