Phoenix-Micron, Inc. Announces New, Comprehensive Imaging Software and Redesigned Lens Technology for the Phoenix MICRON® Imaging Platform

Two new innovations, MICRON Software Suite and MICRON LT2 lens technology, streamline the ophthalmic imaging workflow and deliver new data management capabilities.

 

Bend, OR, USA, April 21, 2023–  Phoenix-Micron, Inc., a leader in ophthalmic imaging technology, today announced the release of the new MICRON® Software Suite and the MICRON LT2 lens technology. The new MICRON Software Suite streamlines the ophthalmic imaging workflow and captures and manages even more valuable research data about small subject animals.  Also announced today, the patent-pending, MICRON LT2 lens technology represents a complete redesign of MICRON objective lenses that makes precision optical alignment easier and more repeatable. Both innovations are compatible with the MICRON IV and all-new MICRON 5 imaging platforms.

MICRON Software Suite delivers a user experience designed for researchers imaging the eyes of small animals. Animal subject data management, multi-modality image capture, and search and export are all integrated into a single application. The new software platform seamlessly integrates into the eye and eye-brain research workflow. And, with the ability to record and export subject and experiment-specific data, MICRON Software Suite facilitates in-depth analysis of the eyes of small animals.

“As a company, we are deeply committed to empowering scientific researchers with cutting-edge tools that help our customers achieve breakthrough discoveries,” said Scott Carr, Phoenix-Micron, Inc CEO. “And part of our innovation focus is to reduce the time and effort required to capture data and images from experiments, while also improving experiment repeatability. Our two newest innovations – MICRON Software Suite and the new MICRON LT2 lens technology – streamline the ophthalmic imaging workflow and introduce all new data management capabilities to reduce the time required to capture precision images and data for in vivo small animal research,”

MICRON Software Suite offers multiple features that simplify the imaging process and integrate their Phoenix MICRON imaging data all in one place and with an intuitive user experience:

  1. Unified Application – Capture fundus images, OCT scans, and slit lamp images; launch OCT segmentation tools; aim and document laser burns; and capture ERG reference images and launch ERG data capture all from a single application.
  2. Data Management – All new M-Tags help you build data capture directly into your imaging workflow. Annotate subjects, imaging sessions, and images with keywords and/or keyword/value pairs to improve searchability and greatly enhance the analytic value of images captured with MICRON systems.
    1. Make use of automatically generated M-Tags that add data depth to your images, including key attributes such as selected filter, illumination power, focus settings, and more.
    2. Create M-Tags on the fly, without the need to predefine a database schema or design forms. Create M-Tag annotations while imaging to meet the requirements of your lab, study, and experiments to capture data where and when you need it, reducing the need for external spreadsheets and papers.
  3. Image Management – Easily search for, browse, export, and manage images across modalities from one application, dramatically shortening the time it takes to find and organize images and data for analysis and publication.
  4. MICRON System Share – Share a single MICRON imaging system with multiple labs while controlling which users can access data from each lab.
  5. OCT Launch – Launch OCT segmentation tools directly from the new image review page, simplifying the OCT imaging workflow

The MICRON LT2 lens technology increases reliability, serviceability, and ease-of-use for MICRON IV and MICRON 5 systems, and radically reduces the time required for multi-modality imaging, including fundus, OCT, laser, and focal ERG products.

  1. The new MICRON 5 and MICRON IV objective lens sets with MICRON LT2 lens technology introduces new calibration capabilities that allow the final alignment of objective lens components to be performed both at the factory and at the customer site.
  2. With this feature, customers can add new imaging modalities to their MICRON system without requiring the system be returned to the factory for calibration. And the time to repair lens sets has been greatly reduced in the unlikely and unfortunate event that a removable objective lens set is damaged.
  3. When used with the all-new MICRON 5, the new MICRON LT2 lens technology replaces the screw-on attachment mechanism found in prior MICRON generations with a new, self-seating design. Objective lenses slide on to the camera and magnetically snap into place, making it even easier to switch from one imaging modality to another with precision alignment. This also radically reduces the time needed to switch between imaging modalities, which is ideal for workflows such as verifying a laser burn with OCT.

 For more information on the Phoenix MICRON imaging platform please click here.

 About Phoenix-Micron, Inc.: Phoenix-Micron, Inc.is a global leader in in vivo ophthalmic imaging of laboratory animals. MICRON systems are optimized for eye and eye-brain research.  The patented MICRON platform delivers seven essential imaging modalities in a compact footprint, backed by world-class service, that’s ideal for the exacting data capture and physical space requirements of small animal research labs. Each piece of the MICRON system is designed to ease the researcher’s workflow and capture and manage the high-resolution ophthalmic images and associated data that helps bring ophthalmic research to life. Since its initial launch in 2007, MICRON camera systems have been installed in hundreds of ophthalmic and neurologic research labs in more than 25 countries. Found in 11 of the world’s top 12 research institutes, MICRON systems have been used by authors of more than 450 published studies.