ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Much attention has been directed toward commercial application of automation technology to support both quality and productivity enhancement in cervical cytology screening. The introduction of a fully automated precision microscopy workstation, the AcCell Series 2000, (Accu-Med International, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.) has made it possible to effectively incorporate automated prescreening systems that support the human screener. SYSTEM DESIGN: The TracCell 2000 slide mapping system (AccuMed) is a fully automated, stand-alone prescreening device for Papani-colaou-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 human review and determines speed adjustment relative to material density variation. Through slide bar coding identification, this information is transmitted to the AcCell precision microscopy workstation for presentation of the specimen to the human screener. DISCUSSION: By making it possible to automatically guide the human screener to the material of interest, the TracCell system eliminates the need to review empty space and irrelevant areas of the slide. This has the immediate advantage of improved productivity. In addition, by reducing the need to review neutral background material, the system increases the signal-to-noise ratio, thus contributing to a sustained level of vigilance in the screener. The system also addresses operator fatigue through computer-assisted focus and speed variation. This instrument is for investigational use only. The performance characteristics of the device have not been established.
