Pathology Archive

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Pall Leukotrap Helps Keep Leukocytes, Prions Out of Donated Blood

Pall Corporation out of Port Washington, NY has released a new blood filtration system that can screen out leukocytes, as well as prions. The Leukotrap Affinity Plus System already obtained European approval and is meant to be used as a filter for donated blood, that might be contaminated by prions. Prions, of course, are responsible for spongiform encephalopathy, and are difficult to detect since carriers often are not aware of their condition until symptoms arrive.

From the product page:

The filter system captures and reduces target contaminants while allowing the desired components to pass through, even those of equal or larger size.
Efficacy - Averaging greater than 3 log prion reduction

Efficiency - Leucocyte reduction meeting current EU and UK guidelines

Assurancen - Maintains therapeutic benefit of red cells

Easy to Use - Self priming filter for ease of use

Fast - Rapid filtration

High Yield - With unique recovery system

Press release: Pall Corporation Launches Next Generation Blood Filter that Simultaneously Reduces Prions and Leukocytes ...

Product page: Leukotrap Affinity Plus ...

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Lab-on-a-Chip Sorts Through Virus Specimens at Low Cost

Researchers at Brigham Young University are reporting the development of a microfluidic device that is able to sort individual virus particles based on size. In addition to potentially being used one day in the clinical setting as a diagnosis modality, this technology should provide researchers with high speed sorting of pathogens for laboratory work.

The chips work like coin sorters, only they are much, much smaller. Liquids flow until they hit a wall where big particles get stuck and small particles pass through a super-thin slot at the bottom. Each chip’s slot is set a little smaller than the size of the particle to be detected. After the particles get trapped against the wall, they form a line visible with a special camera.

Capturing single particles has important applications besides simply knowing if a particular virus or protein is present.

“One of the things I hope to see is for these chips to become a tool for virus purification,” said David Belnap, an assistant professor of chemistry and co-author on the paper.

He explained that a tool like the BYU chip would advance the pace of his research, allowing him and other researchers to consistently obtain pure samples essential for close inspection of viruses.

A huge barrier to making chips that can detect viruses is $100 million – that’s the cost of machinery precise enough to make chips with nano-sized parts necessary for medical and biological applications.

The BYU group developed an innovative solution. First they used a simpler machine to form two dimensions in micrometers — 1,000 times larger than a nanometer. They formed the third dimension by placing a 50 nanometer-thin layer of metal onto the chip, then topping that with glass deposited by gasses. Finally they used an acid to wash away the thin metal, leaving the narrow gap in the glass as a virus trap.

So far, the chips have one slot size. Hawkins [Aaron Hawkins, professor of electrical and computer engineering at BYU] says his team will make chips soon with progressively smaller slots, allowing a single channel to screen for particles of multiple sizes. Someone “reading” such a chip would easily be able to determine which proteins or viruses are present based on which walls have particles stacked against them.

After perfecting the chips’ capabilities, the next step, Hawkins says, is to engineer an easy-to-use way for a lab technician to introduce the test sample into the chip.

Brigham Young press release: 'Lab on a chip' that detects viruses developed by BYU researchers...

Abstract in Lab on a Chip: Selective trapping and concentration of nanoparticles and viruses in dual-height nanofluidic channels

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Friday, November 20, 2009

Evidence MultiStat from Randox Might Save Cardiac Lives and More

RANDOX Laboratories, a diagnostics company from Crumlin, UK, is releasing in Düsseldorf at Medica 2009 a new semi-automated analyzer that can perform detection of up to 12 analytes from a single patient sample in under 20 minutes. The Evidence MultiStat™ can save lives of cardiac patients or identify drug junkies, hence it can be used in emergency rooms, cardiology departments, ambulatory centers, or even employee drug screening centers.

The following arrays are currently available:

Cardiac Array [serum]: Creatine Kinase-MB (CK-MB), Fatty Acid Binding Protein (FABP), Myoglobin, Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI)
Drugs of Abuse Array I [urine]: Amphetamine, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepine 1, Benzodiazepine 2, Cannabinoids, Cocaine metabolite (Benzoylecgonine), Methamphetamine, Methadone, Opiates, Phencyclidine, Creatinine (dilution marker)

Product page: Evidence MultiStat...

