Fusion Parasitology Suite

AI-assisted ova, cyst, and parasite screening tool designed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of an O&P test.

Overview

The Techcyte Wet Mount Iodine solution is an AI-assisted screening tool designed to help medical technologists locate, count, and pre-classify parasites from iodine-stained fecal slides with greater accuracy and efficiency.

For Research Use Only

The solution will classify and count the following objects:

  • Parasite cysts
  • Parasite trophozoites
  • Helminths

Challenges & Solutions

Laboratory technologists analyzing wet mount iodine-stained slides for parasites face a difficult task. Most of the samples are negative, it takes a high amount of specialized training, and looking through a microscope all day can be laborious.

The Techcyte solution digitizes the samples and uses AI-powered analysis to enhance diagnostic accuracy, streamline the reporting process, and improve the working conditions of the medical technologists performing the reads.

How it works

4-step process:

  1. Prepare slides
    Lab techs prepare the slides using a fecal concentration device. The Apacor Mini or Midi Parasep are recommended. A specialized mounting media is added to the slide to lengthen slide life to two hours and improve visibility of the parasites. Slides are then coverslipped for scanning.

  2. Scan slides
    Technicians load slides into a supported scanner. The scanner scans the slide and produces a high-quality 40x image, which is automatically uploaded to the Techcyte platform for AI analysis.

  3. Process images
    The AI algorithm uses a convolutional neural network to find ova, parasites, and other diagnostically significant objects. It classifies and presents them for technologist review. The scanning and processing only takes a few minutes.

  4. Review results
    Technologists log into Techcyte on a web browser and review the scanned images, confirming the presence of objects of interest and, if required, their prevalence and size. They can also add notes or request an additional consultation.

Positive samples are manually reviewed by technologists who confirm the assessment on the microscope and report their results in their LIS.

Cells & Organisms Identified

Helminths

  • Ascaris lumbricoides
  • Clonorchis sinensis/Opisthorchis spp.
  • Enterobius vermicularis
  • Fasciola spp./Fasciolopsis buski
  • Fish Tapeworm
  • Hookworm/Trichostrongylus
  • Hymenolepis diminuta
  • Paragonimus spp.
  • Paracapillaria philippinensis
  • Rodentolepsis nana
  • Schistosoma mansoni
  • Schistosoma japonicum/S. mekongi
  • Strongyloides spp.
  • Taenia spp.
  • Trichuris trichiura

Protozoans

  • Balantioides coli
  • Blastocystis spp.
  • Chilomastix mesnili
  • Cyclospora spp.
  • Cystoisospora belli
  • Endolimax nana
  • Entamoeba species
    • Entamoeba coli
    • Entamoeba histolytica/dispar
    • Entamoeba polecki
  • Giardia duodenalis
  • Iodamoeba buetschlii
  • Misc Small Protozoans
    • Chilomastix trophozoites
    • Dientamoeba fragilis troph
    • Endolimax nana troph
    • Entamoeba hartmanni
    • Iodamoeba buetschlii troph

Supported Scanners

Hamamatsu S360, S20

40x scanning, 20x 0.75 NA objective

Grundium Ocus 40

40x scanning, 20x 0.75 NA objective

Pramana M Pro, HT2, HT4

40x scanning, 20x 0.80 NA objective

Features

  • Unified Pathology: Integrated digital workflow and AI platform
  • AI-assisted: AI-proposed images of parasites & objects of interest, grouped by class, and sorted by confidence
  • Multi-scan: Multi-scan review can combine Trichrome and Wet Mount slides into a single patient case
  • Whole slide imaging: Scanners produce 80x equivalent digital images
  • Parasitology Suite: Complements Techcyte’s Trichrome and Modified Acid Fast solutions to find additional parasites
  • Single site study: Validation studies showed an average read time of 15 – 30 seconds
  • Improved sample preparation: Special stain increases the life of the slide and the clarity of the parasites

Benefits

  • Designed to improve accuracy, efficiency, and consistency of reads
  • Quick elimination of negative slides results in more time available for analyzing positive cases
  • May reduce technologist stress, physical and mental fatigue
  • Can improve hiring, training, and retention of lab techs and technologists
  • Excels at low-prevalence samples
  • Increased contribution margin per test

Partners

For research use only and not for diagnostic use in the U.S.