VisionGate Reports Advances in its Cell-CT Automated 3D Cell Analysis Platform

VisionGate, Inc. has reported that it presented new data confirming that its breakthrough Cell-CT™ platform for the automated analysis of three dimensional (3D) images of cells can identify disease-associated features that are not visible using 2D cytology. The data were presented this week by VisionGate founder and CEO Alan Nelson, PhD, at the 60th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Cytopathology.

The Cell-CT produces 3D volumetric computed reconstructions of individual cells in very high resolution, using advanced digital microscopy technology. The high resolution afforded by the Cell-CT’s 3D imaging is critical for automated machine recognition of cell abnormalities. In his presentation, Dr. Nelson showed that certain disease-associated cell features that are not visible in 2D imaging emerge in the 3D images generated by the Cell-CT. Unlike 2D imaging, the Cell-CT’s 3D images enable comprehensive analysis of each individual cell, illuminating the morphological features and providing the analytical information needed for accurate disease detection.

“The Cell-CT platform has the potential to enable the non-invasive early detection of serious diseases such as lung cancer, while transforming the role of the cytologist,” commented Dr. Nelson. “The Cell-CT system is now fully automated, and we are on track to achieve imaging speeds of one cell per second, which makes high throughput automated screening feasible for cancer and other conditions.”

In clinical applications, the Cell-CT can generate high-resolution 3D biosignatures from cells contained in patient samples such as sputum or blood, which may contain cancer cells that can be detected early in the disease process. The biosignatures discovered in the 3D high resolution images may allow the Cell-CT to identify abnormal cells before symptoms appear. In screening applications, advantages over current technology are expected to include lower cost per evaluation, no radiation exposure, higher specificity (low false-positive rate) with fewer unnecessary follow-up procedures, and the ability to automate and standardize the diagnostic procedure, which is essential for widespread disease prediction and early detection to become a reality.

Dr. Nelson added, “One of the most exciting aspects of the Cell-CT platform is its potential for empowering cytologists with 21st century technology. Once cell analysis is automated in a highly accurate and informative way and is internet-based, cytologists will be freed-up to apply their unique expertise to deliver definitive diagnoses either on-site or from remote locations anywhere in the world. We believe the Cell-CT is widely applicable to cellular analysis, and we are working with the cytology community to ensure that the system addresses important unmet needs for the cost-effective management of patient health risks and disease.”