Announcement on Twitter: Randox unveils cardiac care technology...

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Ultrafast Lab-on-a-Chip for Detection of Disease Biomarkers

Researchers from IBM Research in Zurich and the University Hospital of Basel in Switzerland developed a microfluidic device that uses capillary action to detect the presence of protein biomarkers for various disease types. The five square centimeter silicon-based lab-on-a-chip takes only fifteen seconds to perform its analysis.

Here are the five functional stages of the device:

Stage 1: A one microliter sample, 50 times smaller than a tear drop, is pipetted onto the chip, where the capillary forces begin to take effect.

Stage 2: These forces push the sample through an intricate series of mesh structures, which prevent clogging and air bubbles from forming.

Stage 3: The sample then passes into a region where microscopically small amounts of the detection antibody have been deposited. These antibodies have a fluorescent tag and similar to the antibodies within our body, they recognize the disease marker and attach to it within the sample. Only seventy picoliters (a volume one million times smaller than a tear) of these antibodies are used, making their dissolution in the passing sample extremely fast and efficient.

Stage 4: The most critical stage is called the "reaction chamber" and it measures 30 micrometers in width and 20 micrometers in depth, roughly the diameter of a strand of human hair. Similar to a common pregnancy test, in this stage the disease marker that was previously tagged is captured on the surface of the chamber. By shining a focused beam of red light, the tagged disease markers can be viewed using a portable sensor device that contains a chip similar to those used by digital cameras, albeit this one being much more sensitive. Based on the amount of light detected, medical professionals can visually confirm the strength of the disease marker in the sample to determine the next course of treatment.

Stage 5: Less a stage and more a part of the entire process is the capillary pump. The capillary pump, which has a depth of 180 micrometers, contains an intricate set of microstructures, the job of which is to pump the sample through the device for as long as needed and at a regular flow rate, just like the human heart. This pump makes the test accurate, portable and simple to use. IBM scientists have developed a library of capillary pumps so that tests needing a variety of sample

More from IBM Research: IBM Scientists Reinvent Medical Diagnostic Testing ...

Abstract in Lab on a Chip: Toward one-step point-of-care immunodiagnostics using capillary-driven microfluidics and PDMS substrates

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Monday, November 9, 2009

Camera Phone Microscope Uses Holographic Processing to View Cells

Aydogan Ozcan, an assistant professor at University of California, Los Angeles, has developed an attachment for camera phones that turns these devices into microscopes useful for histological and microbiological analysis. Interestingly, the device uses no additional optics but relies on processing the interference patterns of light coming from the samples to recreate the image.

A snippet from the New York Times:

For this electronic system of magnification, inexpensive light-emitting diodes added to the basic cellphone shine their light on a sample slide placed over the phone’s camera chip. Some of the light waves hit the cells suspended in the sample, scattering off the cells and interfering with the other light waves.
“When the waves interfere,” Dr. Brady said, “they create a pattern called a hologram.” The detector in the camera records that hologram or interference pattern as a series of pixels.

The holograms are rich in information, Dr. Ozcan said. “We can learn a lot in seconds,” he said. “We can process the information mathematically and reconstruct images like those you would see with a microscope.”

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Virtual Autopsy Table Makes a Dirty Business Clean

Sweden's Norrköping Visualization Center, in collaboration with the Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, has developed a virtual autopsy system to substitute some of the manual work for touch manipulation on a flatscreen. A body under investigation is first scanned through a CT or MRI and the results of that can be manipulated using software that can filter images based on tissue density, luminance, and other criteria.

Here's a couple videos demonstrating the Virtual Autopsy Table:

Link: Virtual Autopsy Table...

