Mindray Competitor Medcaptain Launches Fully Automated Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer Immu F6 to Break Through a Crowded Market

Chemiluminescence-based products have become the mainstream technology in the immunodiagnostics market, owing to their high sensitivity, wide linear range, long reagent shelf life, and broad clinical applications. As the sample volume in large tertiary hospitals continues to increase, there are higher demands for testing speed and operational convenience of chemiluminescence products, making fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzers essential equipment for hospitals.

The “2020 China POCT Annual Conference,” co-hosted by the Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) Branch of the China Association for Medical Device Industry and the People’s Government of Jiangbei District, Chongqing Municipality, was held in Chongqing on November 13–14, 2020. Under the slogan “BeiDou + 5G: Building the Dream of China’s POCT” and themed “Precision Epidemic Control and Health for All,” the conference featured a plenary session, thirteen academic sub-forums, and an exhibition of corporate products.

On the 14th, at the “POCT and Six Major Centers” sub-forum, MEDCAPTAIN launched its new product—the Immu F6 Fully Automated Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer. The Immu F6 boasts several advantages, including individually packaged reagent strips for single tests, support for whole blood sampling, patented magnetic separation technology, and online loading of reagents and samples, thereby providing healthcare professionals with simpler operation and more reliable test results.

Fully Automated Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer Immu F6

Founded in 2011, MEDCAPTAIN is a provider of comprehensive perioperative solutions, with business spanning drug infusion, in vitro diagnostics (IVD), airway management, and deep vein thrombosis prevention. Its IVD portfolio covers transfusion and coagulation, chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA), and molecular diagnostics. Notably, the Immu F6 represents MEDCAPTAIN’s strategic entry into the CLIA sector. To gain insights into the company’s CLIA strategy, future roadmap, and approach to breaking through in this highly competitive market, VCBeat conducted an exclusive interview with Luo Yuchun, Vice President of National Marketing at MEDCAPTAIN.

Immu F6 has a wide range of clinical applications, including departments of laboratory medicine, cardiology, chest pain centers, infectious diseases, emergency medicine, and ICUs. Currently, the supported test items include cardiac markers, inflammatory markers, and coagulation-related markers.

Luo Yuchun stated that Immu F6 is currently primarily targeting emergency departments. Common critical conditions in the emergency setting include cardiovascular and cerebrovascular emergencies, pulmonary embolism, aortic dissection, sepsis, coma and shock due to various causes, and acute respiratory failure from diverse etiologies. Currently, emergency departments are grappling with challenges such as patient overcrowding, prolonged waiting times, delays in treatment, and the inability to provide timely care to critically ill patients, which has further exacerbated doctor-patient tensions. Therefore, there is an urgent need in emergency departments to alleviate workforce burdens, accelerate testing speed, and ensure testing accuracy.

Fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzers are widely used in emergency departments. They not only overcome space constraints that preclude the placement of large-scale equipment and reduce reliance on specialized operators, but also provide rapid, accurate, and reliable test results, making them an essential instrument in emergency departments.

The Immu F6 features a streamlined operating mode, supported by a comprehensive range of reagents, calibrators, and controls. It utilizes acridinium ester-based direct chemiluminescence with magnetic microparticles, achieving a luminescence duration of only 3–5 seconds and a time to first result of just 15 minutes. The system supports direct testing of whole blood without centrifugation and allows for continuous loading of reagents and samples for random-access analysis, fully meeting the demands of emergency laboratory testing.

It is worth noting that troponin and D-dimer are critical biomarkers for many emergency department patients. The "Chinese Chest Pain Center Accreditation Standards (6th Edition)" stipulates that emergency departments must be equipped with point-of-care testing devices for rapid detection of troponin and D-dimer, ensuring test results are available within 20 minutes after blood sampling. Reportedly, the Immu F6 demonstrates excellent performance in both troponin and D-dimer assays.

Luo Yuchun frankly stated that China’s chemiluminescence market has already become a “red ocean,” with imported brands such as Abbott, Siemens, Beckman, and Roche capturing significant market share. In recent years, domestic brands have also continued to emerge, resulting in immense competitive pressure. “However, the abundance of chemiluminescence products is precisely because the market is large enough and offers ample opportunities. What MEDCAPTAIN aims to do is to find its own suitable path within the red ocean of chemiluminescence immunoassay diagnostics.”

True Gold Emerges from the Wash of Great Waves. Luo Yuchun stated that high-quality products and premium after-sales service are the secrets to Immu F6’s competitive advantage in a fiercely contested market.

MEDCAPTAIN’s management team is largely composed of veterans from top multinational corporations such as Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, and Philips. With extensive experience in corporate management, they have established modern enterprise management systems, a scientific R&D management framework, and robust quality assurance protocols. Sixty percent of the company’s R&D team hold master’s or doctoral degrees, with over 200 patent applications filed to date. Over the past five years, annual R&D investment has exceeded 15% of revenue. This experienced management and R&D team ensures the high quality of MEDCAPTAIN’s products. Data shows that the Immu F6 demonstrates a high degree of consistency when compared with large-scale chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzers.

“After-sales service is often perceived as a cost center and the most easily overlooked aspect by enterprises. However, since its inception, MEDCAPTAIN has built a robust after-sales team, which at one point even exceeded the sales team in size.” It is understood that MEDCAPTAIN has established multiple offices both in China and overseas. Its service team comprises well-trained and experienced manufacturer engineers, as well as channel engineers who have undergone rigorous training and assessment. The company has implemented standardized service procedures and follow-up mechanisms, and leverages an internet-based information management system to rapidly respond to, track, and resolve customer issues.

Luo Yuchun believes that, by leveraging MEDCAPTAIN’s consistent commitment to high-quality products and premium after-sales service, the Immu F6 can build a strong reputation among users in the market, thereby helping MEDCAPTAIN secure a favorable position in the chemiluminescence immunoassay market.

Now that Immu F6 has entered a critical phase of market promotion, Luo Yuchun stated that MEDCAPTAIN is adopting an aggressive, top-down strategy. The company will first introduce the Immu F6 to large tertiary hospitals; once it gains recognition from these major institutions, it will gradually expand its coverage to primary healthcare facilities. Moving forward, the company will intensify its academic promotion efforts, engage in deeper exchanges with more experts and clinicians, listen to clinical feedback, provide continuous education to healthcare professionals, and iterate product updates based on clinical insights.

Meanwhile, in the chemiluminescence segment, MEDCAPTAIN will continue to invest in R&D and expansion, providing more comprehensive and efficient healthcare solutions to advance medical health.