Siemens Healthineers Now Offers High-resolution, Digital Urine Microscopy with its Compact Atellica UAS 60 Analyzer

Not for publication in the USA 

• Analyzer identifies urine sediment particles, flags outliers potentially overlooked by human eye 
• Labs gain potential to reduce human error and save time by automating urinalysis workflow 
• Full field-of-view digital imaging closely replicates manual microscopy 

Siemens Healthineers announced today the Atellica UAS 60 Analyzer¹, a compact solution for urine sediment analysis, can automate a lab's urinalysis workflow with full field-of-view digital imaging that closely replicates manual microscopy. Laboratory professionals can more rapidly and accurately review and report urine sediment results by replacing routine manual microscopy with an automated, digital alternative. 

Clinicians have studied urine characteristics for thousands of years for clues about bodily functions. Urinalysis reveals important patient insights such as proper kidney or liver functions and can detect bacterial infection and other diseases. The manual process of handling a urine sample, preparing a slide, then analyzing a sample under a microscope to identify urine sediment particles is time consuming and introduces variability. 

"Every urine test begins to tell someone’s story,” said Robert Stowers, executive vice president and head of the Specialty Lab Solutions business for Diagnostics, Siemens Healthineers. “Clinicians carry the weight of the responsibility to deliver the insights hidden in a patient’s sample. Urine analysis is a vital step to unlock these insights. Manual analysis is more prone to human error and uninterrupted attention is scarce now that staffing shortages are at critical levels and the workload is growing. The Atellica UAS 60 Analyzer streamlines the analysis process to better serve patients.” 

The Atellica UAS 60 Analyzer reduces specimen handling by digitizing urine sediment microscopy for laboratory professionals to review. A trained lab professional manually pipettes a sample onto a cuvette and the analyzer generates 15 high-resolution digital images per sample. The Atellica UAS 60 Analyzer uses neural network-based post-processing of images to identify urine sediment particles. Auto Image Evaluation Module technology digitally tags urine sediment particles for automatic identification, reducing workload burden and potential for human errors. The lab professional also can employ the live-view mode to visualize movement, commonly seen in parasites. Chronic kidney disease and urinary tract infections can be more easily identified with automatic bacterial subcategorization. Digital zoom capability provides a detailed view of individual sample images. 

Pioneering urinalysis technology since the early 1900s 
Siemens Healthineers’ deep history in urinalysis testing saw its first major milestone in 1956 when urinalysis pioneer Helen Murray Free and husband Alfred invented the first dip-and-read paper strip for detecting glucose in urine. The company's portfolio has grown to include fully integrated and automated solutions for a range of urinalysis testing environments and laboratories of all sizes. With more than 80 years of expertise in urine chemistry and diagnostics automation, Siemens Healthineers is committed to offering state-of-the-art urinalysis technology.