The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Abbott Prism HCV test, designed to screen individual blood and plasma donations for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (HCV). According to the manufacturer, it consolidates many current manual testing procedures into a single automated system. Capable of testing up to 160 samples/ hour, the Prism system has built-in safety features that track each sample throughout the process.

The FDA hasn't validated the test for use with pooled specimens or cord blood or for diagnosis of HCV. For more information, visit the FDA's Web site at http://www.fda.gov.