Auto-Montage Pro Software Used at Respected UK Teaching Hospital To Confirm Diagnosis of a Parasitic Disease Unusual to the UK

October 16th 2007 Cambridge, UK: Syncroscopy, the world leader in unique digital imaging solutions for microscopy, is delighted to announce Auto-Montage Pro, its innovative 3D image reconstruction software, has been successfully used at a major UK  teaching hospital, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, part of the Cambridge University Hospitals group, (UK), to help confirm diagnosis of schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease rarely seen in the UK.

Pathologists in the Department of Histopathology used Auto-Montage Pro as a diagnostic tool to produce in-focus microscope images of the abnormality within the brain biopsy from an adult patient who had recently developed focal epileptic seizures. With the help of these images, the eggs of Schistosoma mansoni, one of several species of flatworm that cause schistosomiasis, could be identified and characterised. Schistosomiasis is a common chronic disease in Africa and Asia, where the patient had extensively travelled, but is not endemic to the UK.

Dr Andrew Dean, Neuropathologist in the Department of Histology explained:”For diagnosis and specific identification, sometimes we need to produce images of parasites or micro-organisms that are too large to be sharply focused in a single focal plane at the required magnification. This is why we tried Auto-Montage Pro to see if it would generate images from a microscope that had all the detail we
needed to solve this problem.”

“The technical staff at Syncroscopy were very helpful in showing us how to use Auto-Montage Pro for this application, and our trial of the software generated an image that improved confidence in the diagnosis of schistosomiasis, a disease we rarely see in the UK. We were so impressed with the images we used them in a presentation at a scientific meeting, in an article published in The Lancet and also as part of our teaching and training set at the Department of Histopathology,” added Dr Dean.

Martin Smith of Syncroscopy commented: “We are pleased our software has been successfully used for this interesting diagnostic application. The work carried out at Addenbrooke’s Hospital demonstrates that Auto-Montage Pro software could be a very useful tool, where a focused microscope image of a 3D pathogen is essential to confirm diagnosis and speed up treatment of debilitating diseases.”
 

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For Further Information Contact:
Jayne Arthur, Syncroscopy, Beacon House, Nuffield Road, Cambridge, CB4 1TF, UK.
Tel: +44(0) 1223-727127 Fax +44 (0) 1223-727101
Email: jayne.arthur@syncroscopy.com  Web site: www.syncroscopy.com 

Editor Contact:
Dr Sue Pearson, PO Box 170, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 3GD, UK.
Tel/Fax +44 (0)1462-635327 Email: Sue6.pearson@ntlworld.com

Note to Editors
About Syncroscopy

Syncroscopy develops and manufactures world-leading digital imaging solutions for extending the capabilities of optical microscopes. Syncroscopy's innovative brands include: Auto-Montage, unique software that produces infinite depth of focus images and has 3-D modelling and measurement features and SyncroScan, an automated system, which attaches to digital microscopes to allow high speed sample scanning and precise image stitching. Syncroscopy's software and systems are used by more than 2,000 organisations internationally and include many of the world's major research institutes.

Syncroscopy, founded in 1998 is a division of the Synoptics Group based in Cambridge, UK. The Group’s other divisions, Syngene and Synbiosis, specialise in digital imaging solutions for molecular biology and microbial applications respectively. Synoptics currently employs 50 people in its UK and subsidiary operation in Frederick, USA.

About the Department of Histopathology

The Department of Histopathology is based at the Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK, part of the Cambridge University Hospitals group. The Department receives over 30,000 samples of pathological human tissues and cells every year, where its highly skilled staff uses the latest technology and techniques to diagnose the full spectrum of human diseases seen in the UK.

The Department is jointly staffed by National Health Service (NHS) and University of Cambridge consultants, many of whom have interests in specialised areas.