BioView
BioView delivers an outstanding cell imaging technology platform and software package that combines morphological, immuno-staining and FISH information on the same cell. Automated, high resolution and full color staining puts morphology, immuno-staining and FISH staining on equal footing, enabling physicians and researchers to efficiently and effectively improve the quality of patient treatment and care.
BioView offers a set of capabilities that enable scientists and medical institutions to identify rare cells and respond quickly to treatments and care. High-speed delivery, excellent accuracy and high-resolution imaging, the BioView Duet scanning unit, combined with BioView's very own remote software and preparation kit enables its customers to combine rare event detection and genetic analysis in one process. Scanning is fast, automated, in full color and with high resolution in both modes of operation - brightlight scanning and fluorescent scanning. In addition, BioView offers automated cell-type identification, spot counting and aberration detection. Combining bright light scanning and fluorescent scanning into one process increases sensitivity and reduces false rates.
The BioView system is built with keen insight into the needs of medical diagnostics and research by a team that integrates expertise in biology, software engineering and physics. The BioView system accelerates the complex process of detecting and identifying problematic cell-types by providing a flexible technological advance that combines current biotechnological applications into a user friendly and flexible system.
Duet
BioView's Duet system links the inspection of cell morphology and genetic content analysis of the cells, resulting in superior results that are unparalleled in speed, accuracy and sensitivity. Duet operates in fully automatic or interactive mode.
Scan 10 000 cells/minute in bright light illumination to:
- Detect rare cells according to their morphology
- Classify cells by type
- Image samples stained with immuno-cytochemical stains
Scan thousands cells/hour in fluorescent illumination in true color and high resolution to:
- Detect rare cells according to their fluorescent markers
- Identify genetic aberrations
- Enumerate the cells showing the genetic aberration of interest
Effectively analyze results:
- Correlate results from both scans on one screen to view both morphological and genetic pictures
- Tag cells of interest for record and further analysis
- Sort cells by type, by marks applied by user or by number of spots in florescent mode in a given color
- Measure cell size and apply zoom function
- Examine captured image in a variety of color planes and define real translocation by analyzing color content of the image
- Store results in the system or transfer directly to patients' files
See Specifications for details
Solo
BioView software can be connected to an unlimited number of workstations in the laboratory and teaching facilities, giving the end-user complete control of data processing and cell analysis. Any feature available on the Duet scanning unit is virtually at the fingertips of users connected remotely to the system.
The software is built with simple, user-friendly icons that give full instrument control to analyze any sample from any location. All of the powerful analyses and graphic features of the Duet stationary system are available and linked with current graphics and data management software. Features such as cross-correlating full slide images between various stains and case diagnosis are built-in and intuitively designed to give versatile and straightforward scanning abilities.
Preparation Kits
The reagent kits were designed and optimized for the preparation of peripheral blood and bone marrow samples, for automated scanning using the BioView Duet system. The use of these kits is a rapid mix and read procedure, which enables BioView Duet to reduce handling steps in cell imaging by ensuring high-quality staining.
The kits is tuned to work with the dual nature of the BioView's Duet scanning unit, enables a simple and reliable methods for application of simultaneous staining techniques to the same cell sample.
BioView offers three preparation kits that are all optimized for automated scanning on BioView's Duet system.
BioView develops, manufactures and supplies cell imaging equipment, preparation kits and software to medical institutes and universities. BioView is a privately owned company whose mission is to develop a complete solution tailored to meet the needs of our customers.
BioWhite
The BioWhite Kit is designed for the preparation of cytospin slides of peripheral blood and bone marrow samples for morphological inspection. This process comprises a RBC dissemination and cytocentrifugation of WBC while ensuring uniform spreading and high-quality morphology, which is essential for automated scanning. After slide preparation, a variety of staining procedures can be applied, i.e. May-Growald Giemsa stain (MGG) for cytomorphological examination, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for the detection of target chromosomes in interphase nuclei or immunocytochemical (ICC) techniques that allow visualization of cellular antigens.
BioBlue
The BioBlue Kit is designed for enhancing FISH quality in peripheral blood and bone marrow cells. The BioBlue Kit includes enzyme solution for pre-treatment of cells prior to FISH procedure and a counterstain solution (BlueView) in an optimal concentration that will allow slides to be scanned automatically with BioView's Duet system. The kit is intended for use with a variety of FISH probes, and adjusted to be used as a second stain following May-Growald Giemsa staining for morphology and/or immunocytochemical (ICC) procedure for the detection of specific antigens (using the BioWhite Kit and/or the BioRed Kit, respectively).
BioRed
The BioRed Kit is designed for the detection of various specific antigens within cells of peripheral blood and bone marrow. This kit is intended for use with primary rabbit or mouse antibodies. The complex form between specific antigens and primary antibodies is detected by horseradish peroxidase labeled-polymer. The antigens are labeled in red following the addition of the peroxidase chromagen AEC. This red color allows visualization against a hematoxylin counterstain using light microscopy. This kit is made in a ready-to-use format that eliminates the need for extra steps in the procedure, minimizes hand-on-time and maximizes convenience. This kit is compatible for preparation of specimens using the BioWhite kit and for automatic scanning using the BioView's Duet system.
Accord Press Release
Sheffield Scientists Lead The Way With UK's First Breast Cancer HER2 Amplification Detection System
The Department of Cytogenetics at Sheffield Children's Hospital has taken delivery of an Accord image analysis system, the first of its kind to achieve Us Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for HER2 amplification detection in breast cancer. Accord is one of an exciting new range of tools launched by Image Solutions (UK) Ltd. in the fight against aggresive HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.
Department Clinical Scientist Neil Atkey spent a year evaluation all of the imaging systems on the market before deciding on Accord. "Now we intend to validate the system on a minimum of 100 cases to determine its level of concordance with analyses carried our by a manual operator," he said.
Accord is a semi-automatic scanning microscope and image analysis system that uses fluorescence in-situ hybridisation (FISH) to show if there are too many copies of the HER2 gene in samples of cancer cells. Roughly 25% of such cells carry the extra genes, which are associated with an increased risk of spread of the disease.
The system being semi-automatic is designed for clinicians that prefer to keep some control themselves. However, the system reoves many of the tedious manual techniques, saving both time and expense. The system uses a 3CCD camera to scan and count thousands of cells per minute. It allows customisation of scanning "recipes" plus rapid intuitive switching between automatic and manual modes. Meanwhile a second workstation allows other users to analyse previous results and generate reports while Accord is still scanning samples.
This twin approach will speed up the ability of doctors to decide which patients are HER2-positive and therefore most likely to benefit from treament with Herceptin. This is a well established and effective treatment both before and after surgery for people with HER2-positive breast cancer and has also been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence after initial surgery.
Only Accord has FDA approval for all levels of HER2 amplification. Other techniques are just approved for analysis of cells that are clear or strongly positive: all equivocal samples must be reviewed manually, which both increases testing time and reduces laboratory throughput. Accord has previously been cleared by the FDA for FISH testing in bladder cancer, leukaemia and prenatal diagnoses.
Ian Corless, Managing Director of Image Solutions, said "We are pleased to have FDA clearance for new extended use of the Accord system on human breast cancer tissue specimens." For his part, Atkey is also impressed with the service offered by the company. "Accord has a virtual private network that allows Image Solutions to dial into our network and sort out remotely any problems that might arise," he concluded.
For more information contact tim@imsol.co.uk
PR Contact
Mrs. Veronica Solan, Precision Communications Ltd. ( Prescom@btinternet.com)
