05/29/2012 | 08:35am 

AccelPath, Inc. (OTCBB: ACLP) ("AccelPath" or the "Company") issued the following Letter to Shareholders today outlining the Company's overall business strategy and operational highlights and achievements since the beginning of calendar year 2011.

The Company's overall business strategy is to expand its core business of providing a unique, viable and efficient solution for enabling digital telepathology, while capitalizing on its 3D imaging technology. The proven 3D technology has several direct applications in digital telemedicine and will continue to be developed by AccelPath. Other related and significant applications for the 3D technology, such as security and engineering, will be developed through joint ventures both domestically and internationally.

During 2011, the Company developed its core workflow technology while negotiating client and provider agreements and establishing regional business "pods." The Company's regional presence provides a basis for its eventual national footprint. A portion of this activity enabled developing the "loop" of complete automation and digital transfer of pathology information from laboratories to skilled pathologists and back to awaiting physicians. These physicians require fast, reliable pathology reports for their patients requiring immediate diagnoses and treatment of significant diseases. The Company began generating revenues towards the end of 2010.

Selected highlights and achievements include:

• Completed base level portion of workflow IT technology. AccelPath has developed a unique and proprietary suite of HIPAA compliant software tools to enable creation, submission, and reporting of pathology cases and to provide secure online access to reports. AccelPath works with pathologists, laboratory staff and clinical office managers to design and further develop and advance the toolset. This solution is unique in its capability of handling both glass and digital slides, hence, providing an automated solution for all pathology cases. Also, the Company's technology is novel in its ability to be customized for any pathology laboratory practice or interpretation center based upon the software's modular configuration and universal interfacing with existing disparate software toolsets.
• On-going discussions with leading slide scanner manufacturing companies to enter into strategic partnerships. AccelPath is in discussions with leading slide scanner manufacturers to provide clinics and hospitals with worksite planning, technical services including software interfaces and scanner operations, network engineering, professional pathology services and post-implementation support. Scanner deployments will allow the Company to further digitize its product offerings, allowing advancement of its strategy of providing efficient, timely, fully automated, digital pathology services using existing electronic information technologies.

AccelPath is collaborating with these scanner manufacturers to facilitate any near-term regulatory approvals for scanners use in pathology interpretations. Regulatory approval for scanners will complete the pathology digitalization "loop," allowing the Company to be a leader with a complete work flow solution and transmission solution for the pathology market.

• Developing inter-site telepathology network. The Company is working with a significant, expanding hospital system in Massachusetts. AccelPath has been approached to develop, implement and manage an intersite telepathology network for optimization of resources across multiple hospital locations.
• Completed administrative components of merger. In May 2011, the Company changed its name from Technest Holdings, Inc. to AccelPath, Inc., which reflects its current business focus. Commensurate with its name change, the Company changed its trading symbol to "ACLP."
• Increase customer base and branding. This will allow the Company to continue expanding its footprint nationwide as a recognized reliable, efficient and high-quality provider of digital pathology technology.

Since AccelPath was formed, the Company has been able to achieve its growth and infrastructure development objectives. Management believes the remainder of 2012 should be another exciting period for AccelPath, particularly as the Company expects to further implement its digital pathology workflow solution, continue to expand its services and increase customer penetration while forming strategic alliances. In addition, the Company will take advantage of the 3D technology as it relates directly to digital telemedicine, while developing the non-core 3D imaging technology applications with strategic partners. With its experienced management team, AccelPath expects to meet these established objectives for 2012.

(Added links and graphic above not part of original letter)

MikroScan Qumulus service offers the fastest, easiest, and most affordable path to step into the future with cloud-based digital pathology communications.

Vista, CA:  Whole slide imaging (WSI) systems manufacturer, MikroScan Technologies, adds a product to its digital pathology communications toolset. MikroScan Qumulus is a monthly service that provides an easy means for hospitals, researchers, or pathologists to store, manage, view, and instantly share whole slide images from anywhere with an Internet connection. MikroScan offers a free 90-day trial account, which takes only minutes to set up and includes 50 gigabytes of storage space.

