How integrating a Dino-Lite saved ‘several hundreds of hours’

Saving precious time and ensuring proper and efficient utilization of budget

It’s common for processes to be handed down from the way they’ve been done in the past including looking through a traditional microscope. With users hunched over to perform delicate and time-consuming hand work which causes strain on the users eyes, neck, and back while being quite costly for the equipment and time.

In a case study by Sensors Incorporated, they took an in-depth look at improving the process in different ways for the Lions Gift of Sight eye bank which is part of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual neurosciences.

Here are excerpts from the case study:

CHALLENGES
The staff at Lions Gift of Sight spend a lot of their time looking through a microscope dissecting and evaluating corneal tissues. Historically, Eye Bank technicians could either get a very objective image of a small part of the tissue or a subjective image of a large part of the cornea. There was no way to get a straightforward view of a large area of the cornea. A process like that could take around 30 minutes to produce results. Not only that, but it was extremely expensive, coming in around $20,000, which was unattainable for smaller eye banks with less funding. Overall, it was time-consuming and expensive and didn’t deliver the best results.

SOLUTION
Sensors Incorporated introduced one of their suppliers, Dino-Lite, to provide an innovative cost-effective solution. Dino-Lite is a worldwide leader in quality USB digital microscope cameras and eyepieces. They could provide a very compact high-resolution camera, with lighting, optics, and adjustable settings built into the design.

Lions Gift of Sight worked with their own software vendor to invent automated software, which was programmed to identify which parts of the tissue are alive or dead. After the new imaging solution was adjusted to fit with the software, the new process only took 30 seconds to identify the amount of living tissue.

RESULT
The Dino-Lite application exceeded all expectations. Six eye banks across the US have implemented this application to produce images of corneas integrated with the Lions Gift of Sight eye bank software.

• Application cost less than $5,000
• Saves several hundred hours of time
• Provides clear images
• Produces analyzed images in less than 1/60 of the speed of the previous process
• Compact enough to fit the lab
  

Source: Sensors Incorporated – Eye Bank Case Study (.PDF)

While each USB Dino-Lite includes a very useful software with advanced features, for some users who have a very specific or intricate need, integrating the Dino-Lite into another software or even a machine can help reach their goals in a more budget friendly and time efficient way than ever before. Dino-Lite also has an available Software Development Kit to help users integrate into their system.

Have some questions about using a Dino-Lite for your custom application or learning more about how a Dino-Lite can help improve your work process? We offer free product consultation and online demos, no need to hesitate, contact us today!