Ultra-sensitive Andor iXon EMCCD camera proves
case for hyperspectral imaging and may lead to new
generation of rapid, automated cancer screening systems

Malignant melanoma (MM), the most dangerous type of skin cancer, is caused mainly by intense episodes of UV exposure and originates in the pigment-producing melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. Early detection and complete excision of the primary lesions is crucial for reducing melanoma-related deaths but current diagnostic practice is highly subjective. This leads to unnecessary surgical procedures, which are highly-invasive and expensive.

Now, Takashi Nagaoka and a team of Japanese researchers have developed an automated, non-invasive melanoma screening system that may eliminate the need for a morphological examination and reduce needless surgery. Their Diffuse Reflectance Hyperspectral Imaging technique determines the levels and position of melanin and haemoglobin at the molecular level. The hyperspectral imaging data allows the team to differentiate between melanomas and other pigmented skin lesions based on this molecular pigmentary level.

"Since our first priority was to establish whether or not hyperspectral imaging data could be used for melanoma screening, we needed a camera of the highest possible sensitivity. The only camera that met our requirements was the Andor iXon EMCCD camera," says Takashi Nagaoka of the Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan. "The iXon successfully captured cutaneous spectra in the visible to near infrared range that contain physiological information about melanin and haemoglobin within the melanoma lesion. Our melanoma discrimination index measures the variegation in spectra.

"Having established a workable index to identify malignant melanomas, the exciting possibility of a rapid screening system for general practitioners or other primary care providers is raised. We are working on such a system using the Andor Luca camera and believe it will enable non-specialist operators to identify PSLs that require further investigation or excision, saving both time and money. The Andor Software Development Kit supplied with the iXon camera speeded up the original research and the validation of the index. Now, it is reducing the time needed to develop our second-generation system as only minimal changes were required to adapt for the Luca camera."

According to Antoine Varagnat, Product Specialist at Andor, "Non-invasive skin cancer screening has been the focus for an increasing number of research groups recently, illustrated by the development of bespoke instruments based on Hyperspectral imaging - such as the one described by Nagaoka-San's group - or hyphenated Raman-OCT as reported by a US-Dutch team led by Anita Mahadevan at Vanderbilt University. The high sensitivity and speed of both the iXon EMCCD and Newton NIR-optimized Deep-Depletion cameras, as well as the ease of integration of these detectors in complex, demanding clinical setups, have enabled the development of the next generation of high-throughput, patient-friendly diagnosis instruments. By making this type of diagnosis much more accessible and routine in a wide variety of clinical environments, early detection of malignant skin lesions and subsequent early treatment of these lesions should greatly increase diagnosed patients survival rate."

Andor's modular Spectroscopy solutions encompass a wide range of high performance CCD, ICCD, and EMCCD detectors, as well as a comprehensive range of Research-grade spectrograph platforms and versatile interfacing to microscopes or complex instrumentation, such as demanding process control or medical/clinical environments.

For further information, view websites: www.andor.com/scientific_cameras/ixon_emccd_camera and www.andor.com/spectroscopy_solutions  Refer to page 264

NanoSight webinar addresses the EU definition of Nanomaterials

NanoSight, leading manufacturers of unique nanoparticle characterization technology, responds to the EU Commission recommended definition of Nanomaterials with a webinar to provide expert insight into the consequences for chemical industries.

At the end of 2011 the EU Commission published a recommended definition of Nanomaterials. Seasoned Commission-watchers recognised this much-anticipated document as a turning point, likely to have significant legislative impact on producers of Nanomaterials in Europe and beyond. This definition was the missing jigsaw piece that so many legislators and NGOs anticipated, to forward a robust framework for nanotechnology legislation.

Two industry reactions are observed. Whilst all would agree that the right legislative framework will enable major investment in nanotechnology, a large industry group are doing nothing and hoping perhaps that it goes away, whilst others are thinking through potential solutions. Having tracked the scientific consultative effort in preparation to get to this stage, NanoSight believes this definition is here to stay and will have significant impact.

On Wednesday, 21st March at 1330 and 1500 UK time, NanoSight will host a webinar to look at the implications of this definition and how as a company with unique multi-parameter nanoparticle analysis is able to address these freshly defined characterization challenges.

The invited speaker is Dr Denis Koltsov, a leading international expert in nanotechnology legislation and control. Dr Koltsov serves on several UK governmental strategy committees as well as expert committees at BSI/ISO/CEN/OECD WPN and the Nanotechnologies Industries Association (NIA). He has conducted a number of industry-led consultations in the nanotechnology sector and reported to the relevant regulatory authorities. He operates BREC Solutions, a consultancy company in the field of nanotechnology innovation. Key to this is to act as an information source of nanotechnology regulation and standardisation. In his talk, he will examine the definition in detail and provide a thorough understanding of the document. Dr Koltsov will outline his views on the likely speed and scope of legislation.

