SUNNYVALE, CA, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MDS Analytical Technologies, a leader in innovative solutions for drug discovery and life sciences research, announced today the launch of a significant advance in high speed imaging technologies from its Molecular Devices business with the release of the MetaMorph(R) ICS (Integrated Confocal System), in partnership with VisiTech International, a manufacturer of confocal hardware. This turnkey, confocal microscope is the first of its kind in the imaging industry. It has the capability to obtain high resolution images in multiple dimensions to support researchers in their exploration of live cell and functional imaging without the limitations inherent in other high-speed imaging technologies. This unique microscope combines the Molecular Devices' MetaMorph software, which is the industry standard automation and image analysis package, with the VT-Infinity(3)(TM) 2D-array laser confocal scanner from VisiTech International. This combination is designed to meet the growing demand for imaging rapid changes within cells and then analyzing these changes in multiple dimensions. The microscope has matched micro-lens and pinhole arrays to achieve optimum performance and a single, double-sided galvanometer mirror to scan the sample, de-scan the fluorescent light returned from the sample, and re-scan that fluorescent light into the camera to create multi-dimensional, confocal images in real-time. This capability is especially useful in such areas as cardiac research. For example, after a heart attack, researchers want to know how the cardiac muscle contracts to determine if there is damage to the muscle. Using calcium imaging with the MetaMorph ICS, the reaction of cardiac muscle cells can be analyzed in real-time, giving researchers important clues as to how the cardiac muscle works. This new microscope can be used in multiple imaging applications, including protein localization, protein-protein interactions, gene expression, intra-cellular ion waves, calcium puffs and sparks, FRET, co-localization, tissue section morphology and 3D reconstruction. "We are very excited to introduce this innovative microscope, a first of its kind in the imaging industry," said Andy Boorn, President of MDS Analytical Technologies. "We've combined the speed, resolution, and sensitivity of the multi-dimensional, confocal imaging technology with the methods and applications in our MetaMorph software to produce a powerful new solution for researchers to advance their analysis with live cell and functional imaging." Professor Dr. Peter Lipp, chair of the Institute for Molecular Cell Biology at the University of the Saarland in Homburg, Germany, commented, "In our research lab, we use the VT-Infinity(3) scanner. This scanner represents an entirely new level in multi-beam confocal technology, offering greater flexibility and ultra-high-speed acquisition. It was an excellent choice to use as the scanning component in the new MetaMorph ICS." The new MetaMorph ICS microscope will be presented at the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting, December 1-5, 2007 in Washington, DC, at MDS Analytical Technologies' Molecular Devices booth #1203. About MDS Inc. MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ) is a global life sciences company that provides market-leading products and services that our customers need for the development of drugs and diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading global provider of pharmaceutical contract research, medical isotopes for molecular imaging, radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has more than 6,200 highly skilled people in 28 countries. Find out more at http://www.mdsinc.com/ or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day. About MDS Analytical Technologies MDS Analytical Technologies is a newly established MDS Inc. business unit and is a world-class organization comprised of two main lines of business. The Sciex product portfolio offers proven market leadership in mass spectrometry through its joint ventures with two of the world's leading analytical instrumentation and life sciences companies, Applied Biosystems, a business of the Applera Corporation and PerkinElmer Inc. The Molecular Devices product portfolio is the gold standard in high-performance bioanalytical measurement systems that accelerate and improve drug discovery and other life sciences research. Find out more at http://www.moleculardevices.com/ or http://www.mdssciex.com/. DATASOURCE: MDS Analytical Technologies CONTACT: Media: Cheri Salazar, Director, Marketing Communications, Molecular Devices, now part of MDS Analytical Technologies, (408) 548-6316, ; Investors: Sharon Mathers, Senior Vice-President, Investor Relations and External Communications, MDS Inc., (416) 675-6777 x 34721,

Copyright