The new cloud-based service works hand-in-hand with MikroScan’s desktop whole slide scanner, MikroScan D2, and image acquisition software, Q-Skan. The latter can automatically upload the scanned image to your Qumulus account as it saves, providing near-instant remote access to pathologists anywhere in the world.

“We are ecstatic about Qumulus. Its remote Web access features makes pathology communications a breeze and will save our customers thousands of dollars annually in travel and slide transport costs.” Said Bob Goerlitz, president and founder of MikroScan Technologies, Inc. “With our D2 scanner’s low price point and now our Qumulus cloud service low rates, we have effectively removed all economic barriers to entering digital pathology. And with our new leasing options, even the capital expenditure is no longer a speed bump. If you are a pathologist, now there is no reason not to have a MikroScan on your desk.”

“With its immediate remote sharing capability Qumulus is especially useful for consults, research, tumor boards, and educational applications,” said Victor Casas, chief technical officer and applications specialist.

MikroScan Qumulus is Web-based so pathologists can use a Web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer) to access their cases from virtually anywhere. There is no software or hardware investment required, and no need for technical expertise or I.T. personnel to install or maintain.

MikroScan Qumulus is the most affordable service of its kind and costs a fraction of what competing solutions charge. The monthly service includes all cloud software and hardware upgrades as well as automatic backups. There are no storage limits, and no data transfer charges.

MikroScan offers 20-40 minute online product demonstrations of both its scanner and Qumulus viewer. Go to http://www.mikroscan.com or call (760) 736-2180 to request a demo.

About MikroScan Technologies, Inc.

MikroScan Technologies, Inc. founders have been engaged in the design, sales, and marketing of high quality laboratory instruments for more than 26 years. The company specializes in the development of cutting edge whole-slide imaging (WSI) systems and communication tools designed for pathology, biology and research applications. With game changing technology and pricing, MikroScan products represent a leap in advancement and convenience in the evolution of WSI and digital pathology. MikroScan centers its product development on speed of slide image acquisition, exceptional imaging quality, and unmatched affordability that breaks through traditional barriers to digital pathology. For further information visit: http://www.MikroScan.com

PIONEER, EDUCATOR, AUTHOR & LEADER

Dr. John Tomaszewski announced as Pathology Visions 2012 

Keynote Presenter

Dr. John Tomaszewski, a pioneer, educator, author and leader in the pathology field, has been announced as the Keynote Presenter for Pathology Visions 2012. Pathology Visions is the annual conference of the Digital Pathology Association (DPA), a non-profit organization that promotes education and awareness of digital pathology applications. Pathology Visions will be held at the Baltimore Hilton in Baltimore, Maryland October 28-31, 2012.

Tomaszewski’s topic for his keynote presentation is “Data Fusion and 21st Century Diagnostics”. His knowledge in the field of genitourinary pathology and versatile skill set has earned him awards and recognition worldwide. Tomaszewski currently serves as Professor and Chair of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences at the University of Buffalo. With over 30 years of experience in pathology, Tomaszewski’s keynote presentation will be extremely insightful.

Before Tomaszewski worked at the University of Buffalo, he served a 28-year tenure at the University of Pennsylvania as a professor and held numerous leadership positions there. The research he conducts focuses on the application of quantitative image analysis, computer vision, and machine learning to diagnostic problems in prostate and other cancers. He sees the field of “integrated diagnostics” with the fusion of large quantitative high resolution imaging and molecular data sets as the paradigm for the new 21st century diagnostics. Tomaszewski will touch on this and more in his keynote presentation. This research has resulted in the publication of over 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts, over 40 published reviews, book chapters, editorials, and books, and numerous awards.

To read the full release on Dr. Tomaszewski please click here.

To learn more about Pathology Visions 2012 please click here.

STILL ACCEPTING ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS

The DPA is currently accepting oral presentation abstracts and poster presentation abstracts. The oral abstracts, submissions which provide researchers the opportunity to present for 30 minutes on a topic related to digital pathology, will be due on June 1, 2012. The poster presentation abstracts, allowing attendees the opportunity to display a poster for two days during Pathology Visions, will be due August 1, 2012.

Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the Pathology Visions Program Committee and chosen presenters will be provided a conference registration pass (valued at $699), economy class round trip airfare, and lodging expenses for a maximum of 3 nights (October 28 - 31) at the host hotel.

Accepted presenters will be notified by June 15, 2012. To submit your abstract please now please click here. For more information regarding Pathology Visions please click here.

Took a look at this a couple of weeks ago and incredible how easy to connect and review images quickly (real time) with high quality.  My camera phone shots would not do the images respect but for a demonstration or to test ease of connection, I suggest you reach out to Meyer Instruments and see for yourself.

A recent breakthrough in technology has just made it possible to transmit in REAL TIME 30 frames per second, 1920 x 1080 P HD color video across internet lines.  Using a high performance custom designed 3 chip HD video camera and proprietary codec, it is now possible to consult, teach and record images in true real time from one site to another.  As long as your internet upload speed is 5 megabytes or faster, perfect image streaming is now possible. There is virtually no more pixelization, packet loss or frame latency lag.  Perfect color and clarity using even 100x oil immersion images is now possible in real time.

This new system has to be seen to be believed!  For years, this broadcast capability was simply not possible. Thanks to the advent of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC  technology and a recent break through in synchronization, anyone that uses a microscope can instantly share with others EXACTLY what they are seeing.  The heart of the system is a patented transmission device which provides instant HD video compression.  Using existing microscopes, the included 'C' mountable camera performs like no other product on the market.  An optional motorized macro lens and lighted copy stand provide real time macro photography of gross samples, Petri dishes or test tubes.

Also included as part of the system is a high-chromaticity, 42 inch professional grade, commercial display monitor.  Not only are the microscopic images displayed larger and clearer than seen through the microscope, but multiple people can simultaneously see the exquisite images you are transmitting. The PathConsult Real Time Telepathology imaging system is a perfect addition to multi-headed microscopes and especially designed for applications where high magnification is required. 

The PathConsult Real Time Telepathology imaging system will be a welcome, much needed tool for any pathology application, especially cytopathology.  And best yet . . . this system does not require a computer to operate!  Just plug it to an internet connection, provide the unique IP address to the remote observer and transmit, (up to 3 observers can view simultaneously with the PathConsult and up to 100 observers can view simultaneously with the PathConsult-Pro).  Whatever is steaming can be recorded along with audio.  It comes with and analog microphone and a simple one button recording device.  It can be used with PC’s, Mac’s and iPad’s.  Compatible with all browsers.

Contact:

Robert D. Meyer Instruments, Inc.

Meyer Instruments, Inc.

1304 Langham Creek Drive

Suite 235

Houston TX, 77084

281-579-0342

http://www.meyerinst.com            

                                            SEEING IS BELIEVING! 

Superior Image Quality with LED Illumination and Intelligent Automation

Wetzlar, Germany. Leica Microsystems launches the new Leica DM4000 B LED – a microscope system with innovative LED illumination optimally suited for biomedical applications.

The specially designed LED transmitted light illumination solution is perfectly integrated in the microscope automation covering a wide range of microscopy applications. LED illumination produces constant color temperature at all intensity levels without heat buildup and thus enables stable results. High luminance and optimal color reproduction provide brilliant images with a clear differentiation of the colors in the sample. With at least 50.000 hours lifetime, the LED illumination is very cost effective; frequent bulb changes are no longer necessary.

Advantages for biomedical research

Thanks to intelligent automation the Leica DM4000 B LED sets parameters for transmitted light and fluorescence illumination according to user’s selection of contrast method and magnification. Most recently used settings are stored and recalled automatically – saving time and allowing the user to focus on the application and not technology. The fully automated fluorescence axis with apochromatic light path provides brilliant images with stunning contrast. Intelligent automation also means: high-quality, publication ready images and maximum reproducability for reliable data analysis.

