‘It’s interesting,’ says Camelo Lupo, Head of Innovation at Diapath SPA, ‘how machines designed by the people who understand how they are used are inevitably better. It’s really that simple.’ In this particular case, Dr Lupo is referring to the Giotto automatic stainer, which has been produced and developed by histologists who truly understand the process it serves.
Giotto has been created by people who understand that H&E staining is the bread and butter of the histologist’s trade, and needs to be of a consistently high standard, time and time again, in order to achieve the best result. Not only is this as true today as it has always been, but in the future, as labs move towards digital pathology, it will become even more important to provide the level of accuracy which AI diagnostic machinery will require.
There are a series of unique features that make Giotto outstanding in terms of accuracy. Firstly, it has an automatic reagent detection management system, which manages the status and quality of the reagents in use, ensuring that the programmed protocols can be undertaken without flaws (including partial staining due to low regent levels). Not only does this prevent unnecessary sample spoilage, but it also allows technicians the peace of mind to continue to work on other tasks uninterrupted, so maximising efficiencies.
In a similar way, Giotto has a water pressure system, which monitors the flow of tap water (an important differentiating step in the haematoxylin staining protocol), ensuring complete uniformity and clarity in H&E staining results.
Cross contamination can be the bane of the technician’s workflow, as the slides undergoing staining drip different reagents into other reservoirs. Giotto cleverly minimises contamination as it creates a rocking movement once the slides are raised out of the staining reservoir, allowing the excess liquid to fall down from the edges of the slides, and back into the reservoir itself – improving stain quality, reducing stain wastage and driving efficiency savings.
In addition, the Giotto has a facility which allows for colour-coordinated racks to be used to separate different protocols. This means that it is possible to change the handle of the slide racks so that the machine is able to recognise the appropriate protocol, and action it accordingly. In this way, technicians are able to load slides for specific protocols into racks with colour-coded handles, which are then recognised by Giotto, minimising the possibility of error.
‘Of course,’ adds Dr Lupo, ‘don’t take out word for it. The best way to find out how the Giotto could work for you, is to trial it in your lab.’ Get in touch with Solmedia for your free Giotto demonstration – as in this, and many other ways, we can help you to run the most efficient lab.