BioVolume is the world’s first 3D imaging solution that has been developed in partnership with a leading pharmaceutical company and wider industry for visualising and measuring subcutaneous tumour growth in preclinical oncology research.
BioVolume was conceived to enable faster, smarter and more confident decisions to be made in the identification and development of new cancer therapeutics.
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By using a measurement device with lower user variability, the chance of missing a therapeutic effect can be reduced and time and resources spent pursuing false results can be saved.
Reduce the chance of missing
a therapeutic effect
by up to 7x
for a 650mm3 difference between treatment groups,
when compared to calliper user characteristics
“After purchasing the unit, it is now being used daily scanning on average 6 different protocols, saving us 30-60 minutes every day. BioVolume has lessened the error in tumor measurement and it has helped significantly in recognizing when the tumor has fully taken to the mouse rather than it being Matrigel.”
Emily McLure, Research Associate II/ Research Animal Lab Manager, Orano med
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BENEFITS
BioVolume enables cancer research companies to obtain more accurate, repeatable data than before. Translational science is also improved through data reliability and transparency.
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BioVolume uses proprietary capture analysis technologies to scan rodent tumours, recording RGB, thermal and 3D model data, delivering automatic detection, segmentation and measurement of a tumour’s volume. The data is processed and stored on the BioVolume cloud, allowing for a fast capture workflow and incorporates a fully traceable data storage and output solution for detailed analysis.
HOW IT WORKS
PROCESS OVERVIEW
A FAST AND INTUITIVE WORKFLOW
BioVolume was designed with the user's workflow in mind, ensuring that a measurement session can be completed as quickly as with callipers but with all the benefits of an advanced imaging platform.
THE SCIENCE
INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF BIOVOLUME INTER-OPERATOR PERFORMANCE
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ABSTRACT
In this experiment 3 operators at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) were tasked with capturing measurements of subcutaneous tumours on mice with both callipers and BioVolume on the same day, for the duration of the study protocol.
This was then repeated over 2 further experiments (3 experiments in total). The primary goal was to compare the inter operator variability of the 2 techniques to see if BioVolume outperformed callipers in the repeatability of measurements between operators.
A secondary goal of the experiment was to see if collecting image data (thermal, 3D and RGB photographic image sets) using BioVolume provided additional traceability benefits to the operators.
METHOD
3 Operators anonymised with labels 101, 102 and 103, were chosen at random to take measurements of single subcutaneous tumours implanted on the flank of 40 C57 Black/6 mice.
The experiment was conducted on 2 further studies containing 64 and 32 mice respectively, this time on Balb/C mice. ​
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2 different techniques were used for measurement during this standard tumour growth study (with no compound or dosing of the animals).
Study | Method |
|---|---|
Study Type | Growth |
Study Duration | 12 days after implantation |
Measurement frequency | Twice weekly |
Operators | 3 |
RESULTS
Fig. 1
GROWTH CURVE ALIGNMENT
After all of the data was collected, growth curves were plotted for both BioVolume and calliper tumour volume measurements obtained by the 3 operators.
The results can be seen in Fig. 1, and visually demonstrates reduced variability between users during the initial study, when utilising BioVolume.
VARIABILITY ANALYSIS
Intra-class correlation analysis is used to assess the variance across operators whilst accounting for other sources of variation. High ICC corresponds to high agreement
(1 is perfect agreement).
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For the 3 experiments, there is a statistically significant difference between the 2 techniques. The BioVolume ICC score is in the ‘excellent’ group, while the result for callipers falls into the ‘good/moderate’ group.
BioVolume ICC: 0.96 (0.95- 0.96)
Category: Excellent
Callipers: 0.86 (0.73 - 0.91)
Category: Good/ Moderate
DATA TRACEABILITY & VALIDATION
BioVolume records 3D models, RGB and thermal imagery for each rodent measurement, allowing interrogation at an individual rodent level. Tumour progression can be tracked visually, providing confidence in measurement output.
CONCLUSION
ICC and CoV analysis show statistically significant improvement in inter-operator variability across all 3 users when utilising BioVolume within the three individual experiments. This allows us to conclude that BioVolume can offer an improvement in study repeatability, as well as additional associated benefits.
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The secondary goal of determining whether the collection of image data provided the user with additional benefits by way of allowing interrogation of raw data was also found to be true. BioVolume’s thermal, 3D and RGB image sets provided traceable visualisations of physical tumour growth over time, resulting in greater user confidence of the study outcome.
NEWS AND PUBLICATIONS
Explore the latest publications and news about BioVolume.
In Silico Modeling Demonstrates that User Variability During Tumor Measurement Can Affect In Vivo Efficacy Outcomes
12/6/22, 11:44 AM
User measurement bias is a source of variation in preclinical studies. We investigated if variability could impact outcomes, using false negative result rate when comparing treated and control groups.
Comparing Variability in Measurement of Subcutaneous Tumors in Mice Using 3D Thermal Imaging and Calipers
1/4/23, 11:44 AM
Download our publication in JAALAS Comparative Medicine investigating how variability can be reduced in the measurement of Subcutaneous Tumors in Mice when using 3D Thermal Imaging
SPECIFICATION
Every BioVolume implementation is delivered as a complete service package including hardware, software, platform, training and support.
HARDWARE OVERVIEW
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H: 198mm
W: 169mm
L: 278mm
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Aperture plate
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Dust cover
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Scan capture button
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USB-B port
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