(hat tip: Gizmag)

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Mass Spectrometer Smells Out Tumor Cells During Surgery

Surgically removing tumors usually involves a bit of guessing on where cancerous tissue ends and healthy begins. The surgeons also have to keep the tumor margin as wide as possible to make sure that the entire specimen has been removed. Current methods to help make the guessing game more precise involves preoperative scans and sending surgical tissue samples for path analysis. Researchers from Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany have now recognized that when surgeons are using electric cautery, the smoke that's released contains information about what is being cut. By using a mass spectrometer attached to the smoke collecting vacuum, the scientists are hoping to develop a technology that will provide almost real time, clinically useful information about the tissue under the knife.

Technology Review reports:

The new system not only provides real-time information, but also produces an image of the tumor, using chemical information, which could also help guide postoperative care. The imager could, for example, reveal a particularly aggressive form of cancer, and this information could guide oncologists in prescribing the right drug.
So far, the German researchers have tested the surgical mass-spectrometry system in several animals, including rodents, with cancer. The group is also working with veterinarians to use the scalpel during tumor-removal surgeries in dogs with naturally occurring tumors. Next month the device will go into human clinical trials, and Takáts is working with Meyer-Haake, a German electrosurgical device company, to develop the machinery.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Hologic's Cervical Cancer Screening System ThinPrep Gets EU OK

Hologic out of Bedford, Massachusetts has announced that the firm's ThinPrep® Integrated Imager has received the European CE Mark, and that will allow the sale of the device across the continent. The ThinPrep provides cytology screening for cervical cancer by combining imaging and slide review into a single apparatus. Conveniently, the imager in the device can be used as a stand alone microscope for other purposes.

The integrated imager analyzes a ThinPrep Pap test slide in approximately 90 seconds, during which time each cell and cell cluster is scanned. Using optical density analysis, the integrated imager identifies diagnostically-relevant cells or cell groups and then stores coordinates of the 22 fields of interest. These 22 fields of interest are presented to the cytotechnologist for interpretation. If no abnormalities are identified by the cytotechnologist, the slide can be signed out as negative or proceed through the laboratory quality control system. A complete slide review is required if the user detects any suspicious cells within the 22 fields of view. This dual review process combines human interpretative expertise with the power of computer imaging.

Press release: Hologic Receives CE Marking for the ThinPrep® Integrated Imager...

Product page: ThinPrep...

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Point of Care WBC Testing Device in The Works

A new microfluidic device from the University of Southampton, called single-cell impedance cytometer, is being reported in Lab on a Chip. The technology promises to perform a white blood cell differential count in a tiny package from a puny sample.

According to Dr David Holmes of ECS, lead author of the paper, the microfluidic set-up uses miniaturised electrodes inside a small channel. The electrical properties of each blood cell are measured as the blood flows through the device. From these measurements it is possible to distinguish and count the different types of cell, providing information used in the diagnosis of numerous diseases.
The system, which can identify the three main types of white blood cells - T lymphocytes, monocytes and neutrophils, is faster and cheaper than current methods.

‘At the moment if an individual goes to the doctor complaining of feeling unwell, a blood test will be taken which will need to be sent away to the lab while the patient awaits the results,' said Professor Morgan. 'Our new prototype device may allow point-of-care cell analysis which aids the GP in diagnosing acute diseases while the patient is with the GP, so a treatment strategy may be devised immediately. Our method provides more control and accuracy than what is currently on the market for GP testing.

The next step for the team is to integrate the red blood cell and platelet counting into the device. Their ultimate aim is to set up a company to produce a handheld device which would be available for about £1,000 and which could use disposable chips costing just a few pence each.

Full story: Device being developed for on-the-spot blood analysis...

Abstract in Lab on a Chip: Leukocyte analysis and differentiation using high speed microfluidic single cell impedance cytometry

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Friday, August 28, 2009

Leica Unveils New Single Cell Imaging Product Line

Leica has just announced a new confocal microscope system that provides one platform for performing common single cell imaging techniques like FLIM (fluorescence lifetime imaging) and FCS (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy). Additionally, the same system allows to use the newer, more precise confirmation methods like FCCS (fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy) and FLCS (fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy).

The Leica TCS SMD Series integrates hardware and software from PicoQuant with the high-end confocal system Leica TCS SP5 II. Researchers can now control a complete SMD experiment via one interface, the LAS AF software from Leica Microsystems. The coordination of different hardware and software components for one SMD experiment is now a thing of the past.

