Software speeds cancer screening into service

When Cytyc Corp partnered with I-Logix to develop the software necessary to help run a more effective cervical cancer screening device, the result was a resounding success.

When medical device manufacturer Cytyc Corp partnered with embedded systems and software solutions provider I-Logix to develop the software necessary to help run a more effective cervical cancer screening device, the result was a resounding success.

Now, with over 20 units already shipped ahead of schedule, Cytyc estimates over 30% growth for sales of its FDA approved ThinPrep imaging system this year alone.

Major medical institutions such as San Diego-based Pacific Rim Pathology Laboratory, which processes nearly 80,000 pap tests per year now rely on the ThinPrep imaging system for its cervical cancer diagnostic needs.

BUPA Hospital System, the UK's largest private laboratory also offers the ThinPrep imaging system to all of the patients in its 35-hospital network.

FDA approval of the ThinPrep pap test as a replacement for the conventional pap smear gives doctors access to a significantly more effective method of detecting cervical cancer.

The reliability and efficacy of a cervical screening method is measured by its ability to diagnose precancerous lesions (sensitivity) while at the same time avoiding false positive diagnosis (specificity).

The ThinPrep pap test improves the detection of precancerous lesions by 65% in screening populations and 6% in high-risk populations when compared with the conventional pap smear.

The ThinPrep method also reduces the likelihood of a false positive diagnosis through improving specimen quality.

Cytyc achieved rapid deployment of a fully functional product by using the unique model-driven development (MDD) features of Rhapsody during the software development stage of the ThinPrep imaging system.

Rhapsody was able to streamline the embedded development process by allowing engineers to model their system and develop the software graphically, execute and validate the system during build out, and ultimately output full production quality code from the model.

The key decision factor in the selection of Rhapsody for Cytyc's embedded development process was the use of the Unified Modelling Language (UML) based design environment.

Using Rhapsody, the engineers are able to define how the product works, and explain to others outside of the group through the use of state charts.

"Members of other departments besides software engineering are able to understand and review Rhapsody designs more easily than plain (non-UML) code", said Cytyc Software Engineering Manager Dan Beinhart.

"And within software engineering, we are able to treat and review the Rhapsody designs as 'code' as opposed to traditional static designs that don't use code generation".

"We benefit from the improved maintainability that comes from having a design that is 100% accurate due to code generation".

Another key benefit of Rhapsody is the ability to generate production quality code directly from a design.

Cytyc chose Rhapsody to replace a software modelling design tool that lacked code generating capabilities.

This move not only increased the accuracy of the output code, but also saved Cytyc a significant amount of money by eliminating the need to hire an outside vendor for code production.

"We are pleased with the ongoing commercial success of our endeavour with Cytyc".

"I-Logix has a continued commitment to increasing competitive advantage for our clients in the medical industry".

"Rhapsody addresses the increasingly stringent FDA requirements for design quality and enables unprecedented embedded software verification and validation".

"Rhapsody is a fully scalable solution that allows our customers to hit that critical window of market, reduce overall project costs, manage the entire development lifecycle, and meet safety critical and requirements-driven development", said Neeraj Chandra, I-Logix Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development.

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