Roche has announced the launch of the VENTANA HE 600 system, the latest fully automated hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) tissue staining system.

The VENTANA HE 600 system delivers fresh reagents on each individual slide without relying on user-supplied alcohol and deionized (DI) water, resulting in improved consistency and quality in tissue staining. This individual slide staining technology mitigates the risk of specimen cross contamination that can occur with other technologies, helping to reduce patient misdiagnosis.

The VENTANA HE 600 system's elimination of xylene and alcohol and its utilization of ready-to-use reagents reduce technician exposure to these harmful chemicals. The system improves workflow by eliminating the need to manually mix reagents and track product expiration dates.

The system offers more than 400 individual staining protocols and is fully customizable, allowing for laboratory and pathologists' preferences and tissue variables. In a recent global test, more than 4,000 slides from laboratories in 12 countries were stained on the VENTANA HE 600 system and reviewed by 67 pathologists with excellent results. Evaluation of the criteria, including nuclear detail and stain quality and intensity, resulted in a score of 3.7 on a scale of 4.0.

"Approximately eighty percent of a pathologist's diagnostic report comes from the H&E stain. The VENTANA HE 600 system will help change the standard of care for laboratories, pathologists and, most importantly, cancer patients, who rely heavily on the H&E test," said Mr Roland Diggelmann, COO, Roche Diagnostics Division. He added, "The system reflects Roche's commitment to delivering innovation that meets the labs' needs of today and tomorrow through meaningful advancements in staining quality, patient and laboratory safety and workflow."

The VENTANA HE 600 system currently is available worldwide with the exception of Latin America, where it will become available in early 2016.