Complex SMD technologies are no longer complicated due to the user-friendly design of the system series. Quick and easy operation is ensured by dedicated application wizards. They guide the user step-by-step through SMD experiments and significantly maximize the reproducibility of data. With the universal SMD raw data format, one and the same data file can be analyzed in various ways and leads to quantification with maximum content.

Press release: All in One: A Single Platform to Study the Dynamics of Cellular Processes ...

Product pages: Leica TCS SMD FCS, TCS SMD FLIM, TCS SMD FLCS

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

CellScope, a "Mobile Phone Based Clinical Microscopy for Global Health Applications"

Investigators from UCSF and UC Berkeley have just published an article at PloS ONE that discusses applicability data and design of a newly developed microscope-enabled mobile phone system, dubbed CellScope. We have covered CellScope on our pages before. The goal of this research is to equip clinicians with a small and cheap technology to image microorganisms and pathology specimens in remote places, for an instant diagnosis or for transmission of images to a central location, such as a regional medical center.

The engineers attached compact microscope lenses to a holder fitted to a cell phone. Using samples of infected blood and sputum, the researchers were able to use the camera phone to capture bright field images of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria in humans, and sickle-shaped red blood cells. They were also able to take fluorescent images of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterial culprit that causes TB in humans. Moreover, the researchers showed that the TB bacteria could be automatically counted using image analysis software.

The engineers had previously shown that a portable microscope mounted on a mobile phone could be used for bright field microscopy, which uses simple white light — such as from a bulb or sunlight — to illuminate samples. The latest development adds to the repertoire fluorescent microscopy, in which a special dye emits a specific fluorescent wavelength to tag a target - such as a parasite, bacteria or cell - in the sample.

The researchers used filters to block out background light and to restrict the light source, a simple light-emitting diode (LED), to the 460 nanometer wavelength necessary to excite the green fluorescent dye in the TB-infected blood. Using an off-the-shelf phone with a 3.2 megapixel camera, they were able to achieve a spatial resolution of 1.2 micrometers. In comparison, a human red blood cell is about 7 micrometers in diameter.

The researchers pointed out that while fluorescent microscopes include additional parts, less training is needed to interpret fluorescent images. Instead of sorting out pathogens from normal cells in the images from standard light microscopes, health workers simply need to look for something the right size and shape to light up on the screen.

Article in PLoS ONE: Mobile Phone Based Clinical Microscopy for Global Health Applications...

Press release with video of the microscope in action: UC Berkeley researchers bring fluorescent imaging to mobile phones for low-cost screening in the field...

Side image: Fluorescent image of TB bacteria taken by the CellScope.

Flashback: CellScope for Rural Microscopy On The Go

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Friday, July 17, 2009

Destiny Max Clot Detection System Gets US Green Light

Trinity Biotech out of Co Wicklow, Ireland has received FDA approval to market the Destiny Max haemostasis analyzer. The unit offers high throughput analysis and an option of using optical or micro-mechanical clot detection.

Published features of the Destiny Max:

being the only high throughput instrument on the worldwide market that allows simultaneous and automated measurement of mechanical and optical clot detection, chromogenic and immuno-turbidimetric assays;

best in class graphical user interface and touch screen technology;

the most reliable and novel cap piercing solution on the market.

Speed and Throughput
• More than 300 tests/hour
– 350 Tests/hour PT
– 270 Tests/hour PT/APTT
– 195 Tests/hour PT/APTT/FIB
• 100 samples loading capacity
• Maximised walk away time
Optimised Performance
• Cap Piercing – peace of mind
• Result standardisation with TriniVerical
• Multiple measuring wavelengths
• Complete traceability
Ease of Use and Flexibilty
• Ability to choose mechanical or optical clot detection methods
• Continuous loading operation
• Intuitive icon software
• Minimal maintenance

Press release: Trinity Biotech Receives FDA Approval For Destiny Max In The USA...

