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The BD EpiCenter Microbiology Data Management System interfaces seamlessly with existing laboratory information systems and various BD microbiology systems. he BD EpiCenter Microbiology Data Management System and the instruments it coordinates could define the integrated microbiology laboratory of the future. For infection control administrators, pharmacists and other medical staff, the BD EpiCenter system provides exclusive data analysis that allows these professionals to monitor trends in their facilities and communicate information about these trends. From the hospital's perspective, it links the laboratory to medical decisions by improving the quality of information coming from the laboratory. The technology helps to curtail the spread of drug-resistant "superbugs"–a growing problem for clinics and hospitals–through rapid detection and diagnosis, providing clinical solutions to medical professionals.     One of the instruments supported by the BD EpiCenter system is the BD Phoenix Automated Microbiology System. Marking one of the most significant instrument launches for BD since the introduction of the BD ProbeTec ET system in 1998, the BD Phoenix system was introduced in the U.S. and Japanese markets in late 2004 following a 2001 launch in Europe.     The BD Phoenix system offers several competitive advantages, beginning with full automation requiring minimal manual intervention and the ability to deliver direct, reportable answers. In addition, BD's multi-parameter determination (MPD) technology enables the BD Phoenix system to identify more than 300 organisms–about 50 percent more than our competitors– with further expansion set for 2005. The BD Phoenix system also offers technology for detecting emerging antibiotic resistance through real-time biological testing, which can help contain the spread of infectious diseases within an institution.     A wider range of tests continues to drive worldwide growth of the BD ProbeTec ET system and solidify BD's position as the global leader in amplified testing. BD received U.S. FDA clearance for Legionella pneumophila in 2004. In 2005, BD plans to expand its tests for atypical pneumonia to include Mycoplasma pneumoniae and the Chlamydiacea family in Europe. Amplified atypical pneumonia tests provide additional diagnostic information to enable doctors to continue or modify therapy. Using tests may also reduce costs (for pharmaceuticals, length of hospital stay, testing and sample collection), lower the rate of antibiotic resistance and improve patient outcomes. These molecular respiratory tests should complement the BD ProbeTec ET assays for M. tuberculosis and other mycobacteria, which have been sold outside the U.S. since 2000.     In late 2005, BD plans to launch the next-generation BACTEC system, the BD BACTEC LX Microbial Detection System. This system is designed to offer greater organism recovery, faster time-to-detection, improved workflow, and greater efficiency and flexibility. BD is developing its next-generation blood culturing instrument, the BD BACTEC LX Microbial Detection System, which will utilize state-of-the-art laser technology and magnetic sample agitation. The BD Phoenix Automated Microbiology System rapidly identifies the bacteria infecting a patient and directs optimal therapy. It was launched in the U.S. and Japan in late 2004. Applications for the BD ProbeTec ET system are expanding with U.S. FDA clearance of a diagnostic test for Legionella pneumophila and the launch of three tests for atypical pneumonia in Europe and Asia-Pacific. A patient whose condition is diagnosed rapidly and specifically can be treated more efficiently and, hopefully, will recover more quickly and fully than if the diagnosis is delayed. The BD EpiCenter Microbiology Data Management System is designed to be the information core of the advanced microbiology laboratory. To provide hospitals with rapid results despite today's shortage of microbiologists, the system streamlines specimen processing and facilitates the consistent analysis of results from multiple technologists. Capturing, analyzing and presenting microbiology data in a timely manner enables physicians, pathologists and infection control personnel to rapidly identify–and act against–emerging epidemiology trends.