Aperio Technologies Virtual Microscopy System
Aperio Technologies develops and sells microscopy systems for pathology that provide what they call digital pathology or virtual microscopy:
that delivers consistent and accurate results, faster than traditional
methods. It consolidates macro (gross) and micro (slide) information
with case histories, work lists, reports, associated images and
documents, and also with automated entire-slide analysis and CAD
(computer aided diagnosis). It facilitates immediate access to
information contained in glass microscope slides, from anywhere, and
provides powerful tools for the instant archival and intelligent
retrieval of histo-pathological data. Virtual microscopy — the
practice of converting entire glass microscope slides to high
resolution digital slides that can be viewed, managed and analyzed –
is the key technology that enables digital pathology. Digital pathology
is compatible with PACS (picture archiving and communication systems)
and supports the vision of an enterprise-wide healthcare IT solution
aimed at the electronic medical record (EMR).
Virtual microscopy is the practice of converting entire glass microscope
slides to high resolution digital slides – entire-slide images that can
be remotely viewed, quantitatively analyzed, and readily annotated, shared
and managed, all without a traditional microscope. Aperio's line of ScanScope
Systems delivers automated high-speed digital slide creation, management,
and analysis for pathology. Archival and retrieval, quality assurance,
frozen section interpretation, secondary consultations, and entire-slide
image analysis are all improved with the ScanScope System.
The system is comprehensive, including tissue microarrays, toxicology pathology,
image analysis, workflow systems (PACS), telepathology, frozen sections,
hematopathology, and cytology. While their support of DICOM is not clear on their web site, they do have a board member, Ulysses Balis, M.D., who is involved in the DICOM Structured Reporting Working Group. They just closed a $17 million Series B round in November, 2005. Just this week they hired a new VP of legal, regulatory, and compliance, who will be defining their, “FDA strategy and leading the legal and compliance functions.” It seems from the press release (“…Company Gears up to Receive Regulatory Approval for Its Digital Pathology Solutions”) that some or all of their system lacks a 510(k), limiting the ability of customers to use the system to generate patient diagnoses.
This company is so cool they even have a blog – oops, the most recent post is from last August. Given that microscopy image management systems are, ahem, rather a new thing; a blog would seem to be a useful tool in educating the market about the benefits of virtual microscopy.
Wireless Interference Risk with Guidant CONTAK RENEWAL
The latest Guidant pacemaker, the CONTAK RENEWAL 3 RF cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) and ZOOM LATITUDE Programmer use the 914 MHz frequency to communicate. (Previous post here, Guidant press release here.) This spectrum is also used by at least two different products that may be used in hospitals, the Spectralink wireless phone PTB450 and the Plantronics 915 MHz wireless headset. Both of these products use a frequency hopping scheme that could interfere with communications between the Guidant pacemaker and programmer. Rick Hampton, Wireless Communications Manager, Partners HealthCare System, Boston, MA, provided the following information on the Biomed Listserv earlier today:
Facilities using wireless headsets, such as Plantronics 915 MHz FH units, will need to replace them as there is no mechanism to reprogram their hopping sequence. I'm looking at the Plantronics CS55 and CS55 Micro Headsets, which are both 1.9 GHz DECT systems. More info here.
Some of you may have already been contacted by Guidant to address these issues. Some are likely still on the list to be contacted.
Anyway, if you haven't already heard about this, you should check with your cardiologists and OR staff to see if they are going to be using the new Guidant devices soon and contact your local Guidant reps if they are. Remember to add these devices to your frequency lists maintained for sorting out issues such as this. (You do keep frequency lists, don't you?)
Please note that this potential interference is not a result of errors or omissions by any of the vendors mentioned. Nor should this be interpreted as a risk or weakness inherent in the use of “unlicensed” spectrum, i.e., the Industry Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency bands. This situation is actually a good example of the kind of testing, collaboration and communications that the FDA and FCC like to see between manufacturers to ensure the proper operation and safety of their products. This is also a good example of why hospitals have created positions like Rick's where RF is actively managed within hospitals.
UPDATE: Rick sent me the following that clarified the interference issues above:
UPDATE: Another reader asks how great a slow-down the wireless connection will experience in the presence of other devices using the same frequency. The answer depends on the degree of data loss resulting from interference, so resulting speed reductions will vary greatly – from barely noticeable to delays rendering the wireless data link impractical. The traditional programming wand is not impacted – it uses induction to establish the communications link rather than a wireless data link.
[Hat tip: Biomed Listserv]
Indiana Mandates the Reporting of Hospital Medical-Errors
As of January 1, 2006, hospitals in Indiana are required to report to the Indiana State Department of Health over two dozen different types of medical errors that result in an adverse event. Reports must be made within 15 days of the adverse event, describe the event and identify the hospital. Patients, physicians and hospital employees are not to be identified. The state will be making the errors at each hospital available for public review. Indiana will be the second state in the nation to publish adverse events resulting from patient safety errors; the first report is expected in 2007.
You can view a pdf file of the regulation here.
The local paper, The Indianapolis Star, has a story on the new regulation, complete with grisly stories of medical errors over the past 20 years.
mistakes that hospitals and surgery centers must report within 15 days
of discovering them. The state will collect and analyze the data to see
whether there are areas where mistakes could be reduced, said Terry
Whitson, the Department of Health's assistant commissioner for
health-care regulatory services.
Here's an excerpt from the regulation describing some what must be reported:
- catheters;
- drains and other specialized tubes;
- infusion pumps; and
- ventilators.
Everyone in health care wants to deliver quality care. In general, it seems that the transparency fostered by reporting like this will benefit patients and providers. As Carol Fridlin, executive director of quality at St. Vincent Hospital, says, “The real work will be done when we start sharing the preventions and the learning.”
[Hat tip: William Hyman]
