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Are you thinking about adding digital pathology to your practice, changing the way you digitize slides, or are you in need of a different whole slide scanner to fit your needs? Some scanning companies have been around for a long time, but more have cropped up over the past few years. With the increase in the number of options on the market, it may be hard to find the right one for your practice. Here are the top 10 digital pathology scanners in alphabetical order.

 

1. 3DHistech

The Pannoramic® 1000 digital pathology scanner is the largest-capacity whole-slide scanner on the market. It can scan 1000 slides at 30 seconds per slide, making it the fastest scanner on this list. If you have a large research project or regularly digitize large quantities of slides, this scanner may be the one for you. They also have a medium-sized model with a 300-slide capacity and a small model that scans one slide at a time.

3D Histech Digital Pathology Scanners

 

2. Grundium Ocus

Grundium makes small, practical scanners that make telepathology more affordable for the everyday pathologist. The Grundium Ocus®40 and Grundium Ocus®20 only hold one slide but can be used remotely to get a live visual of that slide from the lab. The main difference between the two models is image resolution.

Grundium Ocus Cameras

3. Hamamatsu NanoZoomer

Hamamatsu sells four different types and sizes of scanners. Their smallest is a 1-slide capacity NanoZoomer-SQ. Their largest option is the 360-slide capacity NanoZoomer S360. These scanners are solely for research purposes in the United States. Their website has a clear disclaimer stating which countries permit these scanners for in vitro diagnostic use.

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4. Huron TissueScope

Huron has three scanner models. The TissueScope LE120 has a 120-slide capacity and has the continuous-scanning feature. If you need something to scan large or unusual slide sizes, look into the TissueScope™ LE Slide Scanner because it can scan slides up to 6” X 8”. Their third scanner is the TissueScope iQ Slide Scanner, which has a 400-slide capacity. Huron boasts fast scanning speeds, averaging 60 seconds per slide.

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5. Leica Aperio

Leica is a tried and tested company that offers three types of digital pathology scanners depending on your needs. If you are part of a group that needs to scan a high volume of slides every week, choose the Aperio AT2 Scanner. The AT2 has a 400-slide capacity. Look into one of their other scanners if you have a smaller practice. The Aperio CS2 Scanner has a five-slide capacity. The Aperio AV1 has a four-slide capacity and a live-view platform.

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6. Morphle

Morphle sells four digital pathology scanners with a wide range of capabilities. Their Index scanner is their smallest and most affordable option with a single slide capacity. The Optimus can scan up to six slides and is ideal for a medium-sized practice. If you have a larger volume, look into the 240-slide capacity Continuum. If you work primarily diagnosing blood smears, try the Hemolens 6-slide scanner because it can scan, classify, sort, and flag 120 WBCs to speed up diagnosis turn-around time.

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7. MoticEasyScan

Motic has three varieties of digital pathology scanners from which to choose. The MoticEasyScan One has a 1-slide capacity, the MoticEasyScan Pro has a 6-slide capacity, and the MoticEasyScan Infinity has a 60-slide capacity. All models can scan one slide per minute and are approved for clinical use, research, and education.

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8. Olympus Life Science

Olympus Life Science sells one research slide scanner, the 210-slide capacity SLIDEVIEW VS200. It is ideal for brain research, cancer and stem cell research, and drug discovery.

Olympus Digital Pathology Scanner

 

9. Optrascan

If you have particular needs, look into Optrascan because they sell the largest variety of scanners. They have nine different models, from huge scanners well-suited for large practices to small-footprint, lightweight scanners that can fit in almost any workspace. Their OS-Ultra series can scan a slide in less than a minute, making them some of the fastest scanners on the market. Their OS-SiA model comes with built-in image analysis. Buy their OS-FL or OS-Fli model if you want something that can handle fluorescence scanning.

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10. Philips IntelliSite

Another tried and proven brand is Philips. Their IntelliSite Ultra Fast Scanner has a slide capacity of 300 and has a continuous non-stop scanning feature. It scans one slide per minute–ideal for high-volume laboratories or pathology groups.

Philips Digital Pathology Scanner

 

You will need a digital slide viewing system after your laboratory or pathology practice selects the best digital pathology scanner to suit your needs. Before you go, check out Lumea’s BxLink™, our all-in-one EMR, LIS, and digital slide viewer. It is ideal for pairing up with a scanner.

Lumea has the only digital pathology system built for clinics, labs, and pathologists on one comprehensive platform. Pathologists can quickly review specimens on an iPad or computer, order genetic tests with a button, have instantaneous access to second opinions and consults, and have improved work location flexibility. Learn more about Lumea’s all-in-one platform BxLink or explore our other tissue technology options to see how we can level up your digital pathology experience.

One Comment

  • Bill Hennessey says:

    Interesting article but I do not think it addresses the true top scanners. Digital Pathology is about capturing exacting data as fast as possible. The factors of this happening are the product sensor technology and the motion system. Some sensors can capture data while moving and some need to stop to capture data in a small zone both of these approaches have different motion challenges. Either type of sensor relies on the motion system to move in a precise serpentine motion over the cells which 90% of commercially available stage systems can not accomplish at sub-micron precision. These less precise systems need to do multiple scans and average the data which again is not precise only a mathematical estimation plus it adds unnecessary time to the process. Building motion systems for Digital Pathology for more than 15 years has given ALIO a unique vision and experience for data precision and motion performance.

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