Supply, Delivery, Installation, Commissioning and Post-Warranty Maintenance of Automated Block Trimmer and Laser Slice Printers

The Histopathology team at CUH is part of the Pathology Directorate and forms part of Division B comprising a number of other services including Genomics and Cancer Services. The department currently processes approximately 80,000 cases per year generating approximately 240.000 wax blocks and 500,000 slides.

CUH is currently in the process of tendering for the provision of a solution to complement the automation of existing workflow from microtomy to block check of blocks and stained slides. The solution must include on-demand printing of slides, and a fully automated walk-away system for block trimming of paraffin embedded blocks that can be sectioned either manually or automated using the AS-410M auto sectioner. The laboratory currently makes use of batch slide printing for manual microtomy, and manually trims paraffin embedded blocks to be sectioned through automated sectioning and slide mounting. The solution must allow the laboratory to implement a continuous workflow that eliminates batching requirements, and checking of block against slide at the quality check step. The slide printing component of the solution must be able to interface to EPIC Beaker. The devices must fulfill the following essential requirements:

• Solution must be compatible with existing equipment, consumables and workflow for maintaining operational efficiency
• Solution must be within current budget
• Solution must be able to trim in blocks full face as a walk-away system
• Solution and associated consumables must be compatible to automated sectioner AS-410 and manual microtomy
• Evidence of implementation and validation of equipment must be provided
• Solution must be able to automatically change blades as required
• Solution must be able to automatically orientate block surface without human intervention
• Solution must allow continuous loading of blocks
• Solution must have integrated imaging system to capture image of blocks trimmed for reference purposes and quality check
• Solution must have built in wax waste collection
• Solution must have a notification system for status update
• Solution must be able to trim paraffin blocks at a minimum rate of 1 to 2 minutes per block
• Solution must have a capacity of being able to hold up to 192 blocks for continuous trimming
• Solution must have functionality to be able to trim various tissue types. Please confirm tissue types that have been validated to be trimmed on equipment.
• Slide printing must use non-contact UV laser marking technology
• Slide printing component must be able to print at a rate of up to 5 seconds per slide
• Slides used on the slide printers must be agnostic and validated to downstream histopathology equipment including but not limited to VIP6 Tissue processors, Automated microtomy AS-140s, immunohistochemistry platform including BOND-III, BOND PRIME, Ventana platforms, any microtomes and archiving systems.
• Slide printing solution must have minimum of 1 to 2 slide hoppers, which can be removable and allow swapping between slide hoppers
• There must be a i interface between the Supplier’s slide printing and EPIC Beaker
• Slide printing must have standalone functionality in case of LIMS connection failure to equipment

The department is planning to relocate to its new base in 1000 Discovery Drive over a 3 week period from 25th July 2025. Tenderers should be aware that they may be required to install their solution in the current premises before relocating to the 1000 Discovery Drive site.