Techcyte, a leader in AI-powered digital diagnostics, today announced the launch of its wet mount iodine solution (for research use only in the U.S.), a much anticipated addition to its Fusion Parasitology Suite, which already includes trichrome and MAF solutions. This expansion supports Techcyte’s mission to enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in fecal ova and parasite (O&P) detection.
As the primary fecal O&P screening stain globally and a complementary stain in the U.S., wet mount iodine is a critical tool for parasitology laboratories. The integration of this solution into Techcyte’s Fusion platform is designed to provide laboratories with tools to support the efficient analysis of parasitic organisms in fecal specimens.
Study findings on AI-powered parasitology screening
A recent study at ARUP Laboratories, the largest nonprofit clinical and academic reference laboratory in the United States, evaluated 477 specimens concentrated by various standard methodologies employed worldwide and stained with Lugol’s iodine/glycerol to assess the application of Techcyte’s AI-powered wet mount iodine solution in laboratory workflows. The study reviewed 26 parasite species, comparing AI-generated analyses with traditional manual microscopy, with a goal of achieving a minimum of 90% qualitative agreement for positive slides and 95% qualitative agreement for negative slides.
Key observations from the study include:
- Positive accuracy: AI results aligned with manual review for 20 of the 26 species at 100% qualitative agreement, with an additional three species differing by only one case, all exceeding the 90% target threshold.
- Negative accuracy: AI results met the 95% qualitative agreement target for all species, with 21 species at 100% agreement and the remaining five species within 99% agreement.
Additionally, a comparative analysis between technologists and AI scans showed strong concordance, providing insights into potential applications of AI-powered digital diagnostics in parasitology screening.
“The introduction of the Wet Mount Iodine Solution reflects our commitment to broadening the capabilities of our AI-driven diagnostic offerings,” said Ben Cahoon, CEO of Techcyte. “We aim to equip laboratories with resources that can assist in the examination of parasitic infections.”
The impact of AI-Assisted screening on diagnostic confidence
The study observed instances where Techcyte’s AI identified additional positive cases that were not initially flagged by manual review. These findings suggest that AI-assisted screening may provide an additional layer of support to analysis, offering a different perspective on sample evaluation.
“Techcyte’s AI solution represents a major step forward in O&P diagnostics,” said Dr. Marc Couturier, former Head of Clinical Operations for Clinical Microbiology and Immunology at ARUP. In a 2019 partnership with Techcyte, ARUP launched the world’s first AI-augmented screening tool for the
detection of gastrointestinal parasites that included trichrome stains. The addition of AI-powered screening for wet mount slides completes the ova and parasite testing process. “This study demonstrated that AI has the potential to increase detection accuracy, reduce false negatives, and improve lab efficiency.”
By automating the initial screening process, Techcyte’s AI-powered solution has the potential to streamline workflows, reduce human workload, and decrease diagnostic turnaround times. More importantly, it aims to ensure that difficult-to-classify organisms are evaluated with greater consistency, minimizing the variability inherent in manual microscopy.
Expanding the Techcyte Parasitology Suite: Introducing Wet Mount Iodine Screening
In this webinar, we will discuss the launch of our wet mount iodine solution and the results of this study.
March 6th at 10 AM MT