The ARIES® C. difficile Assay offers rapid detection of toxin A and toxin B genes
ARIES® C. difficile Assay (IVD) Overview
Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) are potentially life-threatening health risks that tend to occur in people who have taken antibiotics or been admitted to hospitals.
In fact, CDI accounts for 15-25% of all antibiotic-associated diarrhea and is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in a healthcare setting.1 The rising prevalence of these colitis-inducing infections is cause for concern, as is the estimated $1 billion in healthcare costs they cause.2
For patients suspected of having a CDI, the ARIES® C. difficile Assay targets the C. difficile toxin A gene (tcdA) and toxin B gene (tcdB) with real-time PCR chemistry and is able to detect the presence of this bacterium from stool samples in just two hours. The assay is FDA Cleared and CE Marked for IVD use.
The ARIES® C. difficile Assay Offers:
- Ease of Use—A simple, fully closed sample-to-answer system that can be easily operated with minimal risk of contamination
- Fast Time to Results—Answers in just two hours with minimal hands-on time
- Comprehensive Detection—Targets both toxin A and toxin B, increasing confidence in results by reducing the chance of a false negative from strains that only produce toxin A
- Fully Integrated—All aspects of testing are automated, from sample extraction through analysis, to enable easy implementation across multiple shifts
- Flexibility—Run both IVD and LDT assays on the same system simultaneously, when using a Universal Assay Protocol
- Error-reducing Safeguards—Internal barcode scanning and bidirectional LIS connectivity helps to increase efficiency and reduce data input errors
Performance of the ARIES® C. difficile Assay
Performance of the ARIES® C. difficile Assay was evaluated at four geographically distinct sites using leftover, de-identified, unpreserved, unformed stool specimens.
ARIES® C. difficile Assay Performance Compared to Direct and Enriched Toxigenic Culture |
|||
---|---|---|---|
ARIES® C. difficile Assay | Direct and Enriched Toxigenic Culture | ||
Positive | Negative | Total | |
Positive | 133 | 35b | 168 |
Negative | 14a | 797 | 811 |
Total | 147 | 832 | 979c |
95% CI | |||
Sensitivity | 90.5% | 84.6% – 94.2% | |
Specificity | 95.8% | 94.2% – 97.0% | |
a. Thirteen (13) of the ARIES® C. difficile Assay negative specimens that were positive by direct and enriched toxigenic culture (i.e., False Negative) were C. difficile negative by bidirectional sequencing analysis using analytically validated primers that targeted genomic regions distinct from the ARIES® C. difficile Assay. b. Fifteen (15) of the ARIES® C. difficile Assay positive specimens that were negative by enriched toxigenic culture (i.e., False Positive) were positive by bidirectional sequencing analysis using analytically validated primers that targeted genomic regions distinct from the ARIES® C. difficile Assay. c. Five (5) specimens generated invalid results by the ARIES® C. difficile Assay after allowable re-run. Four (4) of these were negative and one (1) was positive by direct and enriched toxigenic culture. All 5 of these specimens were excluded from the device performance calculations. |
Please see the Package Insert for more detailed information.
Workflow
The operator prepares the sample, adds it to the cassette, puts the cassette in the magazine, loads the magazine into the ARIES® System, and the run will start automatically.

