HemaCam : The Slide Digitalization System
- 혈액 내 백혈구를 자동으로 분석하는 혈구분석장치
혈액 내의 혈구 수치가 비정상이라면, 검사실에서는 현미경을 이용하여 수동으로 혈구감별계산을 하게 된다. 이러한 작업은 상대적으로 고비용이 소요되고, 시간도 오래 걸리는 작업이다. 최근에 독일 Horn이라는 회사가 컴퓨터-지원 혈구분석시스템(HemaCAM computer-assisted blood cell analysis system) HemaCAM를 출시하어 주목을 끌고 있다. 2010년 11월 독일 뒤셀도르프에서 개최된 MEDICA 2010 무역박람회에서 소개되었는데, Horn Imaging GmbH사와 합동으로「Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS」라는 회사의 과학자들이 이 장비 개발에 참여하였다.
이 장비는 유럽 의료장비가이드라인 Medicinal Product Guidelines에 따라 승인을 받았다. 이미지 프로세싱 분야 책임연구원이었던 Christian Mu 박사는 “기술의 핵심적인 아이디어는 디지털 이미지 프로세싱과 현미경을 결합시키는 것이었다."면서, "유세포분석기(flow cytometry) 같은 기존의 방식은 물리적 측정 방법에 기반을 두지만, HemaCAM 시스템은 인간을 흉내 낸다”고 설명했다. 인간의 눈처럼 카메라는 현미경을 통해 세포를 관찰한다. 이미지 프로세싱 소프트웨어는 자동으로 8개까지 비정상 혈액도말을 자동분석하게 된다.
연구에 참여한 전문가들은 새롭게 개발된 이 진단시스템의 성능에 대해서 작업 과정이 매우 효율적이라고 평가하였다. 이 장비 배경에서 수동으로 입력되어있는 데이터베이스가 존재하고, 컴퓨터 알고리즘은 세포를 분석 분류하기 위해 데이터베이스를 사용한다. 모든 비정상적인 세포는 개별적으로 저장되어 100배까지 확대 가능하다. 검사실 직원은 단지 검사결과만 확인하기만 하면 된다. 그다음, 확인된 결과는 검사실정보시스템으로 가게 되고 검사실 책임자 또는 담당 전문의가 최종적으로 그 결과를 보내기만 하면 된다.
이러한 아이디어를 완전 실현하여 제품으로 만들어내는 데는 6년이란 개발 기간이 필요했다. 이미지 프로세싱 및 의학 공학 분야 책임자인 Christian Weigand씨는 “앞으로 200개의 슬라이드까지 자동으로 분석할 수 있는 슬라이드 처리시스템을 개발하는 것"이라면서, "더불어, 발전된 소프트웨어를 활용하여 적혈구 형태도 분석하는 지원시스템 개발이다. 이것은 빈혈의 유형을 감별하여 간이나 신장 손상, 신진대사관련 질병, 그리고 영양결핍 같은 질병의 진단에도 도움될 것”이라고 주장하였다.
System Components
High-quality motorised microscope
Motorised scanning stage for up to eight slides
CCD microscope colour camera
Barcode reader for 1D and 2D
Workstation with HemaCAM® software (patent-protected procedures)
Colour-calibrated 24“ TFT screen
The many advantages of Advantages in analysis:
Quick and reliable blood smear counting
Microscopic live view of cells
Measurement, annotation and marking of cells
Individually configurable database, customisable to the classification used by the respective laboratory
Digital storage of all relevant data
Easy integration into existing laboratory information systems (LIS)
Advantages at work:
Support for the standardisation and quality assurance process in clinical haematology
Reliable diagnosis support based on objective and reproducible classification suggestions
Cell counts and classification results are saved in a database and can be traced and called up at any time
Short learning phase thanks to the intuitive user interface
Also ideal for training and continuing education
HemaCAM computer-assisted blood cell analysis system
automates assessment of blood counts
If a blood count is abnormal, the medical laboratory scientist (MLS) has to manually perform a differential blood count analysis. This costs time and money. The computer-assisted blood cell analysis system HemaCAM by the company Horn has recently been launched on the market and does just this. At the MEDICA 2010 trade fair, which was held from November 17 to 20 in Dusseldorf, Germany, scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS presented this intelligent microscopy system.
The patient feels drawn and tired, keeps having a high temperature even after recovering from cold some time ago. The doctor suggests performing a differential blood count to try to determine the cause. He takes some blood and has it analyzed in the laboratory - a routine procedure in medical diagnostics. In a differential blood count the leukocytes, the white blood cells, are quantitatively and qualitatively assessed. The values obtained assist further diagnosis and are important indicators for disorders such as inflammations, allergies as well as parasitic or autoimmune diseases. Usually blood samples are analyzed with the aid of blood counting machines. However, if abnormalities are seen in the sample the MLS must assess the abnormal cells manually - a very time-consuming method. For the trained specialist at the microscope this means counting, counting and more counting.
With the HemaCAM, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen have developed a system that automates the assessment of blood counts and at the same time improves the quality of the findings. In collaboration with Horn Imaging GmbH the device has been approved in accordance with the Medicinal Product Guidelines. "The core idea was to combine a microscope with digital image processing," explains Dr. Christian Munzemeyer, group manager for medical image processing at IIS. "Whereas existing methods such as flow cytometry are based on physical measuring methods, the HemaCAM imitates humans." Like a human eye, a camera looks through the microscope. Image processing software automatically analyzes up to eight abnormal blood smears and provides classification suggestions.
The expert describes the operation of the new diagnosis system, which makes working procedures in the laboratory more efficient: "For this we have trained our system with expert knowledge. The background to this is a database in which every cell has been entered manually. Computer algorithms use this database to analyze and pre-sort the recorded cells. Every abnormal cell can be individually documented, enlarged up to 100 times. The MLS in the laboratory only checks the result, verifies and then approves it. The findings are then fed into the laboratory information system, and the laboratory director can send out the findings."
More than six years of development time were required to transform the idea into a fully operational series product. Since the beginning of October Horn Imaging GmbH HemaCAM has been marketing the microscopy system and installing it in specialist laboratories throughout Europe. Fraunhofer researchers are already working on further improvements, though, and presented these at Medica 2010. Director of the department of image processing and medical engineering Christian Weigand added: "What is new is that we have now integrated a slide handling system that permits us to automatically evaluate and analyze up to 200 slides. In addition to this a further software component is an analysis support system for the morphology of the red blood count. This can be used to diagnose types of anemia, for example; at the same time the red blood count provides indications of liver or kidney damage, metabolic diseases and deficiency symptoms."