Ideal for clinical applications

The Leica DM4000 B LED is well suited for clinical applications, e.g. pathology applications with H&E or IHC stained slides. Its special transmitted light modes may be adjusted according to applications and user’s preferences. Repetitive movements are reduced thanks to the intelligent automation along with the ergonomic design.

Integrated system solution

Leica Microsystems offers a complete imaging system from one source: With Leica’s extensive line of color and fluorescence cameras there is a solution for different requirements like high resolution and quick live image. The Leica Application Suite software package fully integrates the Leica DM4000 B LED microscope and digital camera into an optimized system for visualization, storage and documentation of microscope images. The Leica AF6000 advanced fluorescence imaging systems featuring LAS AF software are ideal for very fast, multidimensional fluorescence scans and processing, including live cell time-lapse experiments, multi-positioning and deconvolution.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Leica Microsystems is a world leader in microscopes and scientific instruments. Founded as a family business in the nineteenth century, the company’s history was marked by unparalleled innovation on its way to becoming a global enterprise.

Its historically close cooperation with the scientific community is the key to Leica Microsystems’ tradition of innovation, which draws on users’ ideas and creates solutions tailored to their requirements. At the global level, Leica Microsystems is organized in four divisions, all of which are among the leaders in their respective fields: the Life Science Division, Industry Division, Biosystems Division and Medical Division.

Leica Microsystems’ Biosystems Division, also known as Leica Biosystems, offers histopathology laboratories the most extensive product range with appropriate products for each work step in histology and for a high level of productivity in the working processes of the entire laboratory.

The company is represented in over 100 countries with 12 manufacturing facilities in 7 countries, sales and service organizations in 19 countries and an international network of dealers. The company is headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany.

Courtesy of PathXchange

This week's Case of the Week is a case by Shaza, a pathologist from King Saud University Hospital in Qateef, Saudi Arabia. 

Title: Axillary Mass in a 32 Year old Man

Case Information: Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma shows a biphasic pattern which consists of island of cytologically benign hyaline cartilage surrounded by celluar area containing small, primitive-appearing mesenchymal cells arranged around delicate branching vessels.

Case Creator: Shaza

Case of the Week Program

The PX Case of the Week is a program that allows PX members to showcase rare and interesting cases to the online community. Take this opportunity to get in the spotlight with our huge digital pathology community! Creating cases on PathXchange is very simple.

Take a look at this Step-by-Step PDF Guide if you are creating a case for the first time.

Log on now. See you online!

PathXchange Team

PathXchange Benefits

PathXchange

Courtesy of Modern Healthcare:

GE has named Sue Siegel a corporate vice president and CEO of Healthymagination, the company's $6 billion initiative to address global healthcare costs and access.

Siegel, 52, joined the Fairfield, Conn.-based company from Mohr Davidow Ventures, where she most recently served as a general partner, according to a GE news release. She has also held senior positions with Affymetrix, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based provider of genomic analysis tools, and reagents vendor Amersham International, which was acquired by GE Healthcare in 2003.

Siegel replaces Mike Barber, who has been named vice president and general manager of molecular imaging at GE Healthcare. GE launched Healthymagination in May 2009. 

In her new role, Siegel will oversee quality- and engagement-related initiatives including an innovation challenge focused on early-stage breast cancer and workplace and community health programs.

Read more 

By Jaimy Lee

MD247 launched an “open door” policy regarding its social media operations, allowing local and national media an all access pass to information regarding thetelemedicine provider. The MD247 invitation to local and national media was issued in response to an evolving customer care program, which initially was modified to provide consumers a behind the scenes view of customer care. The addition of an open door policy for the media is meant to provide television reporters, bloggers and journalists the opportunity to have an all access behind the scenes pass that does not require that facts be checked using unreliable resources like Wikipedia or Ripoff Report.

Members of the media opting to contact MD247 to learn more about the MD247 telemedicine program will have the opportunity to learn more about the history telemedicine, where the field of telemedicine is going in the future and how the field will change the medical frontier for patients. In addition to learning about telemedicine, journalists will be walked through subjects like the “talk to a nurse” hotline for symptom checking and the discounted pharmaceutical program card. MD247 management will also address complaints filed on websites like Ripoff Report, and the way in which the changes to MD247 customer care are meant to catch problems before they escalate to the point of nameless complaints.

