Tissue and Cell Molecular Analysis (TACMA) Digital Imaging

Bliss Digital Imaging System (top left), NanoZoomer Digital Pathology (top right), Nikon COOLSCOPE (bottom left), PM-2000 Image Analyzer (bottom right)

The Digital Imaging lab within TACMA has a variety of networked instruments available for the detailed scanning of tissue slides under brightfield and fluorescent conditions. These images are electronically archived, allowing for convenient reviewing by pathologists and researchers. Advanced software packages within the facility also offer the opportunity for detailed digital analysis of scanned images.

The various equipment available in the lab are featured below:

Bliss Digital Imaging System - Digital image analysis is performed using a Bliss "Virtual Microscopy" microscope from Bacus Laboratories. The system consists of a Zeiss Axioplan microscope with computer interfaced electronic stage controls and a high resolution 3CCD video camera. Bliss utilizes the Tracer program, which has the following key features:

• Enables the creation of virtual microscope slides
• The ability to associate individual tissue microarray (TMA) cores with locations in a spreadsheet for database export
• Allow virtual observation of scanned sections and TMA cores at multiple magnification objectives
• Linkage of the TMA cores to the correct locations, thus minimizing the possibility of "getting lost" on the tissue microarray

The NanoZoomer Digital Pathology instrument produced by the Hamamatsu Corporation is a high output scanning microscope that can rapidly create digital images from large batches of slides. It's particularly useful for generating digital scans for whole tissue sections.

The Nikon COOLSCOPE is an interactive digital microscope which enables the analysis of DNA ploidy in tissue sections. It is currently being used to study Feuglen stained tissue sections.

The HistoRx PM-2000 Image Analyzer is a fluorescence-based digital microscope that can scan both whole tissue and tissue microarray sections and generate protein analysis results using the AQUA™ tissue analysis software.