Ventana Introduces the BenchMark Special Stains Platform

TUCSON, Ariz., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Ventana), a member of the Roche Group, is now introducing a novel platform for special stains, built on its industry-leading VENTANA BenchMark technology.  Answering customers' challenges with their current process, the new BenchMark Special Stains platform offers walk-away automation, baking through staining including deparaffinization, random batch access, connectivity to the VANTAGE workflow solution, and the revolutionary VENTANA CareGiver⁽¹⁾ remote support, creating an ideal system for laboratories worldwide.

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Derek Wheeler, Histology Supervisor, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, teamed up with Ventana to ensure the full customer experience was incorporated into the new system architecture.  "The improvement to workflow with the new BenchMark Special Stains due to independent slide heating and online deparaffinization is significant.  I've seen the value special stains automation brings my laboratory by freeing up my technicians for over 10 years now. The BenchMark Special Stains platform adds a much improved level of efficiency and excellent results."    

Ventana is the industry leader⁽²⁾ in the special stains instrument market, and this next level of instrument automation will dramatically enhance testing efficiency over manual processes.  WATCH this revealing demonstration of manual staining workflow vs. the new BenchMark Special Stains instrument. 

After evaluating the instrument and slides Brian Le, MD Pathologist, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center said,   "Our team is impressed with the quality and consistency of the BenchMark Special Stains slides.  The technologists and histologists are enthusiastic about how the automation enhancements have improved the workflow during the day."

In addition to offering automation, quality, and consistency, the BenchMark Special Stains platform utilizes the same dynamic software interface as the BenchMark ULTRA platform, enabling enhanced ease of use and protocol editing.  As part of maintaining VENTANA world class safety standards, the platform and reagent kits are designed to minimize exposure for lab personnel.  When you combine these features with its connectivity to other VENTANA laboratory systems and VENTANA CareGiver remote support, the BenchMark Special Stains platform is currently the most comprehensive special staining solution on the market⁽³⁾.

"Ventana is all about innovation in anatomic pathology," said Mara G. Aspinall, President, Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.  "Special Stains is a critical part of the lab workflow, and the BenchMark Special Stains platform embodies our commitment to empowering our customers with the most advanced diagnostic solutions so they can deliver the highest possible standard of patient care."

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. Visit www.ventana.com to learn more.

VENTANA, the VENTANA logo, SYMPHONY, and BenchMark are trademarks of Roche.

VMSI Media Relations
Jacqueline Bucher
Director, Corporate Communications
Phone: 520-877-7288
e-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.