Improving Workflow with Thermo Gemini AS Autostainer & ClearVue Coverslipper
Cheltenham General Hospital is part of one of the largest NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK. The pathology laboratory faces constant pressure to meet turnaround times while reducing costs, and central to that is their need for reliable staining and coverslip
sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific
In 2014 they dealt with over 42,000 new cases, and almost 143,000 H&E stains. When they needed additional capacity, Cheltenham looked at the available options for their staining and coverslipping. Initially, they had a combined unit at the top of their “ideal” list. However a trial of such a system gave disappointing results, and they found that they just didn’t get on with it at all. A number of instruments were trialled and after performing favourably and being on the NHS preferred supplier framework, Thermo Scientific’s Gemini AS autostainer and Clearvue coverslipper were selected. The Gemini features five heaters, 26 reagent pots and intelligent software to maximize throughput even with multiple racks and protocols. The ClearVue coverslipper can manage up to 11 slide racks simultaneously, and can automatically handle both histology and cytology slides.