cobas® b 221 <2> system

IVD For in vitro diagnostic use.
<b>cobas<sup>®</sup></b> b 221 &lt;2&gt; system
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More than a blood gas analyzer

The cobas® b 221 system is a fully automated analyzer for blood gas testing, offering a comprehensive configurable menu on various sample types.1 It can be used with whole blood, serum, plasma, dialysis solutions containing acetate or bicarbonate, and pleural fluid for blood gases (pH, pCO2, and pO2), electrolytes, hematocrit, metabolites, total hemoglobin, oxygen saturation, hemoglobin derivatives, and bilirubin (neonatal).

The cobas b 221 system is designed for mid to high sample throughputs, delivering reliable results in under two minutes. It supports efficient and convenient blood gas diagnosis in hospital laboratories and point-of-care settings, including intensive care units (ICU, NICU, PICU*), emergency departments (A&E, ER), and operating rooms (OR).

A close up of a lab technician preparing a sample for blood gas analysis with the cobas b 221 system.
Benefits at a glance

Benefits at a glance

Multiple test tubes icon, illustrating the volume of samples that can be processed
  • Zero maintenance electrodes are designed to function for 6 to 15 months (depending on parameter) and eliminate the need to refill or replace membranes/caps
  • RFID technology allows reagent packs to be easily transferred between like devices and helps customers optimize use and control costs
Icon of expanding arrows illustrating the comprehensive menu available on the cobas b 221 system.
  • The system’s configurable menu has options for blood gas, electrolytes, metabolites, CO-oximetry and pH pleural fluid
  • Measures various sample types: whole blood, serum, plasma, acetate and bicarbonate containing dialysis solutions and pleural fluid
Shield icon illustrating the safe operation of the cobas b 221 system.
  • Sample input unit aspirates the sample rather than requiring the user to inject the sample, which helps minimize the risk of sample contact or breaking blood cells
  • Load up to 120 QC ampoules at once for automated quality control without any manual action, helping fulfill quality standards with almost no effort
Flexible line icon illustrating the increased flexibility with the cobas b 221 system.
  • Individual electrode design and cassette options to independently adjust parameter configurations, and add or remove parameters based on needs
  • Moveable display arm enables users to position the LCD display to a convenient location and angle for optimal use, making it easy to insert a fluid sample into the device or observe the status of the device
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  • Differentiate between acute and chronic patient conditions in complex environments such as the ER or ICU
  • Rapidly identify metabolic and respiratory acid-base disturbances without the need for a calculator
Hand with blood droplet icon illustrating arterial blood gas values obtained on cobas b 123 system with v-TAC software.

Arterial blood gas is the gold standard for acid-base and blood gas testing in critical care. However, arterial punctures are complex, painful for the patient, and come with a risk of side effects such as hematoma and infections.

Roche v-TAC software calculates arterial blood gas values from venous peripheral blood gasmeasurement results obtained on cobas b 123 analyzer, combined with arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) measured by a pulse oximeter.

Roche v-TAC may contribute to clinical, workflow, and patient benefits.

  • Improve patient experience by offering an alternative to the painful arterial punctures
  • Optimize the blood gas testing workflow

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Overview

Ordering Information

Product specifications

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Product specifications

Product specification Value
Parameters

18 measured parameters and 35 calculated parameters 

 

Blood gas: PCO2, PO2, pH 

Electrolytes + Hct (ISE): Na+, K+, Cl, Ca2+, Hct 

Metabolites (MSS): Glu, Lac, Urea

CO-oximetry (COOX): tHb, O2Hb, HHb, CoHb, MetHb, SO2, Bili 
Sample throughput 31 samples/hour (BG)(MSS)(ISE)(COOX)
Sample types
  • Whole blood
  • Serum
  • Plasma
  • Dialysis solutions containing acetate or bicarbonate 
  • Pleural fluid 
  • Recommended QC material
Sample volume 88 – 221 mL (depending on parameter configuration, Hct concentration and sample mode)
Measurement principles
  • Electrochemical principle 
  • Electrical principle 
  • Optical principle
Dimensions 32 cm x 47 cm x 37 cm (W x H x D)
Weight

Approximately 46.2 kg (without wash/calibrating solutions and AutoQC)

24.5 kg (with Fluid Pack and AutoQC Pack)

cobas b 221 system versions²

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cobas b 221 system versions²

  Versions
2
4
6
Blood gases (pH, pO2, pCO2, pH) / Co-oximetry x x x
Electrolytes (Na+, K+, Ca2+-) / Hematocrit   x x
Metabolites (Glu / Lac)     x
Metabolites (Glu / Lac / Urea (BUN))     x
Bilirubin x x x
Optional modules AutoQC module AutoQC module AutoQC module

Technical Documents

Access important product documentation including relevant certificates and other resources.

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Image of the cobas b 221 system showing the inside components and touchscreen.

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    References

    1. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. cobas® b 221 system Operators Manual. (v20). 2025
    2. World Health Organization (2010), WHO guidelines on drawing blood: best practices in phlebotomy, pp31-32.
    3. Hambsch et al. (2015). Clin Transl Sci 8. 857-870.
    4. Ekström et al. (2019). Calculated arterial blood gas values from a venous sample and pulse oximetry: Clinical validation. PLoS ONE 14(4):e0215413.
    5. Kamperidis et al. (2018). Optimizing acute non-invasive ventilation care in the NHS; the v-TAC approach. Thorax 2018;73(Suppl 4):A1–A282.