MD247 encourages members of the media with questions to please make initial contact via email at mgermann (at) md247 (dot) com.

MD247 advised that media parties interested in learning more about the field of telemedicine are encouraged to first visit the newly relaunched MD247 telemedicine website at http://www.md247.com. The newly relaunched site covers the history of telemedicine, current applications of telemedicine and potential future advances using telemedicine.

Largo Florida based MD247.COM (MD247; MD/247; MD 247; M.D.247; MD-247) provides an affordable telemedicine supplement to existing healthcare services. MD247.COM telemedicine program members have unlimited telephone access to a nationwide medical support team, all with just a single phone call to the MD247.COM telemedicine Talk to a Doctor/Talk to a Nurse Hotline. MD247.COM has a virtual platoon of registered nurses; board certified physicians and a support staff available to members for all non-emergency situations. More information about MD247.COM is available online at http://www.md247.com.

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Source: PRWeb

Story courtesy of a North San Diego newspaper (by BRADLEY J. FIKES bfikes@nctimes.com)

Related Links

• Aperio CEO engineers way into imaging business
• Aperio closes round of financing
• Aperio's SEC filing

Congratulations to Gonzalo Romero Lauro and his colleagues at UPMC for the Digital Pathology Consultation Portal.

PRWeb - MAY 14, 2012—One project soars over the EMR seeking relevant patient information. Another crawls through PACS to match studies with specific priors and then perform complex algorithms. Others monitor patient CT radiation dose, assist in study protocoling, and provide a portal for partners in China to access contemporaneous pathology interpretations.

All five projects were selected as the winners of the Top 5 Medical Imaging IT Projects of 2012 in an annual juried competition, co-sponsored by the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) and Radiology Business Journal (RBJ).

Judged on a matrix of five criteria by a SIIM panel of six judges, the architects of the five winning projects will present their work and discuss the innovation process at the annual SIIM meeting in Orlando, Florida, in a Hot Topic Session at 3:45 PM on June 7. The winning entries will also be featured in the June/July issue of RBJ.

The winners are (in alphabetical order): Tessa Cook, MD, PhD, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, for the RADIANCE Toolkit for Customizable CT Dose Monitoring; Nathan Cross, MD, MS, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, for the RAPTOR system, decision support for contrast risk-assessment and protocol assignment; Bradley J. Erickson, MD, PhD, FSIIM, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota, for a DICOM-enabled workflow engine; Richard L. Kennedy, MSc, CIIP, Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Sacramento, California, for Integration of Visible Light Imaging with Enterprise PACS and EMR; and Gonzalo Romero Lauro, MBA, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania, for The Digital Pathology Consultation Portal.

“This competition recognizes innovation, and this year’s entries were exemplary in their ability to solve problems and meet unmet needs,” says Cheryl Proval, editor of RBJ and VP, publishing, imagingBiz, Tustin, California.

“The contest is a part of an ongoing SIIM strategy to recognize and encourage innovators,” according to Anna Marie Mason, executive director of SIIM. “With the generous support of Bayer, the winners will all receive scholarships to attend SIIM 2012 and present their work.”

“In health care, the right technological advancements have the potential to shorten the time between testing, diagnosis, and treatment, and this year’s entries show great promise,” says Anthony Cinalli, vice president of the informatics business at Bayer HealthCare Radiology & Interventional, which provided an educational grant to underwrite the competition.  “At Bayer HealthCare, we were pleased to be involved with this important project.” 
 
About imagingBiz

Founded by longtime industry veteran Curtis Kauffman-Pickelle, imagingBiz includes a portfolio of specialized publications delivering business intelligence to hospitals, imaging centers, and radiology practices.