Step 1
Prepare the sample using the provided stool resuspension kit

Step 2
Load the sample into the cassette

Step 3
Insert up to six cassettes into the magazine

Step 4
Insert the magazines into the instrument

Step 5
Review & release results
References:
- Schroeder LF, Robilotti E, Peterson LR, et. al. Economic evaluation of laboratory testing strategies for hospital-associated Clostridium difficile infection. J Clin Microbiol 2014 Feb;52(2):489-96.
- Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013. CDC (Internet). Cited 2017 March. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf.
Intended Use
The ARIES® C. difficile Assay is a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based qualitative in vitro diagnostic test for the direct detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) nucleic acid in unpreserved, unformed (liquid or soft) stool specimens obtained from patients suspected of having Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).
The test targets the C. difficile toxin A gene (tcdA) and toxin B gene (tcdB) and is indicated for use as an aid in the diagnosis of C. difficile infection (CDI).
The ARIES® C. difficile Assay is indicated for use with ARIES® Systems.
Validation of the LIS compatibility must be performed by the end user.
ARIES® C. difficile Assay (RUO) Overview
The ARIES® C. difficile Assay is a rapid method for the detection of toxigenic C. difficile (including 027/BI/NAP1) in research labs.
- Detects both toxin A and toxin B
- Rapid results in less than 2 hours
- Simplified workflow for minimal hands-on time
- Integrated internal control for maximum confidence in results
- Automated data analysis and bidirectional connectivity to streamline reporting
Workflow
The operator prepares the sample, adds it to the cassette, puts the cassette in the magazine, loads the magazine into the ARIES® System, and the run will start automatically.

Step 1
Prepare the sample using the provided stool resuspension kit

Step 2
Load the sample into the cassette

Step 3
Insert up to six cassettes into the magazine

Step 4
Insert the magazines into the instrument

Step 5
Review & release results
Available Documentation for ARIES® C. difficile Assays
Product Information:
White Papers:
- Can Global Testing for C. difficile Carriers Help Prevent Healthcare-associated CDI? (IVD)
- Clinical Use of BI/NAP1/027 Detection (IVD)
- ARIES® Lean Lab White Paper: Delivering More with Less (IVD)
Posters:
- A Multi-Center Clinical Evaluation of the ARIES® C. difficile Assay, a Sample to Answer, Real-Time PCR Assay for the Detection of Toxigenic C. difficile in Symptomatic Subjects (IVD)
- Workflow Study of Multi-Platforms vs Single Platform Testing of Routine Clinical Molecular Assays (IVD)
Looking for additional documentation and publications:
Documentation Search Publications SearchAvailable Training & Support for ARIES® C. difficile Assays
Support
Ordering Information
Product Name |
Kit Size |
Registration Status |
Part Number |
ARIES® C. difficile Assay Complete Kit (IVD)Includes 24 C. difficile test cassettes and the ARIES® Stool Resuspension Kit (30-00095). These two components ship separately. |
24 tests | In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) | 50-10023 |
ARIES® C. difficile Assay Protocol File Kit (IVD) (one time order only) |
IVD | CN-0334-01 | |
ARIES® C. difficile Assay Complete Kit (RUO)Includes the ARIES® C. difficile cassettes and the ARIES® Stool Resuspension Kit (30-00094). These two components ship separately. |
24 Tests | Research Use Only (RUO) | 50-10029 |
ARIES® C. difficile Assay Protocol File Kit (RUO) (one time order only) |
RUO | CN-0326-01 | |
Related Products |
Registration Status |
Part Number |
|
ARIES® Two Module SystemIncludes instrument, system operation manual, two magazines, quick guide, two sample prep trays, power cord, and handheld barcode scanner and stand |
RUO | ARIES-M12V1-RUO | |
IVD | ARIES-M12V1-IVD | ||
ARIES® M1 SystemIncludes instrument, system operation manual, one magazine, quick guide, two sample prep trays, power cord, and handheld barcode scanner and stand. |
RUO | ARIES-M6V1-RUO | |
IVD | ARIES-M6V1-IVD | ||
SYNCT™ Software | RUO | CN-SW34 |
Ordering Information:
- Email your purchase order to: [email protected]
- Purchase Order Form
- Credit Card Form
- Phone: +1 866 401 5450
- FAX us at: +1 512 219 0544
The following details will need to be included with your purchase orders in order to process them:
- Company name
- Name, phone number, and email address of purchasing agent
- Name and phone number of the end user
- Valid purchase order number
- Quote reference number, where applicable
- Complete billing and shipping addresses
- Product number, description, pricing, and quantity
- Net 30 payment terms or other agreed upon payment terms
- FOB shipping point or other agreed upon shipping terms
Click Below to Learn About Additional Assays Available on the ARIES® System:
(IVD) For In Vitro Diagnostic Use. Products are region specific and may not be approved in some countries/regions.
(RUO) This product is for Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Please contact Luminex at [email protected] to obtain the appropriate product information for your country of residence.
ARIES® Systems are class 1(I) laser products.