K043224 · Gen-Probe, Inc. · LSL · Aug 9, 2005 · Microbiology
Device Facts
Record ID
K043224
Device Name
GEN-PROBE APTIMA COMBO 2 ASSAY
Applicant
Gen-Probe, Inc.
Product Code
LSL · Microbiology
Decision Date
Aug 9, 2005
Decision
SESE
Submission Type
Traditional
Regulation
21 CFR 866.3390
Device Class
Class 2
Indications for Use
The APTIMA Combo 2 Assay is a target amplification nucleic acid probe test that utilizes target capture for the in vitro qualitative detection and differentiation of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) in clinician-collected endocervical, vaginal, and male urethral swab specimens, patientcollected vaginal swab specimens*, and female and male urine specimens. The assay is also intended for use with testing of gynecological specimens collected in the PreservCyt Solution and processed with the Cytyc ThinPrep 2000 System. The assay may be used to test specimens from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals to aid in the diagnosis of gonococcal and/or chlamydial urogenital disease. *Patient-collected vaginal swab specimens are an option for screening women when a pelvic exam is not otherwise indicated. The vaginal swab specimen collection kit is not for home use. The GEN-PROBE® APTIMA® Specimen Transfer Kit is only for use with GEN-PROBE APTIMA assays for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The GEN-PROBE APTIMA Specimen Transfer Kit allows for APTIMA Assay testing of gynecological specimens collected and processed by the Cytyc ThinPrep 2000 Processor according to the instructions provided.
Device Story
The APTIMA Combo 2 Assay is a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It utilizes target capture technology to isolate rRNA from clinical specimens. The assay is performed in a laboratory setting by trained technicians. The APTIMA Specimen Transfer Kit enables the use of gynecological specimens previously processed by the Cytyc ThinPrep 2000 System for Pap testing. The assay provides qualitative results, aiding clinicians in diagnosing urogenital infections. By enabling the use of existing liquid-based cytology samples, the device streamlines diagnostic workflows, allowing for concurrent screening for STIs and cervical abnormalities from a single specimen collection.
Clinical Evidence
Prospective multi-center study of 1,647 female subjects (symptomatic and asymptomatic). Sensitivity and specificity were calculated against a patient-infected status algorithm (requiring positive results from two reference NAATs). For C. trachomatis, overall sensitivity was 96.7% and specificity was 99.2%. For N. gonorrhoeae, overall sensitivity was 92.3% and specificity was 99.8%. Analytical studies confirmed no interference from common cervical substances and demonstrated stability of spiked samples under various storage conditions.
Technological Characteristics
Nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) utilizing target capture and rRNA detection. Components include transport media with penetrable cap. Compatible with Cytyc ThinPrep 2000 Processor. Analytical sensitivity: 1 IFU/assay for C. trachomatis; 50 cells/assay for N. gonorrhoeae. Standalone laboratory assay.
Indications for Use
Indicated for qualitative detection and differentiation of CT and/or GC rRNA in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals to aid in diagnosis of urogenital disease. Specimens include clinician-collected endocervical, vaginal, and male urethral swabs; patient-collected vaginal swabs; female and male urine; and gynecological specimens in PreservCyt Solution processed via ThinPrep 2000.
Regulatory Classification
Identification
Neisseria spp. direct serological test reagents are devices that consist of antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify Neisseria spp. from cultured isolates. Additionally, some of these reagents consist of Neisseria spp. antisera conjugated with a fluorescent dye (immunofluorescent reagents) which may be used to detect the presence of Neisseria spp. directly from clinical specimens. The identification aids in the diagnosis of disease caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Neisseria, such as epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, meningococcal disease, and gonorrhea, and also provides epidemiological information on diseases caused by these microorganisms. The device does not include products for the detection of gonorrhea in humans by indirect methods, such as detection of antibodies or of oxidase produced by gonococcal organisms.
Two short videos show you everything — or skip straight to the written tutorial if you'd rather read. You can reopen this any time from the Tutorial button in the top bar.
Part 1 — Search, results, and everyday workflows 16 min
Part 2 — Embeddings: the galaxy map 3 min
1. Search: exact and fuzzy
Type a phrase like "coronary artery calcification" into the search box. You get two kinds of results. Exact results match the literal phrase — prefix searches work ("coronary artery calcificati") but suffix searches do not. Fuzzy results match on the meaning and intent of your phrase rather than the exact words, and are sorted by relevance score. Hover over the Exact or Fuzzy badge on any row to see exactly why it matched.
Use the checkboxes above the results to narrow: SaMD keeps only software-only devices, AI / ML keeps only devices with AI.
Exact vs. fuzzy search: what's the difference?
Exact matches on the literal phrase (prefix search works, suffix does not). Fuzzy matches on the meaning and intent of the phrase rather than the exact words. Hover over the badge on any row to see why it matched.
You search "coronary artery calcification" and want only software devices with AI. What two filters do you apply?
Narrow by SaMD (software-only devices), then narrow by AI/ML (devices with AI).
