Advances in automation for experimental pathology

The establishment of the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), Jefferson, AR, to study long term effects of low doses of potentially toxic substances, including carcinogens, resulted in the initiation of chronic experiments requiring histophatologic studies of large numbers of animals. Processing the tissues and recording and analyzing the massive amount of pathologic data from these studies required innovative automated technics. The result was a unique computerized pathology data system of NCTR. The system encompasses the development of training programs for necropsy techincians, histology technicians, and pathology tissue screeners; the use of automated equipment for processing, embedding, sectioning, and staining tissue; the use of prelabeled cassettes, slides, and pathology forms; the use of mark-sensitive forms for the collection of gross and microscopic findings; the use of data collection terminals for animal identification, animal weights, and organ weights; the collection of gross and microscopic data on a Mod Comp III minicomputer; and the storage, analysis, and generation of pathology reports and tables over a data link from an IBM 370-158 computer. Some of the features of this system may be applicable in other toxicology laboratories and medical pathology departments.