Re: Digital Slide Scanners

Posted by George McNamara on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/Digital-Slide-Scanners-tp4133983p4195415.html

Hi Yevgeniy,

In addition to the scanners you mentioned, you should also check out Bioimagene since their scanners are likely lowest price. Leica is also coming out with a DSI (may not have fluorescence in first iteration). I am surprised you did not mention Aprio - which is one of the leaders in this field and has a fluorescence scanner (I consider Aprio's software prices to be high). Yokogawa has introduced an impressively pricey confocal DSI. Genetix/Applied Imaging bought SlidePath - an interesting combination of microscope based units (CytoVision) and software. Genetix also offers one of the slide loading devices for use on microscopes (SL-50, GSL-120, or similar names), that various imaging software products support - so you could make a home built unit. I was unimpressed with the images from the allen Brain Atlas project, but you might look to see what they used for hardware.

Hamamatsu's new NanoZoomer II should be fast.

I don't know if BPI's TissueScope can be mated to a slide loader - you can check them out at http://www.confocal.com/PRODUCTS/Tissuescope.html

One note about brightfield scanning - Bioimagene may be the only company that has engineered their scanners to accept the slide carriers from autostaining/coverslipping stations, for example from Sakura. The other companies appear rather clueless about having fast scanners that require some technician to manually move a whole lot of slides from coverslipper to trays to others. If you are doing both brightfield and fluorescence now, consider having different machines for each.

I encourage checking out the messages at the Digital Pathology group of linkedin, http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=163106&trk=hb_side_g


best wishes,

George



At 12:39 PM 12/8/2009, you wrote:

Dear all
 
I have some questions for those of you who has experience with digital slide scanners.  Our lab currently has a Mirax scanner from Zeiss and we are also looking at the Pannoramic scanner from 3d Histech, as well as the Nanozoomer from Olympus.  We would like to purchase a second scanner in addition to our Mirax, and if anybody can share their impressions about the scanners they have, it would be very helpful and much appreciated.
 
The issues that we are considering are obviously scan speed, especially with fluorescent scanning.  Also, how many fluorescent channels the machine is able to scan at the same time.  The reliability and the service quality of the scanner is also very important.  Another issue is the pricing.  Please share your impressions of the costs of different scanners, since the prices quoted seem to vary from institution to institution.  We are alsko looking at a leasing schedule, and if anybody leases these kinds of scanners, any info on the costs would also be greatly appreciated.  Any other pros/cons that you are willing to share will be helpful as well.
 
 
Thank you all very much in advance,
 
Respectfully,
 
Yevgeniy

George McNamara, Ph.D.
Image Core Manager
Analytical Imaging Core Facility
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
Miami, FL 33136
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