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Watching Circulating Tumor Cell Count Helps Predict Breast Cancer Development

A new study just published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has shown that monitoring the count of circulating tumor cells (CTC) using the CellSearch system from Veridex, a Johnson & Johnson company, can predict the prognosis of patients with metastatic breast cancer. The CellSearch system uses ferrofluid iron microparticles attached to antibodies that like to grab on to CTC cells. Using a magnet, the device can remove the particles out of a blood sample for precise identification and number count.

More about CellSearch and some details about the study from the J&J press release:

CellSearch® test results should be used in conjunction with all clinical information derived from diagnostic tests (e.g., imaging, laboratory tests), physical examination and complete medical history in accordance with appropriate patient management procedures.
Study Design

A retrospective study was performed on 115 patients with MBC who had the CellSearch test performed as part of their initial staging process at M.D. Anderson over a three-year period. CTC count and FDG-PET/CT imaging were performed at baseline in 102 evaluable patients before starting a new therapy and then again at the midpoint of their therapies (9 - 12 weeks). Patients outcomes were categorized according to midtherapy CTC counts as favorable (< five CTCs/7.5 mL blood) or unfavorable (≥ five CTCs/7.5 mL blood). Based on FDG-PET/CT, patients were considered responders if metabolic activity of target lesions decreased more than 25% compared to baseline, and if there was no change or a decrease in size. Patients were considered nonresponders if the FDG uptake was similar or higher and/or if target lesions had increased in size. CTC counts and FDG-PET/CT response at midtherapy were compared, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with survival.

Study Findings

A total of 115 patients with metastatic breast cancer were considered for the study and 102 were evaluable for efficacy. The median overall survival time was 14 months (range, 1 to > 41 months). In univariate analysis, both midtherapy CTC counts and FDG-PET/CT response predicated overall patient survival (p<.001 and p=.001, respectively). The overall concordance between the CTC counts at midtherapy and FDG-PET/CT was 67% for response/nonresponse and 74% for progression/nonprogression. In the discordant category, detection of five or more CTCs during therapeutic monitoring accurately predicted prognosis in MBC beyond metabolic response. FDG-PET/CT was able to predict outcome in discordant instances of patients with less than five CTCs at midtherapy. Midtherapy CTC levels remained significant in a multivariate analysis (p=.004). These results suggest a higher and independent predictive value of CTCs compared with FDG-PET/CT among patients with a CTC count of five or more. In addition, there was a strong correlation between complete response and the absence of significant levels of CTCs (median CTC level zero).

Press release: Monitoring Circulating Tumor Cells with the Cellsearch® System Can Predict Prognosis in Metastatic Breast Cancer...

Abstract in Journal of Clinical Oncology: Circulating Tumor Cells and [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Outcome Prediction in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Product page: CellSearch Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Kit...

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Fast Point of Care Hemoglobin Test System Approved in US

This is not the most advanced device out there, but it's surely slicker than a hematocrit centrifuge. Stanbio Laboratory out of Boerne, Texas has received FDA approval for the firm's Hemopoint H2 hemoglobin and hematocrit test system. The unit promises results within one minute from an 8 µL sample.

Using a single drop of blood, Stanbio’s HemoPoint® H2 offers accurate results for both hemoglobin and hematocrit (calculated) tests—in less than a minute! The easy-to-read touch screen displays the current time, battery status and allows for easy operation.
Utilizing proven microcuvette technology, the HemoPoint® H2 features a pr oprietary “soft load” cuvette holder to minimize blood contamination of the meter. The hemoglobin result is flagged if it is outside the user-defined limits.

The HemoPoint® H2’s user-friendly sampling technique minimizes training time and its rechargeable battery makes it completely mobile. Recall the last 100 test results with the touch of a button and attach an optional printer to record patient’s test results—immediately, or from stored memory!

Press release: Stanbio Laboratory Receives FDA Approval for HemoPoint® H2 Data Management System

Product page: HemoPoint® H2

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

New Nanoparticles Provide Options for Tumor Hunting

Researchers at Purdue University have developed new composite gold and ferromagnetic metal nanoparticles capable of attaching themselves to tumors. The new combination allows for the particles to be imaged in the body through either fluorescent microscopy or MRI.

