New Comprehensive Special Stains Platform Announced

Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, has announced the introduction of a novel platform for special stains, built on its industry-leading VENTANA BenchMark technology. The new BenchMark Special Stains platform offers walk-away automation, baking through staining including deparaffinization, random batch access and connectivity to the VANTAGE workflow solution, as well as VENTANA CareGiver remote support.

This next level of instrument automation hopes to dramatically enhance testing efficiency over manual processes. In addition to offering automation, quality and consistency, the BenchMark Special Stains platform utilizes the same dynamic software interface as the BenchMark ULTRA platform, enabling enhanced ease of use and protocol editing. The platform and reagent kits are also designed to minimize exposure for lab personnel.

Derek Wheeler, Histology Supervisor, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, teamed up with Ventana to ensure the full customer experience was incorporated into the new system architecture. "The improvement to workflow with the new BenchMark Special Stains due to independent slide heating and online deparaffinization is significant. I've seen the value special stains automation brings my laboratory by freeing up my technicians for over 10 years now. The BenchMark Special Stains platform adds a much improved level of efficiency and excellent results."

After evaluating the instrument and slides Brian Le, MD Pathologist, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center said, "Our team is impressed with the quality and consistency of the BenchMark Special Stains slides. The technologists and histologists are enthusiastic about how the automation enhancements have improved the workflow during the day."