Beckman Coulter and Scopio Labs expand partnership to include digital bone marrow analysis
Beckman Coulter, a prominent clinical diagnostics company, and Scopio Labs, a MedTech firm specialising in digital cell morphology solutions, have announced an expansion of their long-term partnership. The new agreement includes global distribution of Scopio’s Full-Field Bone Marrow Aspirate™ (FF-BMA) Application, which is CE-Marked for use with Scopio’s X100 and X100HT scanners.
Advancing bone marrow analysis
Bone marrow aspirate analysis is a crucial procedure in the assessment of various haematologic diseases. The process involves examining a small sample of the liquid portion of bone marrow to assess cellular composition, morphology, and maturity of blood cells. Traditionally, this analysis has relied on manual, time-consuming methods that require highly skilled haematopathologists to ensure accuracy.
Scopio’s FF-BMA Application aims to address these challenges by integrating high-resolution Full-Field imaging with an AI-powered decision support system. This digital workflow is designed to streamline the bone marrow analysis process and potentially reduce turnaround times.
Remote review capabilities
One of the key features of the new technology is its ability to enable haematopathologists to review bone marrow smears remotely via a secure hospital network. This capability could facilitate collaboration among specialists and make it easier to obtain second opinions, potentially enhancing diagnostic confidence.
Chris Hagen, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Core Lab Specialty Products for Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, highlighted the limited technology currently available for bone marrow aspirate analysis in laboratories. He said: “With Scopio’s technology, lab scientists can assess hundreds of cells to evaluate morphological features with the support of artificial intelligence using the world’s first BMA digital imaging and analysis solutions.”
The partnership between Beckman Coulter and Scopio Labs began in 2022, with the aim of accelerating the adoption of next-generation digital cell morphology. Scopio’s X100 and X100HT digital cell morphology platforms utilise full-field imaging and AI decision support, eliminating the need for manual microscopy.
In 2023, the collaboration led to the introduction of an end-to-end automated haematology solution. This system connected Beckman Coulter’s DxH 900 Workcell and DxH Slidemaker Stainer II with Scopio’s X100HT high-throughput digital cell morphology platform, offering digitised, AI-assisted peripheral blood smear analysis.
Potential impact on haematology diagnostics
Itai Hayut, CEO and Co-Founder of Scopio Labs, expressed enthusiasm about the expanded partnership, saying: “The addition of our first-of-its-kind digital bone marrow application into Beckman Coulter’s haematology offering signifies a strong endorsement of the successful adoption of Scopio’s Full-Field digital cell morphology platform in the market to date.”
The integration of digital imaging and AI-assisted analysis in bone marrow examination could potentially improve the efficiency and accuracy of haematologic diagnostics. By enabling the assessment of a larger number of cells and providing AI support for morphological evaluation, the technology may enhance the capability of laboratories to detect and characterise bloodrelated medical conditions.
