WETZLAR, Germany and CORRALES, N.M., June 22 – Leica Microsystems, world-leading provider of Total Digital Pathology solutions, and Indica Labs, developing excellence in image analysis for Digital Pathology, has announced the integration of Indica Labs' advanced image analysis algorithm portfolio into Leica Microsystems digital pathology solution. Users of the Leica Microsystems Tissue IA product can now source from Indica Labs, a range of image analysis algorithms, providing solutions to many diverse tissue-based quantification applications.

Indica Labs' image analysis algorithms for molecular assay and morphological feature detection and quantification in whole slide images, coupled with Leica Microsystems' Tissue IA, provides an easy-to-use solution for complex image analysis problems in Digital Pathology. Leica Microsystems Tissue IA software is a key component of the Total Digital Pathology portfolio and enables the analysis of whole slide images at the touch of a button. The Indica Labs range, including algorithms for neurobiology, toxicological pathology and brightfield ISH, can now be seamlessly integrated with Leica's Tissue IA, providing a powerful, yet easy-to-use solution for a broad range of targeted applications.

Furthermore, custom image analysis algorithms can be developed by Indica Labs to meet users' varied and specific requirements, facilitating true flexibility in analysis options.

Donal O'Shea, Head of Digital Pathology in Leica Microsystems, says, "Leica Microsystems remains committed to our open and collaborative approach with third party vendors in the digital pathology market. This collaboration with Indica Labs provides an additional choice for our Digital Pathology customers in translational research and biopharma, allowing them to engage with a specialist vendor to seek high end image analysis capability, while leveraging the underlying power of Leica Microsystems' Digital Pathology solutions."

Indica Labs' image analysis solutions are developed with a key focus on the end users' requirements, providing meaningful output data for publications, reports and studies. With particular focus and experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Indica's analysis solutions "provide a unique complement to the Leica product line," remarks Indica CEO, Steven Hashagen. "Together we've been able to achieve a truly seamless integration, which will allow Leica users to access Indica's large portfolio of precision image analysis tools within the familiar Tissue IA workflow."

While Leica Microsystems will continue to develop and expand its existing range of Digital Pathology image analysis solutions, including Tissue IA and the Ariol system, the integration with Indica Labs give additional options to customers, enabling them to choose the analysis solution that is right for their needs.

Visit the Leica Microsystems Booth at the Society of Toxicological Pathology (STP) 2012 Annual Meeting for more information.

About Leica Microsystems
Leica Microsystems is a world leader in microscopes and scientific instruments. Founded as a family business in the nineteenth century, the company's history was marked by unparalleled innovation on its way to becoming a global enterprise. Its historically close cooperation with the scientific community is the key to Leica Microsystems' tradition of innovation, which draws on users' ideas and creates solutions tailored to their requirements. At the global level, Leica Microsystems is organized in four divisions, all of which are among the leaders in their respective fields: the Life Science Division, Industry Division, Biosystems Division and Medical Division.

Leica Microsystems' Biosystems Division, also known as Leica Biosystems, offers histopathology laboratories the most extensive product range with appropriate products for each work step in histology and for a high level of productivity in the working processes of the entire laboratory. The company is represented in over 100 countries with 12 manufacturing facilities in 7 countries, sales and service organizations in 19 countries and an international network of dealers. The company is headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany. Further information can be found at www.leicamicrosystems.com

About Indica Labs
Indica Labs is the first company to offer tissue specific and application specific image analysis algorithms in a truly integrated digital pathology environment. Pharmaceutical, healthcare, and research organizations worldwide utilize Indica tools for high-throughput, whole-slide image quantification in areas such as neuroscience, metabolism, oncology, toxicological pathology, and more. For more information, please visit http://indicalab.com

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Source: Leica Microsystems