Performance Evaluation of the Atellica Hema 580 Automated Slidemaker and Stainer for Morphology Review

Improved measurement technologies for automated peripheral blood smear (PBS) preparation have led to a more efficient workflow. In this report, we evaluated the Atellica Hema 580 automated slidemaker/stainer (Siemens Healthineers, Tarrytown, NY, USA).

The quality of PBS prepared and stained on the Atellica Hema 580 slidemaker/stainer were compared with manual films stained on the Hematek 3000. A 200-cell differential and morphology assessment were performed by two competent morphologists.

Macroscopically, the automated PBS were of excellent quality, with a gradual transition in thickness, smooth edges, and sufficient length. The morphology was comparable between manual and automated PBS. Correlations between the manual and automated PBS were 0.95 (95% confidence interval: 0.92 to 0.96) for neutrophils, 0.63 (95% CI: 0.50 to 0.74) for monocytes and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85 to 0.93) for lymphocytes.

The performance of Atellica Hema 580 automated slidemaker/stainer was comparable to the manual method and represents a reliable automated solution for medium to large sized laboratories.