2. The results table
Scroll right in the results table. The intended use is extracted for you — no need to open the PDF. The device story gives a high-level snapshot of what the device does and how it's used. The AI Performance sub-table shows each output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, and development/test dataset descriptions — the same format Innolitics uses for regulatory strategy outputs, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. It is AI-generated but has been very reliable in practice.
Where do you find a device's intended use without opening the PDF?
Scroll right in the search results table. The intended use column is extracted for you; no need to dig into the 510(k) summary PDF.
What does the AI Performance sub-table show, and why is it useful?
Output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, development dataset description, and test dataset description. It's the same format we use for regulatory strategy output and Fast 510(k) input, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. AI-generated but reliable in practice.
3. Judging fuzzy relevance
Fuzzy results trail off in relevance as you scroll. Use three signals to decide how far down to go: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether your target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, you're past the relevant zone. A top hit with a low score (~0.4) and a stretched explanation is a hint the closest predicates are far away — the project may be headed for De Novo. Note the fuzzy search is a pattern match: it doesn't handle negation ("not") well, and hardware devices can appear — filter by SaMD/AI ML to cut them.
How do you judge how far down fuzzy search results to go?
Use the relevancy signals: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether the target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, results are trailing off in relevancy.
4. Device detail page: chat and citations
Click a device name to open its detail page: device facts on the left, a chat window on the right. Ask something like "Describe the training data". The answer carries little citation bubbles — click one to jump to the highlighted passage in the source PDF, so you can verify every AI answer against the document. There's also a Download PDF button for sharing.
How do you verify an AI chat answer on the device detail page?
Click the citation bubbles to jump to the relevant highlight in the source document.
Reading rule for every project: how many summaries do you read in full?
At least the three most relevant 510(k) or De Novo summaries, in full. After that, use targeted chat questions to confirm your memory quickly. The tool supports this professional habit — it doesn't replace it.
5. Side-by-side comparison
Select multiple rows in the results table (aim for under ~10), then open the PDF Viewer tab. Ask one question — it goes to all selected devices in parallel, each with citations. This is the fastest way to compare and contrast devices: training data, PCCP scope, how they handled adding new scanners, and so on.
What does the side-by-side PDF viewer mode do?
Select multiple devices, open the PDF viewer tab, and ask one question (e.g., "Describe the training data"). It queries all selected devices simultaneously with citations, so you can compare and contrast quickly.
6. Collections
With rows selected, go to the Collections tab and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). Reload that selection any time — before a client call, pull up the collection and ask questions across all of its devices at once.
How do you save a set of selected devices for later use?
Select the rows, go to the Collections tab, and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). You can reload the selection anytime and carry it into the PDF viewer and other tabs that support selections.
7. Product codes and the regulations tree
Click a product code in the results to jump to it in the regulations tree — identification text, sibling product codes, and devices you can open in a PDF viewer on the right. Click a regulation number to see its identification, special controls, and related product codes. You can also search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree. Always read the special controls if any exist for your device — it broadens your search and sharpens pre-kickoff research.
What can you do from the regulations tree view?
Browse product codes and regulation numbers, read the identification text and special controls, browse sibling product codes, open device PDFs on the right, and search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree.
8. Chart view
Click Show Chart and segment by regulation number (or product code) to see which regulations dominate your result set. Clicking a regulation takes you into the regulations tree. Great for spotting that most matches are, say, hardware laparoscopic devices — a cue to go back and filter.
How do you see which regulations dominate a search result set?
Click "Show Chart" and segment by Regulation Number. Clicking a regulation takes you to the regulations tree.
9. The predicate graph
Open the Predicates tab for a family-tree view of predicate relationships. Click a node to trace its parents and children; selections from search carry over pre-selected. Commonly predicated devices are worth reading — a lot of people predicated them for a reason. The visual lineage is also handy on client calls, e.g. to show how a predicate family evolved and justify why your predicate still holds.
In the predicate graph, why are commonly predicated devices worth reading?
A lot of people predicated them for a reason. Clicking a node traces parents and children, and selections from search carry over pre-selected.
10. Embeddings: the galaxy map
The Embeddings tab plots every matching document in a 2-D "galaxy map" where semantically similar devices cluster together. Hover or click clusters to explore, and let AI label the clusters for you. Embeddings beat product codes for grouping: two devices can carry different product codes (LLZ vs. QIH) yet do the same thing — the embedding captures the meaning of the intended use and device story. This is also exactly how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) works under the hood, and it makes a great visual on client calls.
Try it yourself
Head to the search page and work through a few of these AI/ML fuzzy searches to build intuition: perivascular fat on CT · aortic valve calcification opportunistic screening on noncontrast CT · breast cancer prediction on digital pathology slides · autism detection · gestational age prediction · a hearing aid that can also detect a pulse · foundation model based analysis of ECG · large language models · penetration test. Watch how the relevance scores, intended use, and AI Performance tables tell you when results stop being meaningful.