Perceptronix Medical Inc. Laboratories (PMI Labs) Completes Redesign of the Next Generation ClearCyte(TM)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - October 14, 2010) - PMI Labs is excited to announce the completion of its next generation ClearCyte™ quantitative cytology platform.
During the past 3 years the Company's scientific and engineering team has redesigned and reengineered the ClearCyte™ platform to meet more stringent processing and standardization performance measures. As a result of the redesign efforts, per-slide scanning time of the machine has been reduced by more than 65%. This delivers a yearly scanning capacity for each platform of over 40,000 samples.
The newly designed slide loader, microscope and stage components have also increased the reliability and functionality of the platform. Improved software also allows for a more interactive relationship with PMI Labs' international partners to aid in the quality control and quality assurance programs. All the design and engineering components of the platform have been independently verified by third party vendors to ensure compliance with the Company's International Standards Organization (ISO 9001:13485), Health Canada and CE Mark.
The original Intellectual Property for ClearCyte™ was developed by the BC Cancer Agency and subsequently licensed to PMI Labs which has spent 8 years developing the technology into a medical device and clinically available service.
Dr. Bojana Turic says, "the improved scanning efficiency and reliability are crucial milestones in the continuing roll-out of our international partnership strategy. Thanks to the great effort from our team, we are pleased that important performance targets have been met and that we can pass on those benefits to our many clients."
About PMI Labs
PMI Labs provides anatomic pathology and cancer diagnostics services to medical and dental practices and facilities in support of earlier diagnoses for better patient outcomes.
The company uniquely specializes in early cancer detection using quantitative cytology, computer-aided measurement of large-scale DNA abnormality that can indicate precancerous or cancerous changes. PMI Labs has developed two proprietary tests using ClearCyte™ technology.
About ClearCyte™
Cancer is a disease characterized by abnormal DNA. Quantitative cytology analysis via image cytometry (computer-controlled high-resolution microscopy) can measure gross DNA abnormality (aneuploidy) and help detect cancerous or pre-cancerous lesion. Furthermore, studies have shown that patients with diploid tumors (cancers with normal DNA content) in various tissues have longer post-treatment cancer-free intervals, longer survival and better response to hormone therapy than those with aneuploid tumors.