TUCSON, Ariz. , June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- When faced with cancer, getting an accurate diagnosis quickly is undoubtedly the most important part of a patient's treatment. To help with this, today's advanced anatomic pathology labs rely on sophisticated software to view a patient's tissue images within the context of their clinical history, share those images with specialists and colleagues, and perform complex computer analyses to highlight specific cancer protein biomarkers that may aid in determining treatment options. Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Ventana), a member of the Roche Group, today announced the newest release of its image management and workflow software, Virtuoso ¹ , designed to help make finding and analyzing cancer faster and more consistent than ever.

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"Virtuoso software is an important tool in our pathology lab, and Virtuoso 5.4 has an extensive number of new features that let me do things only possible with digital images," says pathologist Julia Mooney , MD, Shasta Pathology Associates. "For example, I can select and analyze areas within a patient's tissue sample with just a click. I can synchronize two or more images on the screen and then rotate them in unison — especially valuable when a tumor focus area is small."

View a 20-sec video demo of Virtuoso 5.4 software features including its analysis of cancer markers in tissue.

View a 20-sec video demo of Virtuoso 5.4 software

"Ventana continues to bring the latest advancements in digital pathology to our customers," explains Steve Burnell , PhD, Lifecycle Leader for Digital Pathology and Advanced Workflow. "Today's anatomic pathology lab is the cancer diagnostic hub for hospitals and clinical labs. Having the latest, fully integrated digital pathology equipment and software enables physicians to either locally or remotely, conduct complex tissue analysis in seconds to pinpoint the drivers of the cancer and collaborate with other experts in real time to help determine the best treatment options for patients."

"When we work with our customers to equip them with state of the art cancer diagnostic technology, we ask them, 'How can we better streamline your laboratory workflow and IT systems so you can be up and running as soon as possible? What features will help you review images and share with your peers whether they are located at the same site or on the other side of the globe? What computer software algorithms are most valuable to you? and what are the pain points for your histotechs during accessioning?' these are the questions we ask every day," says Ellen Suzue , Senior International Product Manager, Ventana Digital Pathology. "Virtuoso was built on this customer feedback and the 5.4 release further addresses our customers' needs."

New features introduced in Virtuoso 5.4 software include an enhanced image viewing experience, an optimized Laboratory Information System (LIS) integration module, more flexibility in deployment options, and an improved accessioning module. These new features and improvements will enable users to more efficiently integrate digital pathology into the laboratory workflow.

The Virtuoso image and workflow management software is a web-based application that orchestrates a laboratory's workflow around the patient's digital slide, from the moment the slide is scanned in to when the slide image is viewed and analyzed on a computer and the results are documented in a formal report. Integrated with the VENTANA iScan HT ² and iScan Coreo slide scanners and the VANTAGE workflow solution, Virtuoso software is an enterprise solution for managing digital slides and is fully integrated into the anatomic pathology lab's workflow.

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¹ Virtuoso software is part of a 510(k)-cleared system with the VENTANA HER2 (4B5), PR (1E2), Ki-67 (30-9) and p53 (DO-7) Companion Algorithm image analysis software. The FDA clearance includes all of the components of the VENTANA laboratory workflow solution including the company's BenchMark slide stainer, exclusive HER2 4B5, PR 1E2 and Ki-67 30-9 clones, detection systems, iScan slide scanner, and Virtuoso software.

² The VENTANA iScan HT slide scanner is for research use only in the US and is not for use in diagnostic procedures.

VENTANA products are for in vitro diagnostic use for specific applications and are research use only for other applications. The FDA has not cleared or approved them
for primary diagnosis.

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 intuitive, integrated staining, workflow management platforms, and digital pathology solutions optimize laboratory efficiencies to reduce errors, support diagnosis and inform treatment decisions for anatomic pathology professionals. Together with Roche, VMSI is driving Personalized Healthcare through accelerated drug discovery and the development of "companion diagnostics" to identify the patients most likely to respond favorably to specific therapies.

VENTANA, BENCHMARK, VIRTUOSO, VANTAGE, ISCAN and the VENTANA logo are trademarks of Roche.

Visit www.ventana.com to learn more.

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Virtuoso 5.4 image management and
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VMSI Media Relations
Jacqueline Bucher
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Phone: 520-877-7288
e-mail: jacquie.bucher@ventana.roche.com

SOURCE Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.