Amid ever-growing demand for services, significant challenges face the pathology workforce in the years ahead but – there are also good opportunities. With advances in technology and the advent of artificial intelligence as a decision-making support tool, Professor Jo Martin, President Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) in the UK, believes there remain opportunities for pathology to play a…
Pathology is embracing digitisation just as radiology did over 20 years ago and both specialties are looking at new ways to integrate each other in their workflows. AI could fuel this sparkling alliance, giving it further means to improve cancer treatment.
New simulation technology developed by TU Graz is designed to make the production of biopharmaceuticals more efficient, cost-effective and comprehensible for manufacturers.
Duodenoscopes have been long recognized to require precise execution of reprocessing instructions to properly clean and disinfect. According to Beilenhoff, et al. (2018), it is crucial to follow the manufacturer’s Instructions for Use (“IFU”) at all times to make sure the duodenoscopes are properly cleaned. Yet, IFUs are not always easy to follow.
A team of researchers has developed a novel technology that could sensitively and accurately detect and classify cancer cells, as well as determine the disease aggressiveness from the least invasive biopsies. With this new technology called STAMP (Sequence-Topology Assembly for Multiplexed Profiling), comprehensive disease information can be obtained faster, at a much earlier stage of the…
Cells are the basic building blocks of life – and, as such, they have been the object of intense study since the invention of the optical microscope in the 17th century. The development of mass spectrometry (MS) methods – those which define the chemical composition of cells – represented a further milestone for research in the field of cell biology. In the latest issue of the journal Nature…
Investigators from the Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga [(IBIMA)-CIMES-UMA, Malaga Spain] and collaborators have published the first pilot study to examine the use of a non-invasive liquid biopsy in early diagnosis of breast cancer. This study was unique in that the ctDNA analyses was performed before any invasive diagnostic procedure or treatment. To achieve their goal, the researchers…
Pathfast hs-cTnI is a chemi-luminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) for the quantitative measurement of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration in whole blood or plasma at the point-of-care (POC). Reagents are single use in all-in-one cartridges and up to six tests in parallel can be analysed,’ the manufacturer Mitsubishi reports. ‘Low concentrations of cTnI can be analysed by using high…
In terms of success in revolutionary cancer treatment, molecular genetic examination procedures have developed immensely over recent years. They now range from conventional polymerase chain reactions (PCR) or fluorescence-in-situ hybridisation (FISH) to Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) with analysis of the entire exome or genome (Whole-Exome, WES or Whole-Genome, WGS) and of the transcriptome…
Fourteen metabolic biomarkers can predict long term mortality in individuals helping to determine life expectancy in general populations, a new study in the journal Nature Communications reports. In the largest study of its kind, researchers from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and the University of Surrey investigated predictors of long-term mortality risk. Current predictors…
Touring the laboratory at the Clínic de Barcelona Hospital, Dr José Luis Bedini revealed how the latest Siemens Healthineers technology has transformed workflow to deliver quicker results, improve efficiency, conserve energy, and thus make the team of technicians very happy! In recent months the Core Lab Operative Area at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona has undergone a transformation due to the…
The key challenges and opportunities surrounding High-Content Screening have been outlined in a presentation to leading scientists and technologists at a major lab conference. Speaking at the recent SLASEurope 2019 event in Barcelona, Professor Matthias Nees from the Institute of Biomedicine in the Department of Biology at the University of Turku, Finland, outlined the potential of High-Content…
Analytically sensitive and specific detection of pharmaceuticals or metabolites in bodily fluids, as well as fast and reliable detection of human pathogens, are major challenges for instrument-based analytics in medical diagnostics. Over the past few years the combination of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and microfluidic devices (Lab-on-a-Chip) has emerged as a perfectly suited…
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is destined for a significant role in assessing histology data but the key to developing the necessary algorithms lies in data quality – rather than the quantity, according to Professor Jens Rittscher. He also warns that we are some distance from seeing AI replacing human pathologists in this scenario, primarily because presently the risks of automated…
If a health sector employee falls ill with a bloodborne disease, the cause is often a previous injury from a sharp, contaminated object. Direct blood-to-blood contact, such as with a needlestick injury (NSI), is among the recurring causes of infection. It isn’t possible to vaccinate against HIV, for instance, and the consequences of an infection remain fatal. Among the most effective ways to…
At the 71st AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, Siemens Healthineers features in Booth #1039 its innovative IT solutions to combat the laboratory’s staffing challenges, limited budgets, and the increasing complexity in sample management and testing. “We will be demonstrating the power of our broad IT offerings and how the data they deliver, and artificial intelligence, can…
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences launched the online DURA Innovations calculator tool, a powerful cost benefit analysis resource to accompany its latest Cost Benefit Calculator Handbook. The free online tool enables laboratories to quantify the value of converting to a standardized flow cytometry workflow using the company’s dry reagent technology. The new calculator enables customers using liquid…
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is showcasing its latest instruments, assays and software for improving speed, accuracy and usability across clinical and research labs during the 71st American Association for Clinical Chemistry Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Laboratory Exposition (AACC 2019). Thermo Fisher is exhibiting in booth 2110 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif., August…
Acoustic Mist Ionization Mass Spectrometry (AMI-MS) has played a pivotal role in the evolution of high-throughput screening (HTS) and now steps are being taken to advance this field to other potential applications. AstraZeneca has been an important player in this area, having already run more than 10 full collection HTS campaigns against a range of enzyme target types, and the company is now…
A group of scientists from Vilnius University have developed the world’s fastest DNA testing method, reducing DNA testing costs by 90%. It identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins to determine a genetic condition or eliminate the chance of the formation or passing on of a gene-based disorder amongst humans and animals. At present, the sole method of genetic testing is the DNA…
Since the microprocessor entered the medical laboratory we have watched how those responsible also have been confronted with the errors in the software supplied with it. Obviously, such errors are to be avoided or found and corrected before use. Nonetheless complete error-free software remains a dream. ISO 15189:2012 makes it obligatory for the manufacturer to identify errors in the form of…
The need to effectively address HCI – Human-Computer Interaction – is emerging as the key challenge in creating a productive and efficient laboratory of the future. The subject was examined in detail by Andreas Schuller from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering, during a conference in Barcelona, which brought together more than 1,000 scientists and technologists.
Today’s educational landscape is changing rapidly thanks to technological advances. Introducing wireless capabilities to science classrooms enables lecturers to teach and students to learn in an engaging digital environment that promotes teamwork. Equipped with a WLAN-capable Olympus EP50 camera, every microscope in a classroom becomes a wireless imaging system. Using its own WLAN signal*, the…
Olympus and Cytosurge AG, developer of the disruptive and patented FluidFM technology, announced their collaboration to significantly expand the awareness and availability of the FluidFM BOT* – a cutting-edge system for single cell manipulation and live cell imaging – in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). By pooling together each other’s world-class competences and by listening to…
We talked to Dr Annika Blank, Consultant and Lean green belt, about eight-year experience with the concept and optimisation of processes, the implementation of digital pathology and a voice recognition system for patient management. "The biggest and most cost intensive step taken to optimise workflows was the refurbishment of our laboratory, which was completed in 2016. This allowed us to…