Laboratory Haematology

**Fellowship in Laboratory Haematology
Conceptualized in the year 2004 as a philanthropic initiative for the Eastern and North-Eastern
parts of India and the neighboring countries, the Tata Medical Center (TMC) started operations in
Kolkata on May 16, 2011. The hospital is governed by a charitable trust - Tata Medical Centre Trust.
It is an integrated Oncology facility with well-trained professional staff and equipped with modern
facilities and the most contemporary medical equipment. The hospital was designed by Cannon
Design, a renowned architectural firm from North America. It is located on 13 acres of land at New
Town in Kolkata, West Bengal.

The hospital is an integrated Oncology facility with well-trained professional staff and equipped
with modern facilities and contemporary medical equipment. The Hospital, with a capacity of 437
beds, serves all sections of the society, with 75% of the infrastructure earmarked for subsidized
treatment for the underprivileged sections. It provides a wide spectrum of services from diagnosis
and therapy to rehabilitation and palliative support. The Institution's objective is to excel in service,
education and research.

Laboratory Hematology / Haematopathology at the Tata Medical Center contribute to the diagnosis,
management, monitoring and prognostication of various hemato-lymphoid malignancies, non
- hematological malignancies and benign haematological disorders.

The state of the art haematology laboratory (NABL accredited) is equipped with 4 Flowcytometers
performing nearly 2500 flowcytometric assays annually. The four platforms available are ; one 3
Laser 12 color BD FACS LYRIC, one 3 Laser 13 colour Beckmann Coulter DX FLEX and two 3 Laser 8
color BD FACS CANTO II Flow Cytometers, being used for diagnostic immunophenotyping, MRD
analysis ( B / T cell ALLs, AMLs, CLLs and Plasma Cell neoplasms), PNH analysis, lymphocyte
subset analysis, EMA binding assay for Hereditary Spherocytosis, Body Fluids / CSF analysis and
CD34 stem cell enumeration. The laboratory uses the Miltenyi Biotec gentleMACS Tissue
Dissociator with Heater for performing flowcytometric analysis on solid tissues ( lymph nodes,
testis etc. ) by producing single cell suspensions in the Tissue Dissociator Platform.

For routine blood counts the laboratory has 2 advanced Beckmann Coulter 6 part DxH 900 and one
Beckman Coulter DxH 800 cell counters, which are integrated to 2 Beckman Coulter fully
automated slide maker & stainers for multi-parametric CBC analysis, Reticulocyte enumeration and
PBS interpretation. The DxH 900 has been interfaced with the digital haematology CellaVision DM
1200 platform, making the morphological cell analysis more precise, accurate and reproducible due
to the automated digital workflow technology. The entire range of coagulation parameters are
performed on the fully automated ACL TOP300 and ACL Elite PRO Coagulometers from
Instrumentation Laboratory (IL). Platelet Function Disorders are analysed by the CHRONO

• LOG Model 700 Whole Blood / Optical Lumi-Aggregometer in the laboratory. Rotational

Thromboelastometry using the ROTEM Platform performs the Global Haemostatic status in
complicated cancer surgeries with massive blood loss / blood component requirements. The
laboratory has the BIORAD D10 HPLC Platform for Haemoglobin Variant analysis for diagnosis of
various Hemoglobinopathies. Performing free light chain (FLC) Assay is integral to the diagnosis
and monitoring of multiple myeloms and the SPA-PLUS Platform from Binding Site is extensively
used in the laboratory.

Bone marrow aspirate and Bone marrow biopsy interpretation with routine & cytochemical stains,
IHCs are done in large numbers annually for various malignant / benign haematological entities
and solid tumours. Most advanced multi-head Leica Microscopes with attached high fidelity digital
camera set-up are utilized for detailed morphological evaluation of bone marrows for diagnosis and
teaching.

Cytogenetics and Molecular Haematology Analysis for diagnosis of haematological disorders are
extremely essential in current practice and are standard of care in this hospital. Majority of
cytogenetic analysis and molecular haematology assays are performed in the Cytogenetics and
Molecular Pathology Laboratories, which are ancillary laboratory services in the hospital and have
state of the art infrastructure, comparable to some of the best facilities within and outside the
country. These two laboratories though independent have been integral to the functioning of
Laboratory Haematology in every respect.

The department receives large number of samples (PB, BMA, and BMBX) from outside hospitals for
morphologic diagnosis, flowcytometric evaluations (Diagnostic, MRD Analysis, CD34 enumeration
etc.), cytogenetics and molecular genetic analysis in complex haemato-lymphoid malignancies. The
department participates in UKNEQAS, AIIMS EQAS, Coagulation EQAS from CMC,Vellore and
BIORAD EQAS for maintaining the stringent qua

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