Based on more than 30 years of expertise in the development of automated solutions for microscopy and image analysis, MetaSystems has now developed an automated imaging system for unattended scanning of geological samples. The new system is based on the renowned slide scanning platform Metafer which offers a unique combination of outstanding scanning hardware with high performance imaging software.

In 1986, MetaSystems developed a device named Metafer, which made it possible to automatically detect metaphases in microscopic specimens. In its current form, this metaphase finder is based on the fully motorized ZEISS Axio Imager.Z2 light microscope. It is equipped with a motorized stage, a high-resolution CCD camera, and a state-of-the-art automatic feeder with a capacity of up to 800 slides (SlideFeeder ×80).

Because of mosaicism among embryonic cells it is usually required to analyze a relatively high number of amniotic cells in prenatal cytogenetic studies, thus increasing probability that metaphases from all clones are inspected. A common method to overcome this obstacle is the analysis of in-situ slides with various colonies (each representing a single clone). The automated metaphase finder Metafer includes the many tools to help for clone slide analysis.

The cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay is widely used to test substances for their ability to cause DNA damage. Typically MNvit tests are used in the frame of biological dosimetry, toxicology, and environmental studies. The OECD recommends to also quantify the effect of cytotoxicity, i.e. the impact of the tested substance on cell proliferation. In the CBMN assay cytotoxicity is expressed by the Cytokinesis-Block Proliferation Index (CBPI) ...

MetaSystems offers a complete package for precise and effortless, automated TMA analysis based on the slide scanning platform Metafer.

The analysis of FISH signals in cell nuclei which are part of a solid tissue section requires special tools and methods. Based on the requirements of users and researchers, MetaSystems has now launched a dedicated software module for automated analysis of signals in tissues. The module is based on the powerful analysis engine of Metafer...

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) are cancer cells shed from primary or metastatic solid tumors into peripheral blood, but these rare cells can also be found in other forms of biofluid such as pleural effusion, ascites, urine, bone marrow and cerebrospinal fluid, where they are commonly referred to as disseminated tumor cells. CTC identification is complex, particularly when multiple markers are introduced simultaneously. The Metafer platform is ideally suited to on-screen review of candidate cells, their morphological properties and individual marker expression levels, allowing clear, reliable confirmation of all CTC types.

The Tissue Matching tools, which are included in the latest Metafer versions, now allow for easy segmentation, alignment, and matching of serial sections from the same tissue block. The system automatically generates overview images of two subsequent sections, and a convenient tool offers functionality to check and, if required, interactively match the images to each other.

MetaSystems is pleased to introduce Rapid Scoring (RS), a new method of analyzing FISH signals which combines manual scoring
strategies with the advantages of automated scoring. RS uses MetaCyte to automatically score cell signal patterns. All analyzed
cells are displayed in a gallery. Signal patterns are summarized in a convenient graph and a table. Immediately
after the scan technicians can begin categorizing cells with doubtful results. Categories are assigned to each cell using an
external keypad, and new categories (groups of cells) can be added any time.

Details of the mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus assay are described by the OECD Guideline #474 from 1997. With Metafer evaluation of the assay can be fully automated. Automation requires cellulose column purified samples according to the method described first by Romagna and Staniforth (Mutation Res.213, 1989).