18th January 2005 Cambridge, UK: Syncroscopy, the world leader in unique digital imaging solutions for microscopy applications, is delighted to announce that SyncroScan, its automated microscope focus and stage control system, is being used at a leading European bone research centre in Cambridge, UK to provide accurate image maps of bones.

The SyncroScan system, which attaches to an optical microscope has a high-resolution camera, a motorised XY stage and a Z stepper all linked to a PC and a stage controller board. The system is being used by scientists in the Division of Bone Research to automatically capture and piece together many images of the femoral neck bone, part of the hip joint. The researchers chose the system because sections of bone that can be as large as 30 mm wide are impossible to view in their entirety under a conventional microscope without an accurate method of image stitching.

Dr Nigel Loveridge, a Senior Scientist in the Division of Bone Research explained: “We are studying large bone sections to determine how bone formation occurs after a hip fracture. This is important work because it could in the long-term help in finding therapies for bone diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.”

“The beauty of using SyncroScan is we can easily produce an image of the whole section we are looking at. This means we can study specific areas without getting lost in the sample, which you can sometimes do when you are manually scanning through such large sections,” added Dr Loveridge

Martin Smith, Syncroscopy’s Divisional Manager commented: ”We are delighted to see the SyncroScan system being used for this important application. Since it can seamlessly stitch together images from large samples, it is ideally suited to histomorphometry. The use of the SyncroScan system in the Division of Bone Research has meant that the scientists there no longer have to manually piece together images and this will ultimately save many hours and improve the accuracy of their vital studies.”
 

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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  

Dr Nigel Loveridge, Division of Bone Research, Box 157, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrookes Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1223 331662 Fax: +44 (0)1223 330105
E-mail: nl10003@medschl.cam.ac.uk  Web site: www.medschl.cam.ac.uk

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; Montage Explorer software, for accurate seamless image stitching of large sample images; 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. The Group has profitable revenue of almost $10 million and continues to grow rapidly.


About the Division of Bone Research

The Division of Bone Research is part of The University of Cambridge, Department of Medicine and is based at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, UK. The Division’s research is focused on mechanisms of bone loss in untreated and treated osteoporosis in humans and most of the work centres on identifying the mechanisms underlying bone fragility leading to hip fractures.