About SIIM

The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine is a health care professional organization that seeks to spearhead research, education, and discovery of innovative solutions, new technologies, and applications to improve the delivery of medical imaging services and the quality and safety of patient care. The 2012 SIIM Annual Meeting (http://www.siim2012.org) takes place June 7-10 at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

Source: PRWeb

Couple of recent new articles on use of whole slide images/virtual microscopy for use in clinical, education and research.  Increasingly, it is becoming clearer and clearer, that pathologists of today and tomorrow will have to train their analog eyes as well as their digital ones to get the full picture of disease without impairments of travel, time, place and most important, quality.

J Clin Pathol 2012;65:403-408 doi:10.1136/jclinpath-2011-200369

Correspondence to: Dr Emily Clare Shaw, Department of Cellular Pathology, Mail point 2, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; ecshaw@doctors.org.uk

______________________________________________________________________________________

Whole slide imaging (WSI) has been used in conjunction with virtual microscopy (VM) for training or proficiency testing purposes, multicentre research, remote frozen section diagnosis and to seek specialist second opinion in a number of organ systems. The feasibility of using WSI/VM for routine surgical pathology reporting has also been explored. In this review, we discuss the utility and limitations of WSI/VM technology in the histological assessment of specimens from the prostate. Features of WSI/VM that are particularly well suited to assessment of prostate pathology include the ability to examine images at different magnifications as well as to view histology and immunohistochemistry side-by-side on the screen. Use of WSI/VM would also solve the difficulty in obtaining multiple identical copies of small lesions in prostate biopsies for teaching and proficiency testing. It would also permit annotation of the virtual slides, and has been used in a study of i nter-observer variation of Gleason grading to facilitate precise identification of the foci on which grading decisions had been based. However, the large number of sections examined from each set of prostate biopsies would greatly increase time required for scanning as well as the size of the digital file, and would also be an issue if digital archiving of prostate biopsies is contemplated. Z-scanning of glass slides, a process that increases scanning time and file size would be required to permit focusing a virtual slide up and down to assess subtle nuclear features such as nucleolar prominence. The common use of large blocks to process prostatectomy specimens would also be an issue, as few currently available scanners can scan such blocks. A major component of proficiency testing of prostate biopsy assessment involves screening of the cores to detect small atypical foci. However, screening virtual slides of wavy fragmented prostate cores using a computer mouse aided by an overview image is very different from screening glass slides using a microscope stage. Hence, it may be more appropriate in this setting to mark the lesional area and focus only on the interpretation component of competency testing. Other issues limiting the use of digital pathology in prostate pathology include the cost of high quality slide scanners for WSI and high resolution monitors for VM as well as the requirement for fast Internet connection as even a subtle delay in presentation of images on the screen may be very disturbing for a pathologist used to the rapid viewing of glass slides under a microscope. However, these problems are likely to be overcome by technological advances in the future. © 2012 The Authors APMIS © 2012 APMIS.

APMIS 2012(Apr); 120(4): 298-304.
Utility of whole slide imaging and virtual microscopy in prostate pathology.
Camparo P, Egevad L, Algaba F, Berney DM, Boccon-Gibod L, Compérat E, Evans AJ, Grobholz R, Kristiansen G, Langner C, Lopez-Beltran A, Montironi R, Oliveira P, Vainer B, Varma M  
Cabinet de Pathologie Amiens, France.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0463.2011.02872.x
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___________________________________________________________________________

APMIS 2012(Apr); 120(4): 305-15.
Virtual microscopy and digital pathology in training and education.
Hamilton PW, Wang Y, McCullough SJ  
Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, UK. p.hamilton@qub.ac.uk
DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0463.2011.02869.x
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The new Cancer Genetics Laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine provides state-of-the-art clinical genetic testing in the area of cancer, both identifying cancer genes and biological markers of disease classification, prognosis and drug response.

The new laboratory is a joint project of the College's Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics, Medicine – Division of Hematology/Oncology, Pediatrics – Division of Hematology/Oncology, Pathology and Immunology, the NCI-designated Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at BCM, the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center, the Texas Children's Cancer Center and Texas Children's Hospital Pathology Laboratory.

