Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. Unveils High-throughput Slide Scanner for Digital Pathology

GRAPEVINE, Texas, Sept. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Ventana), a member of the Roche Group, unveiled the VENTANA iScan HT slide scanner prototype before a packed audience at the 2011 College of American Pathologists (CAP) annual meeting.

The VENTANA iScan HT slide scanner holds up to 360 slides and offers unprecedented performance. The new brightfield scanner incorporates cutting-edge focus, optical and slide-handling technologies and will bring to market the highest-throughput digital pathology scanner. The scanner's rich feature set will help usher in a new era of operational efficiencies for anatomic pathology laboratories. Some of these include:

1. A dynamic focusing method that results in very fast scan speeds producing high quality images.
2. A best-in-class slide transport system provides improved reliability and safe handling of slides.
3. Random access support by decoupling slide loading and slide scanning as well as an immediate STAT override feature.
4. Worklist management improves laboratory workflow optimization.

Steve Burnell, PhD, Lifecycle Leader for Advanced Workflow commented, "The VENTANA iScan HT slide scanner takes the speed of scanning and the image viewing experience to exceptional levels. Our customers have inspired us to create a digital pathology product that surpasses the industry standard. The VENTANA iScan HT slide scanner leverages Ventana's expertise in industry-leading staining platforms, assays, and workflow solutions, to deliver unprecedented performance in digital pathology."

Ventana provides a complete suite of digital pathology solutions including the iScan Coreo Au slide scanner, the VENTANA iScan HT slide scanner, and the Virtuoso workflow management software. The iScan Coreo Au slide scanner is the ideal choice for low to mid-volume pathology laboratories and labs interested in niche applications such as frozen sections and education. The VENTANA iScan HT slide scanner is the best choice for the high-volume pathology laboratories. Both the iScan Coreo Au slide scanner and VENTANA iScan HT slide scanner are integrated with Virtuoso for workflow management software functionality from image acquisition through reporting.

CAP '11 - The Pathologists' Meeting' will be held at the Gaylord Texan Resort, Grapevine, Texas, from Sept. 11 - 14, 2011. Visit Ventana at booth #105 to view the entire suite of digital pathology products.

The VENTANA iScan HT is for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.

Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. ("VMSI") (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), a member of the Roche Group, innovates and manufactures instruments and reagents that automate tissue processing and slide staining for cancer diagnostics. VENTANA solutions are used in clinical histology and drug development research laboratories worldwide. The company's "Smart Systems" - intuitive, integrated staining and workflow management platforms that optimize laboratory efficiencies to reduce errors - support diagnosis and inform treatment decisions for anatomic pathology professionals. Together with Roche, VMSI is driving personalized medicine through accelerated drug discovery and the development of "companion diagnostics" to identify the patients most likely to respond favorably to specific therapies. Visit www.ventana.com to learn more.

VENTANA, the VENTANA logo, and Virtuoso are trademarks of Roche.

VMSI Media Relations
Jacqueline Bucher
Director, Corporate Communications
Phone: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]

SOURCE Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.