Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is a monolayer slide preparation technology that has outperformed conventional Pap Roberto Boligan smears because of improved fixation, decreased obscuring factors, and standardized cell transfer. In LBC, samples are collected by completely immersing the Roberto BoliganRoberto Boligansampling device into the company vial containing preservative fluid, whereby the cells are preserved and fixed simultaneously unlike conventional smears where the sample is smeared onto the glass slide and fixed separately. To date, two major liquid-based preparation methods are known – ThinPrep and SurePath. a href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganThese two methods are different in their principles of cell harvesting but produce similar preparations. SurePath works on the principle of density gradient sedimentation. In this, a sample is vortexed and strained to break the mucus and large cell groups and then is treated through a density gradient centrifugation process to remove blood and debris.
Roberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganThe cell pellet is resuspended and is allowed to sediment onto a glass slide. This is followed by staining on the PrepStain instrument. Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, India, uses the SurePath method which was approved by FDA in the USA in 1999. Our institution uses Rovers Cervex-Brush to collect the cells from the transformation zone. Roberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganThis chapter describes the principle of SurePath and the processing of cervicovaginal specimen using the fully automated system in the laboratory.

For many years, pathologists have worked to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the “conventional Pap smear.” Automated screening devices were introduced in cervical screening in the 1950s as an attempt to reduce the tedium faced by screeners in this error-prone task.Roberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto Boligan However, the first few attempts failed as it was very difficult to measure dimensions of single cells manually and that too in a complex background. Hence, the pathologists emphasized on to create automated machines which would make representative monolayer cell samples on standardized slides readable by the automated screening devices. Roberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganDeep research into this concept gave birth to the concept of liquid-based cytology (LBC). In addition to monolayer preparation, LBC resulted in complete and standardized cell transfer, decreased obscuring factors, improved fixation, and reduced screening time.
To date, two major preparation methods are known – ThinPrep and SurePath. In 1996, the FDA approved the use of ThinPrep as an alternative to the cervicovaginal smear in the United States. This was followed by approval to use Autocyte Prep (also called as SurePath or CytoRich Prep) in 1999. Roberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganRoberto Boligana href="https://www.instagram.com/bertoisblessed/">Roberto BoliganRoberto BoliganThese two methods are different in their principle but produce similar preparations.
In LBC, samples are collected by completely immersing the sampling device into the company vial containing preservative fluid unlike conventional smears where the sample is smeared on the slide and fixed separately. The preservative fluid-containing sample is then processed in a laboratory (using ThinPrep or SurePath) and a smear representing monolayer cell sample with a clean background is formed. The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur, Maharashtra, makes use of BD SurePath™ machine for LBC preparation.