GE Healthcare is buying cellular imaging firm Applied Precision to bolster its pharmaceutical and life science research technology portfolio. Applied Precision develops and markets high- and super-resolution microscopy instruments, software, and data visualization tools for studying live and fixed cell structure and behavior. GE says the acquired products will complement its own IN Cell Analyzer systems used for high-throughput subcellular analysis in cell biology research. The firm plans to retain Applied Precision’s facility in Issaquah, Washington.
“The worldwide resources of GE Healthcare will allow us to significantly widen our reach into new markets and provide us with a stronger support network for our existing customers," remarks Joe Victor, Applied Precision’s CEO.
In December 2010, Applied Precision unveiled a number of new products including enhancements to its DeltaVision line of microscopy imaging systems. The new DeltaVision OMX® 3-D super-resolution system is a fourth-generation system the firm claims provides an eight-fold improvement in volume resolution. The OMX Blaze™ has been developed to enable extremely fast 3D-SIM for live cell imaging and near-video rate 2D-SIM. The latest DeltaVision Elite™ high-resolution microscopy system has been developed with increased automation as well as the firm’s UltimateFocus hardware autofocus technology and multiline TIRF capabilities. Also launched was the Monet™ localization microscopy system, which utilizes Applied Precision’s mixed-model algorithm to localize the positions of fluorophores and determine molecular distribution. The firm claims that Monet overcomes a number of limitations associated with PALM and STORM techniques while providing 2-D resolution down to 20 nm.