FAQs
Quality Management
Q: The team would love to translate this into a QC friendly assay. Do we have inputs on how we can validate this for a QC environment?
A: The ViQi Platform is an FDA Class 1 Medical Device Data Storage System. It has a quality management system in place (we use Drata). We work with our clients on how to make sure you are successful in your Quality standards. We have an electronic quality management system to help make sure we are up to standards.
Q: Which cloud platform is being utilized?
A: AWS Commercial Cloud (Primarily US-West-2 but other regions are used)
Q: Who will manage the SaaS environment? (security, updates, maintenance)
A: ViQi
AVIA
Q: What kind of imaging device do I need?
A: ViQi can work with a wide variety of imaging devices as long as they match our specifications, such as the ability for automated plate imaging in brightfield or phase-contrast with a 20x objective and 0.5 µm/pixel resolution or better. If the microplate imager includes an incubator (temperature control, CO2), then the assay can be fully automated. Otherwise, the plate is manually transferred between an incubator and a microplate imager at the selected timepoints. If you don’t currently have an imaging device, ViQi will leverage its relationship with manufacturers to help you get the information you need. Here is a list of some imagers we have worked with.
Q: Overall, how should I set up my plates to be imaged?
A: On 96-well plates, collect a 5x5 grid of non-overlapping, closely spaced images, covering the majority of the well surface without being affected by illumination artifacts from the well boundaries. Filling wells with as much media as possible before imaging reduces well-edge illumination artifacts.
Q: What data will be stored in the ViQi platform (and at what risk)?
A: ViQi stores images, AI models, and analysis results. This is Low risk. All entities are located in password protected accounts managed by ViQi.
Q: Does ViQi have a formal cybersecurity program?
A: Yes. We train all employees to be cyber security aware, protect passwords, and be aware of phishing.
Q: Does ViQi have a formal, documented disaster recovery/business continuity program?
A: Yes. We have a policy and SOP that addresses business continuity, disaster recovery, and contingency planning. Our procedures are stored within our eQMS system and reviewed annually.
AutoHCS
Q: What is AutoHCS, and how does it work?
A: AutoHCS is ViQi’s AI-powered image analysis system for high-content screening assays. It automates the detection and scoring of phenotypic responses to drugs in cells or tissues, generating actionable insights for biological and pharmacological interpretation.
Q: Can AutoHCS be tailored to my specific research?
A: Yes. AutoHCS creates lab-specific AI models that adapt to your unique needs, from anti-cancer screens to stem cell analysis or novel compound identification and more.
Histology
Q: Can ViQi process histology samples?
A: Yes, our platform supports histology analysis, including tissue segmentation, phenotypic scoring, and fibrosis quantification through digital pathology tools like FibroNest.
Q: How do I prepare histology samples for analysis?
A: Samples must be scanned at high resolution and formatted in standard imaging formats like TIFF. Our team can provide specific guidelines for sample preparation.
Custom Assays
Q: Can ViQi create assays tailored to specific research needs?
A: Yes. We collaborate closely with clients to design, validate, and implement custom AI-powered assays that align with their research goals and protocols.
Q: How do I get started with a custom assay?
A:Share your experimental design, imaging data, and objectives with us. Our team will build a customized analysis pipeline optimized for your workflow.
Miscellaneous
Q: Are you hiring?
A: Yes! Check our Careers page for the latest opportunities.
Q: Do you hire remote employees?
A:Yes, we support a flexible work environment and hire remote team members for various roles.
Q: How many timepoints are we normally looking at for initial feasibility?
A: Usually three. For rapid turnaround, we recommend a 6-8 hour time point, a 16 hours time point, and a 24 hour time point. This schedule also supports working hours.
Q: Why is there a SaaS subscription fee?
A: The assays and other applications developed by ViQi are accessed through the ViQi cloud-based platform. This approach allows us to support our customers’ quality control and data provenance needs. To ensure we can meet the range of data management needs of all customers we provide access to historical data under the specific data retention policy requested by each customer. To accommodate the variety of requirements we handle all of this as software-as-a-service (SaaS) and require a subscription for ongoing access to our applications, assays, and the data input into and generated by our tools.
Q: How does AutoHCS improve workflow efficiency?
A: AutoHCS automates and simplifies complex image analysis, reducing human experimental bias and accelerating results generation from days to hours. There is no need to navigate software; the user benefits from the agnostic approach of AutoHCS to glean maximized discovery insight.
Q: Is ViQi’s digital pathology solution available for clinical use?
A: No. ViQi’s solution can be used for both research and translational research, but currently our work in digital pathology is not available for clinical applications.
Q: Are custom assays validated for regulatory compliance?
A: We do validate each custom assay to confirm reproducibility of the unique algorithm(s) developed. Validating for regulatory compliance will require the ViQi team working closely with the end-user's regulatory and quality organizations to ensure your requirements are fully addressed.
Q: Does ViQi collaborate with other organizations?
A: Yes. We collaborate with academics and non-profits for publications and grants, co-market with hardware manufacturers, and have engaged with industry partners for a variety of reasons. Reach out to explore partnership opportunities.