My friends, Tiresias has been in the habit of using some...

My friends,

Tiresias has been in the habit of using some medicalese lingo. Terms such as histopathology, cytology, in vivo, in vitro, ex vivo, molecular pathology, immunohistopathology have often, perhaps too often, slipped from his pen. Tiresias realises that his friends on HC are well versed in medical terminology having been long term holders of Optiscan. However, when Tiresias has spoken, incognito, to his non-medical, not so well-informed acquaintances, Tiresias has observed that they seemed puzzled. Their eyes would then glaze over. It was too hard for them. They would rather have their superfunds in the banks. However, when he talks about market potential, they would sit up and become more alert. So, just for the record Tiresias, just would like to clear up the meaning of some of this medical patois and explain what they actually might mean, in market valuation, to his friends and fellow shareholders of Optiscan.

Histology is the study under microscope of the tissues that make living bodies. Histopathology is the original pathology, the examination of diseased tissue at microscopic level. Prior to the invention of the microscope, the only pathology was naked eye examination; at post-mortem. The microscope brought in microscopic pathology and tissues could be examined at microscopic level. Cytology is the examination of cells that make up tissues. Histology, cytology, histopathology and cytopathology are products of the microscope. Up to the arrival of Optiscan all histopathology and cytopathology have been ex vivo. In other words, to examine tissues or cells they had to be taken out the body, as a specimen, and prepared, stained, sliced, mounted on a glass slide and then examined under microscope, by a histopathologist. Histopathology and cytopathology are big. The histopathology market is now growing at a rate of 13 to 15% per year. It is expected to reach 30 billion per annum by 2025. The rising prevalence of cancer, the ageing of the population, the demand for health, the technological advances in molecular cell biology, histology, cytology and immunology, immunopathology and genetics is producing an explosion in the field. There has been no practical in vivo histopathology of cytology before Optiscan. Optiscan confocal laser endomicroscope is a paradigm shift. It opens in vivo real time pathology in the operating theatre and in the screening clinic. Real time pathology. Real time pathology available to any person in the world who can apply a probe to tissue, in the body or outside. This is revolutionary. It changes the field and opens up whole new fields of real time cancer screening. It will replace frozen section biopsy and expand the use of real time ex vivo cytology and histopathology now limited by difficulties and limitations of frozen section. The current microscope technology market, which is predominantly medical, is about $10-$15 billion per annum. The field is currently growing at 10 to 15% per annum. Carl Zeiss is the number on supplier. Optiscan is now the right technology, in the right field, at exactly the right moment. To repeat himself, all over again, Tiresias says once again; My friends, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”.