NanoSight will present a practical draft solution to address the characterization requirements of this definition. Requiring as it does, particle counting from 10nm to 100nm, a combination of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and Electron Microscopy is proposed. This webinar will be both informative and interactive. Register now and join in the discussions on this important issue: www.nanosight.com/webinar It will also be available for viewing after the live event. The link will be the same.

For further information, view website: www.nanosight.com or e-mail: jeremy.warren@nanosight.com  Refer to page 277

Invited award symposium presentation on molecular orientation of
electrospun fibers using nanoscale IR spectroscopy at Pittcon 2012

Anasys Instruments, the company that pioneered nanoscale thermal analysis and nanoscale IR spectroscopy using an AFM, is including a presentation by Dr. Bruce Chase, with an invited talk entitled "Structure and Orientation in Electrospun Nanofibers" at the 2012 Pittsburgh Conference, as part of the Organized Contributed Session on Analytical Applications of Broadly Tunable Lasers. The presentation will include spatially resolved measurements of molecular orientation obtained by a technique combining atomic force microscopy and infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR). The measurements were performed in collaboration with Anasys Instruments using an AFM-IR instrument incorporating arbitrary polarization angle control. "By measuring the infrared absorption of a sample locally as a function of polarization angle, we can identify regions of a sample that have a high degree of molecular orientation," says Anasys CTO Craig Prater. "Controlling molecular orientation is a critically important technology for improving the performance of polymers - with the polarization control capability we provide a new ability to observe molecular orientation with high spatial resolution."

Dr. Chase's presentation will contain important insights on molecular orientation of electrospun PVDF fibers. This is an important research area because of the vast applications of electrospun fibers ranging from textiles and advanced composites to biomedical applications such as tissue engineering scaffolds and artificial blood vessels. Speaking about the results, Professor Chase said that "Our ability to produce enhanced material properties in electrospun fibers is critically dependent on understanding molecular level structure at the nanoscale. The NanoIR results have given us a first look at chain orientation of individual fibers."

Dr. Chase is a Research Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Delaware and the Chief Technical Officer of Pair Technologies, LLC. He retired from DuPont in 2009 as a DuPont Fellow and Chair of the DuPont Fellows Forum.  His co-authors on this paper are Professor John Rabolt, Karl W. and Renate Boer Professor of Materials Science at the University of Delaware and Xiaoqian Ma, whose doctoral dissertation this research falls under and Dr. Qichi Hu from Anasys who performed the measurements.

For further information, view website: www.anasysinstruments.com  Refer to page 265

Digital imaging for pathology, research and education

Olympus' improved version of its highly successful dotSlide virtual slide system, the VS110, combines microscopy seamlessly with imaging to create a virtual slide that is an exact copy of the real specimen. Generating a high resolution image of the whole specimen, this can be viewed and analysed from the overview image at low magnification up to maximum magnification by simply zooming in. All samples can be evaluated around the world instantly and simultaneously as they are stored electronically on a central server. As a result, the VS110 is ideal for use in a number of areas including pathology, research and education.

Virtual microscopy enabled by VS110 allows the information from a single glass slide to be shared in real time with multiple personnel across the globe. All users are able to review the same sample, yet control the position and magnification individually, as if it were a real slide. This ability to acquire complete slides at high magnification and resolution virtually, delivers significant benefits to pathologists and researchers, as well as students in professional education when diagnosing, analysing and archiving samples for discussion, both remotely or via online conferences.

The flexibility of the VS110 technology within all clinical applications and teaching environments enables users to exceed the limits of conventional digital microscopy and telepathology in both the size and resolution of image files that can be discussed, as well as in time and location of discussion with colleagues. For example, it is possible to remotely access virtual slides with the functionality of a microscope, but without the instrument itself; ideal for a tutor working with a number of students. In addition, users can see and analyse macro overviews of slides that are simply not possible with traditional microscopes.

Within life science research the VS110 offers excellent throughput for extensive image analysis and superb documentation of tissue sections, cell cultures and even tissue microarrays.

All VS110 system components are designed to interact seamlessly, producing a fully automated, high-speed scanning system with excellent flexibility and simple operation. These ensure that users gain the best results for all types of specimens with minimum effort. The Net Image Server SQL for the Olympus VS110 system is a real client-server-based data management system and storage facility specifically developed for microscopy. This, together with the VS110 platform, helps the user by keeping everything clearly structured for easy management and efficient sharing of images and data.

For further information contact, Esther Ahrent, e-mail: microscopy@olympus-europa.com or view website: www.microscopy.olympus.eu   Refer to page 265