UTILITY OF THE TRACCELL SYSTEM IN MAPPING PAPANICOLAOU-STAINED CYTOLOGIC MATERIAL

BACKGROUND: Much attention has been directed toward commercial applica tion of automation technology to support both quality and productivity enhancement in cervical crytology screening. The introduction of a fu lly automated precision microscopy workstation, the AcCell Series 2000 , (AccuMed International, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.) has made it possible to effectively incorporate automated prescreening systems th at support the human screener. SYSTEM DESIGN: The TracCell 2000 slide mapping system (AccuMed) is a fully automated, stand-alone prescreenin g device for Papanicolaou-stained cytologic material, such as cervical cytology specimens. The system locates the areas of the slide that do not require review and maps material in the remaining areas; it finds the optimal focal plane, calculates a preferred routing path for huma n review and determines speed adjustment relative to material density variation. Through slide bar coding identification, this information i s transmitted to the AcCell precision microscopy workstation for prese ntation of tile specimen to the human screener. DISCUSSION: By thinkin g it possible to automatically guide the human screener to the materia l of interest, the TracCell system eliminates the need to review empty space and irrelevant areas of the slide. This has the immediate advan tage of improved productivity. In addition, by reducing the need to re view neutral background material, the system increases the signal-to-n oise ratio, thus contributing to a sustained level of vigilance in the screener. The system also addresses operator fatigue through computer -assisted focus anti speed variation. This instrument is for investiga tional use only. The performance characteristics of the device have no t been established.