Scientists have developed probes that use gold nanorods or magnetic particles, but Irudayaraj's [Joseph Irudayaraj, Purdue University associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering] nanoprobes use both, making them easier to track with different imaging devices as they move toward cancer cells.
The magnetic particles can be traced through the use of an MRI machine, while the gold nanorods are luminescent and can be traced through microscopy, a more sensitive and precise process. Irudayaraj said an MRI is less precise than optical luminescence in tracking the probes, but has the advantage of being able to track them deeper in tissue, expanding the probes' possible applications.

The probes, which are about 1,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, contain the antibody Herceptin, used in treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The probes would be injected into the body through a saline buffering fluid, and the Herceptin would find and attach to protein markers on the surface of cancer cells.

"When the cancer cell expresses a protein marker that is complementary to Herceptin, then it binds to that marker," Irudayaraj said. "We are advancing the technology to add other drugs that can be delivered by the probes."

Irudayaraj said better tracking of the nanoprobes could allow doctors to pinpoint the location of known tumors and better treat the cancer.

The novel probes were tested in cultured cancer cells. Irudayaraj said the next step would be to run a series of tests in mice models to determine the dose and stability of the probes.

Press release: Nanoscopic probes can track down and attack cancer cells

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Friday, February 13, 2009

New Hepatitis C Screening Test Developed

An international group of researchers has developed, and conducted initial trials on a new Hepatitis C test, based on a novel diagnostic target, the Hep C virus RNA sequence called 3′-X-tail element. Thanks to its highly conserved sequence across the subtypes of Hepatitis C viruses, 3′-X-tail can potentially usher a new, cheaper test, capable of HCV viral load monitoring and infection screening.

Cordis News, European Union's official research and innovation information service, reports:

The procedure is described in the journal PLoS Medicine, and is in part an outcome of the RiViGene ('Genomic inventory, forensic markers, and assessment of potential therapeutic and vaccine targets for viruses relevant in biological crime and terrorism') project, which was funded under the 'Policy support' Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).
In wealthy countries, donated blood is routinely screened for HCV using a commercially patented test called an RT-PCR assay. This test detects small amounts of HCV's RNA (ribonucleic acid), which allows the virus to replicate itself, and looks for a part of the viral genome called 5'-NCR.

In poorer countries, the use of this test is well beyond the means of most laboratories. A test might cost over USD 100 (EUR 77), of which USD 10 go to licensing fees alone. Also, the effectiveness of the test varies according to the strain (or genotype) of the virus, which differs amongst geographic regions.

Screening for all major strains of the virus is important for everyone, according to the researchers. 'In Asia, for example, we often find different hepatitis C viruses from ours,' said Dr Jan Felix Drexler of Bonn University. 'But when a tourist becomes infected in Thailand and subsequently donates blood in Germany, we must be able to diagnose these blood samples without fail, too.'

The researchers found that a test for a different part of the HCV genome, the '3'-X-tail element', accurately identified low concentrations of the viral RNA in a wide range of samples, and was also able to determine the quantity of viral RNA in these samples. This means that their test is just as effective, or perhaps more so, than the commercial assays currently in use.

The protocol used in the X-tail assay is robust, stable, effective and freely available; as such, it has the potential to improve blood safety in developing countries by providing a cheap and effective alternative to proprietary HCV assays. Indeed, the new test has already been used successfully to measure viral load in blood samples from 127 patients in a Brazilian laboratory at a fraction of the usual cost. Such measurement is important for monitoring therapeutic success and reducing the costs of treatment.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Leica Introduces New Laser Microdissection Technology

Leica is releasing a new microdissection system that combines a microscope with an optically guided laser to easily work with tissue down to the level of individual cells.

From a statement by Leica:

The new Leica LMD7000 is the only laser microdissection system with a power-adjustable, high precision laser. For the first time, high laser power and high repetition rates, are combined within one system.
The laser’s high pulse repetition rates are ideal for the fast excision of single cells, cell clusters, or thin and soft samples. Additionally, high laser power allows the dissection of thick or hard specimens.

