SEE YOUR STUDIES IN 3D
Advancing preclinical oncology with thermography and 3D scanning of subcutaneous tumours.
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.
It was conceived to enable faster, smarter and more confident decisions to be made in the identification and development of new cancer therapeutics.
Used by leading pharma, biotech and research institutions including:
BENEFITS
BioVolume enables cancer research companies to obtain more accurate, repeatable data than before. Translational science is also improved through data reliability and transparency.
REPEATABILITY
By significantly reducing
inter-operator variability across studies BioVolume can improve repeatability, removing the reliance on a single operator to complete a study.
SCIENTIFIC CONFIDENCE
With 3D imaging and thermography of each rodent tumour
BioVolume's algorithmic
approach to segmentation
and measurement ensures
consistency in output.
TRACEABILITY
BioVolume's secure cloud-based platform ensures all data is a captured, secured and available for review, offering full transparency in study data collection and analysis.
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
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.
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).
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.
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.
BioVolume Feature Updates September 2022
9/9/22, 11:29 AM
Info on our major release. New features include tumour condition area, multi-site measurement and a new randomisation tool.
Re-evaluating historic preclinical endpoints with BioVolume
6/24/22, 8:10 AM
With previous experimental methods built around the limitations of calliper acquisition, we provide a method to align historical endpoints with the BioVolume platform.
Using calibrated photographic images and thermal data to investigate trends in tumour conditions
10/11/21, 10:34 AM
A poster analysing how structured image and thermal data can be used to identify trends in tumour condition in both the days leading up to, and the days following the point of ulceration.
Can digital innovation solve the reproducibility crisis?
7/12/21, 8:58 AM
Recent analysis has reported irreproducibility rates in pre-clinical research to range from 51%-89%.
BioVolume 2020 webinars
1/14/21, 12:07 PM
Video content of all BioVolume content presented at the 2020 AALAS conference
BioVolume Feature Updates August 2022
8/5/22, 7:09 AM
The releases and updates made this year and a quick look at what’s to come in a major release this August.
In silico modelling demonstrates that user variability during tumor measurement can affect in vivo therapeutic efficacy outcomes
5/4/22, 7:41 AM
We show greater measurement variability results in greater experimental uncertainty, and BioVolume can reduce the chance of a false negative result.
A comparison of tumour volume accuracy taken with Callipers and BioVolume when compared to excised tumour weights
10/11/21, 10:19 AM
A poster exploring how using a BioVolume captured height measurement offers an average volume 8 times closer to the excised weight measurements than callipers.
Creating the digital lab of the future
4/1/21, 1:19 PM
BioVolume is now integrated with the Somark Sensalab benchtop reader for a fully automated identification and capture process
Reducing inter-operator variability poster with GNF
11/16/20, 9:58 AM
A poster publication in partnership with GNF exploring how BioVolume can reduce inter-operator variability in measuring subcutaneous tumours
Whitepaper: Modelling the economic impact of improving preclinical reproducibility with BioVolume
6/28/22, 7:48 AM
This report demonstrates how adopting BioVolume could save up to $33m in the drug development cycle, utilising the economic model created by Paul et al in their 2010 analysis.
Optimising Measurement Of Subcutaneous Rodent Leg Tumours
3/25/22, 1:51 PM
Our work with HZDR found measurement variability of rodent leg tumours can be decreased by inoculating tumour high up in the shoulder, and by using BioVolume instead of callipers.
Reducing inter-operator variability when measuring subcutaneous tumours in mice
10/11/21, 9:58 AM
Our preprint publication analysing operator variability of BioVolume vs callipers, and impact on drug efficacy assessment in over 5,000 repeats across 238 studies.
Improving reproducibility through data traceability with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
3/9/21, 9:27 AM
Data traceability and its contribution to study reproducibility a poster in partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
PLOS ONE
4/27/20, 1:41 PM
A Publication on an innovative non-invasive technique for subcutaneous tumour measurements
SPECIFICATION
Every BioVolume implementation is delivered as a complete service package including hardware, software, platform, training and support.
HARDWARE OVERVIEW
1
2
3
4
5
H: 198mm
W: 169mm
L: 278mm
1
Aperture plate
2
Dust cover
3
Scan capture button
4
USB-B port
5
Power input
SPECIFICATIONS
Product dimensions | L:278mm, H:198mm, W:169mm |
Connectivity | USB A or C (PC) to USB B (Unit) |
Compatible software | BioVolume Capture Application, Web based access to data via app.biovolume.com
|
Output data | • Thermal image
• RBG Image
• 3D model of tumour surface
• Tumour length
• Tumour width
• Tumour height
• Tumour Volume
• Study growth curves by group / animal
|
Metadata | • Study name
• Date / Time
• Operator
• Animal strain
• Cell line
• Group
• Weight
• Excised weight
• Comments
• Segmentation adjustment |
Data output format | CSV |
Data output integration | Rest APi v1 Study data export |
System integrations | RFiD reader input, write to field weight scales |
Required PC specifications | CPU: Intel i5 5th Gen
RAM: 8GB
|
Compatible operating system | Windows 64 bit, Windows 10 Pro |
Secure cloud tentant | Azure Cloud Security Compliance
• Fuel3D Azure CIS 1.1.0
• Fuel3D Azure ISO 27001
• Fuel3D Azure PCI DSS 3.2.1
• Fuel3D Azure SOC TSP |
Peripherals | Dual action capture foot pedal and adjustable stand |
SUPPORT & TRAINING
Dedicated account manager
Guaranteed response timeframes from UK support team, based on issue severity
Automated additional user registration
Full hardware support for the duration of the contract
Customised user training programme
& full suite of materials
CONTACT US