Accumed International, Inc.

Acumed, Inc.

Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Ampersand Medical Corporation

Molecular Diagnostics, Inc.

Monogen, Inc.

Medite Cancer Diagnostics, Inc.

Cytocore Inc

Richard A Domanik

Peter P Gombrich

William J Mayer

Norman J Pressman

Dennis William Gruber

George Gorodeski

Peter G Gombrich

Michael E Jolley

Charles L Nelson

John J Kotlarik

David Michael Anderson

Gordon Sohl

Noman A Abunimeh

Vladimir Dadeshidze

Lars J Olsson

Egan Babler

Information on cytokines and cytology obtained from a biological specimen are combined as a method of predicting the risk that dysplasia will progress to cancer. Methods are disclosed herein to augment the evaluation of biological samples from subjects being tested for cancer. In addition to the cell types that are traditionally considered in the morphology-based cytological screening of specimens, methods disclosed herein add evaluations of certain cell types and cytokines that are traditionally discounted or ignored during screening.

Biological specimen evaluation methods using cytology and immunology

Methods, apparatus and compositions are disclosed for collection and transport of biological samples for testing and/or evaluation by a clinical laboratory. In particular, the disclosure relates to the self-collection of such samples by subjects providing the samples. Self-collection is necessary in some situations e.g. where a subject's religion prohibits being touched by a non-family member and subjects at great distance from medical facilities.

Methods, packaging and apparatus for collection of biological samples

A system for accurately obtaining cervical cells from a patient and quickly screening the sample includes a collector for collecting a spatially arranged cell sample from a target tissue, and an analyzer that examines the cell sample for abnormal cells while the cell sample remains on a surface of the collector.

Cervical screening system

A specimen preview and inspection system is disclosed. The system beneficially includes a preview stage, which provides a set of biasing-information for preview by a technician before the technician formally screens the specimen. The preview stage enables the technician to conveniently review information pertinent to the specimen at issue. The preview stage may thereby bias, or channel, the technician's attention during screening toward diagnostically significant aspects of the specimen. The invention is particularly useful in the context of Pap smear screening, although the invention may extend to inspection of other types of specimens or samples as well.

Inspection system with specimen preview

Cervical cells can be sampled in such a way as to retain the spatial relationships that existed between the cells prior to sampling. The cells can be collected by using a cervical cell collector that samples a cervix in a spatially resolved manner. The cervix is sampled by placing a sampling balloon in position adjacent to a cervix and inflating the sampling balloon to force a sampling surface of the sampling balloon into contact with the cervix, thereby transferring cervical cells from the cervix to the sampling surface of the sampling balloon. The sampling balloon is then deflated and withdrawn. Then, the adhered cervical cells are treated with a marker and are optically analyzed.

Physician's collector

Specimen preview and inspection system

A cervical cell collection device can easily and comfortably be used by a woman in the privacy and comfort of her own home. Once the woman obtains the cervical cell sample, she can be forward it to a physician's office or other lab location for analysis. The collection device includes an outer guide assembly and an inner sampling assembly bearing a collector.

Personal cervical cell collector

A system for facilitating microscope-based specimen analysis is disclosed. The system includes an improved optical microscope, which may be used, in one application, to analyze cell and tissue samples from specimens obtained from patients, to facilitate inspection of suspicious materials and identification of atypical or abnormal cells and further expert review. The system includes a motorized plate, an automatic focusing sub-system, an improved light source, an improved simple plug connector for direct hookup of the microscope to an external computer, and an electronic image capturing and analyzing sub-system for automatic scanning of the sample and for electronic capture and storage of images indicative of the specimen.

High-precision computer-aided microscope system

A machine, method and medium for implementing functions using an input device in a manner that enhances efficient operation of a mechanism capable of operating in at least two states. The functions are implemented via a convenient input device, such as a mouse. One or more specified actuators of the input device implement a given function when the mechanism is in a first state, while at least one of those actuators implements a different function when the mechanism is in a second state. In embodiments of the present invention contemplating that the mechanism is a microscope system, two states in which the microscope system is envisioned to operate are a scan state and a pause state. The scan state allows the microscope system to execute a pre-defined scan sequence, while the pause state allows the microscope system to pause from that sequence.

Multifunctional control unit for a microscope

A cytological specimen analyzer includes an image capture apparatus, a mapper and a screening station. The mapper receives digital images of regions of a slide containing a cytological specimen and determines if each of the regions contains cytological material. The mapper analyzes the image of each region, pixel by pixel, and if the region contains cytological material then the coordinates of the region are stored along with a focal position for the region and a value indicative of the amount of cytological material in the region. Upon analysis of each region on the slide, the mapper determines the most efficient path to be traveled between regions containing cytological material to minimize the viewing time of an operator at the screening station. Upon request by the screening station, the sequence of the aforesaid coordinates, which is indicative of the most efficient path, are transmitted to the screening station.

Cytological specimen analysis system with slide mapping and generation

A method and apparatus for imaging body tissue utilizing autofluorescence. The apparatus includes an endoscope having a distal end, proximal end and a light processing unit located at the proximal end of the endoscope. The light processing unit accepts light in a spectral region from a light source and directs the light through the endoscope to the tissue located at the distal end of the endoscope. The light excites autofluorescence in the tissue. Optics located in the distal end of the endoscope collect the excited autofluorescence in a spatially resolved manner and routes it to the light processing unit which separates the emitted light from any reflected excitation light. A plurality of imaging detectors receive the emitted light. Each imaging detector is responsive to light in a different spectral band such that an image is generated and interpreted according to a plurality of independent measurements. An apparatus for sampling tissue includes an endoscopic device having a sampling device. The sampling device is capable of taking a plurality of tissue samples. Captive units are in communication with the sampling device such that each tissue sample is deposited in a separate captive unit.

Method and apparatus for imaging and sampling diseased tissue

Method and apparatus for imaging and sampling diseased tissue using

A system for managing specimens in a clinical laboratory comprises specimens and a computer controlled instrument. Each specimen includes a biological sample and an identifier which is unique to the specimen to which it is applied. The computer controlled instrument includes a reader for automatically logging and verifying the specimen to be analyzed, and a print head for modifying the identifier to indicate whether the specimen has been analyzed and whether the sample includes any abnormalities. The print head is also used to indicate whether the specimen has been reanalyzed. Further, the print head works to print symbols adjacent the locations of the abnormalities in the sample.

Growing community of inventors

Libertyville, IL, United States of America

Richard A Domanik