Both new Leica LMD6500 and LMD7000 laser microdissection systems use gravity to gently collect the samples. The dissected material, whatever its size or shape, is collected in a contact-free, contamination-free manner. No additional procedures are necessary for collection.

The laser beam movement of the Leica LMD7000 and LMD6500 is controlled by high precision optics, whereas the microscope stage and the sample are both fixed. This allows precise cutting accuracy at high magnifications, as well as high cutting speed at low magnifications. Both are prerequisites to obtain homogeneous material for downstream analysis and reliable results.

Leica Microsystems’ new intuitive user interface eases everyday research. Additional consumables, such as a non-fluorescent, glass-like membrane for all contrast methods, complete the extensive consumables program.

The new Leica LMD7000 and Leica LMD6500 laser microdissection systems are the ideal instruments to dissect live cells, single cells, and specific cell clusters for biomarker research, molecular pathology, and many more applications.

Product page: Leading-edge Laser Microdissection Technology

Product page: Leica LMD7000

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

FDA Approves XPERT 20 Deskside Specimen Radiography System

The FDA has given approval to KUB Technologies, Inc., from Milford, Connecticut, to market the firm's XPERT 20™ tabletop digital radiography system, which was designed for visualization of biopsy specimens, such as breast tissue samples from stereotactic core biopsies. The firm believes that its system will be ideal for smaller clinical facilities, since it is reasonably priced and the device is meant to fit into confined spaces of cramped pathology labs.

From the product page:

This self-contained,shielded cabinet x-ray system offers feature-rich, DICOM compliant, user-friendly software in a cabinet that takes up less real estate than a PC monitor. With zero warm up time, the XPERT 20™ offers AEC (automatic exposure control), auto-calibration, automatic window leveling and the ability to send multiple images, with annotations, to PACS.

A small focal spot x-ray source provides increased visibility and sharpness of detail for lesions and abnormalities in breast tissue samples. With an X-ray source of up to 25kV and 1.0mA, the XPERT 20 ™ provides images with the highest resolution to locate the smallest micro-calcifications. Designed for use in the most limited spaces with complete shielding and other radiation safety features, the XPERT 20 ™ is fully compliant with U.S. Federal and State requirements for radiation safety and operates with only a standard AC power source.

Product page: XPERT 20

XPERT 20 product brochure...

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Thursday, January 8, 2009

FDA Approves New Cellular Analysis System from Beckman Coulter

Beckman Coulter has received approval for the UniCel® DxH 800 Cellular Analysis System that promises faster and better results from more samples that arrive at the hospital's clinical lab.

From the press release:

Capturing 29 individual measurements per cell analyzed, the system provides improved sensitivity and specificity, which means more reliable assessment of abnormal cell populations. Laboratories equipped with the system will be able to respond more quickly and accurately to physician demands, improving patient health and reducing the cost of care.
The system's all new physical design—demonstrated by more than 40 new and pending patents—minimizes moving parts, increasing instrument reliability and technologist efficiency. The modular and scalable design makes the DxH 800 the ultimate solution for a variety of market segments. Multiple systems can be connected easily into a work cell to meet the volume needs of a broad range of labs, from mid- to very-high volumes. A unique magnetic Specimen Transport Module (STM) transports cassettes between connected instruments with no track required.

Future platform enhancements include an automated Slide Maker/Stainer, featuring the same patented STM technology for transporting samples. A single SMS unit will support multiple DxH 800 systems, automatically balancing the workload for connected systems and making slides based on user-defined Decision Rules, without operator intervention.

Another significant future enhancement will be the incorporation of flow cytometry technology which will further extend the DxH 800 systems' ability to yield an unparalleled breadth of information. This new capability will decrease the number of manual reviews required today—greatly enhancing the efficiency of the laboratory, while extending the cellular analysis menu of tomorrow. Future applications may include monitoring provisions for Sepsis, Cancer, HIV, Diabetes and other high value disease states.

Press release: Beckman Coulter Announces FDA Clearance of UniCel® DxH 800 ...

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