A Customer Solution of Extraordinary Proportion

How Hengstler-Dynapar delivered its customers an imaging technology solution that can position and focus at dimensions smaller than the width of a human hair for more accurate cervical cancer detection.  Watch the feature video below to learn more.

Hear from an Expert: Solving Customers' Most Complex Challenges

Hengstler-Dynapar translates motion into actionable intelligence so manufacturers can unlock new levels of efficiency and quality in the moments where precision matters most. Hear more from Sean Harrington about how the company helps professionals in exciting industries overcome complex challenges.

How Precision Motion Control Enables Cervical Cancer Detection

Read about how Hengstler-Dynapar, a Ralliant Company, called in their Dover Motion team to help a leading diagnostics company build an advanced imaging system.

Every day, pathologists around the world rely on advanced diagnostic tools to detect cervical cancer before it progresses. When these instruments miss critical details, lives hang in the balance. That’s why Hengstler-Dynapar, a Ralliant Company, called in their Dover Motion team, which specializes in precision motion control, to help a leading digital diagnostics company build an advanced imaging system capable of detecting cervical cancer cells faster, with unprecedented speed, efficiency, and reliability. 

The Challenge

The company was building an automated digital cytology instrument capable of detecting cancer by analyzing microscopic cell samples. They initially chose to incorporate a widely used modular motor technology, but it proved difficult to control. Ultimately, this motor technology couldn't consistently deliver the precision, repeatability, and reliability required for cellular-level imaging.

The Need for Precision

The incumbent technology could not deliver the ultra-high precision required to provide focus at the cellular level and repeatably position the samples. Because of this, the prototypes in development were unable to meet their cost or performance requirements. A new precision motion solution was required to advance the development of this life-saving instrument.  

The Breakthrough

The team spent countless hours on-site learning the customer's needs and co-engineering the solution. Through that close collaboration, the team quickly developed a compact, custom multi-axis scanning system that delivered the precision needed to capture detailed cell images for cancer detection. The system used a high-precision platform to position samples quickly and accurately, allowing large numbers of samples to be scanned fast and efficiently. For focusing, the team created a simple but highly accurate design that mounts the microscope lens in a way that eliminates the need for manual optical alignment during assembly. This streamlined approach reduced manufacturing time, simplified integration, and helped ensure consistent performance across every instrument. 

The resulting solution provided the ultra-high precision, repeatability, and reliability required for cellular-level imaging. By combining custom engineering with a deep understanding of the customer's application, Dover Motion enabled the development of a faster, more reliable cancer detection instrument capable of meeting both performance and cost objectives.

The Impact

Today, this instrument results in a more than 50% increase in lab productivity and more accurate clinical diagnoses. Due to its effectiveness, the instrument has captured more than 70% of the specific diagnostic test market, making it one of the most widely adopted cervical cancer detection technologies worldwide. It is relied upon by thousands of patients each day, contributing to the saving of millions of lives through early detection and timely treatment.

Ralliant powers breakthrough innovation through precision. Our companies design and deliver instruments, sensors, and safety systems for the most demanding applications in critical industries, including life sciences, utilities, aerospace, defense, electronics, and industrial manufacturing. We engineer accuracy where the stakes are highest, reliability where failure isn’t an option, and innovation where progress depends on getting it right, every time.