Combined strengths

The Cancer Genetics Laboratory combines the strengths of all of its component departments and centers at BCM, making it possible to provide a new test as soon as possible. It is directed by Dr. Marilyn Li, professor of molecular and human genetics at BCM, and Dr. Federico Monzon, associate professor of pathology and immunology at BCM. Dr. Condie Carmack is general manager of the laboratory.

Next-generation sequencing

Li said, "This is a great opportunity to take the latest developments and technologies and apply them to cancer. Cancer is a very complex disorder, and it stands to reason that we should be applying cutting edge technologies. Baylor College of Medicine is known for its early use of complex molecular technologies, like CGH (comparative genomic hybridization) and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) microarrays. The Cancer Genetics Laboratory has already designed and now offers customized microarrays for cancer testing."

"Next-generation sequencing of mutations associated with specific cellular pathways in cancer is possible now," said Li. "We are offering a next-gen panel to test for hundreds of mutations in one test as well as offering individual cancer mutation testing."

"Combining expertise from the Cancer Genetics Laboratory partners will facilitate developing clinical tests with novel technologies. This environment will allow us to move faster from bench to bedside with the ultimate goal of improving care for patients with cancer," said Monzon. "The Cancer Genetics Laboratory provides both established and novel diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tools that can enable truly personalized cancer medicine."

Technology personalizes care

"The Cancer Genetics Laboratory has launched clinical genomic testing on cancers from patients to try to identify the driver genes in that tumor that need to be targeted for successful treatment," said Dr. C. Kent Osborne, director of the Duncan Cancer Center and the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at BCM. "This technology is needed for truly personalized care of cancer patients. Tumors are different in different patients and the reason lies in the particular set of gene mutations that caused the cancer in the first place."

"Each tumor has its own genetic fingerprint of changes in specific genes and the set of mutations in a tumor relates to the cancer's aggressiveness and response to treatment. We can now measure these mutations, which should help clinicians make specific treatment decisions for each patient," said Osborne, who is already planning to make use of the laboratory's services.

Improving quality of care

The Cancer Genetics Laboratory now offers more than 140 tests that help identify the type of cancer as well as identify markers that give information about how well a treatment might work or is working. In the future, the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center plans to collaborate with the laboratory to provide whole genome or exome (the portion of the genome that codes for proteins) sequencing of tumors.

The goal of the Cancer Genetics Laboratory is to move the newest research and diagnostic testing into the clinical lab in order to improve the quality of care for patients with cancer. This includes many forms of molecular analysis of the tumor to predict its behavior and to select the most favorable treatment program. The laboratory also provides testing for families that may be at risk for inherited forms of cancer.

Visiopharm broadening its operations with local support in North America for growing user base. 

Hoersholm, Denmark – May 14, 2012 - Visiopharm A/S, a global leader in Quantitative Digital Pathology, announced today that Visiopharm Corp will open an office in New Jersey to support partners and a rapidly growing user base in North America

Visiopharm has experienced a sustained growth in the demand for Quantitative Digital Pathology research tools in North America, with a sharp increase following the recent introduction of Cloud Analysis and the APPCenter.

Digital Pathology specialist Roy K. Min now joins Visiopharm Corp as Regional Sales Manager of North America.

"We are very pleased that Roy is joining us. As an individual he has very high personal and professional standards. He has extensive practical experience with all key aspects of Digital Pathology and how these technologies can be successfully integrated in a research laboratory.  We look forward to working with Roy in further building a strong US based organization", says Michael Grunkin, CEO of Visiopharm

Roy is based in New Jersey, United States, and responsible for further expanding sales- , technical-, and application support in the United States.

"I am excited about joining Visiopharm, and what lies ahead.  I have known Visiopharm for several years, as a company committed to quality and innovation. I regard them as a leader in Quantitative Digital Pathology, and look forward to help our customers become successful when adopting this important technology for their research", adds Roy Min.

About Visiopharm

Over the past 10 years, Visiopharm image analysis and stereology software has become the preferred Quantitative Digital Pathology solution for leading biopharmaceutical companies, clinical researchers, and academic researchers all over the world. Visiopharm has more than 300 deployed systems worldwide and a large network of distribution and support partners, and is featured in over 400 scientific publications.