SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 23, 2026--
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the launch of the Agilent S540MD Slide Scanner System, a whole slide imaging (WSI) digital scanner, available for sale in key European markets. The launch reflects Agilent’s continued investment in digital pathology, expanding its portfolio to meet the growing demand for high-throughput solutions in clinical laboratories.
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Pathology laboratories worldwide are under increasing pressure to improve diagnostic precision and operational efficiency while managing growing sample volumes and case complexity. As a result, labs require robust, high-speed scanning solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing workflows, as reliance on traditional glass slide workflows alone can slow turnaround times and overall output. Workflow digitization and AI-driven tools have been proven to be key drivers of workflow efficiency and scalability.
Engineered for speed and scalability, the Agilent S540MD offers capacity for up to 540 slides, continuous loading and standard rack compatibility. The scanner features automated scanning modes and AI-assisted tissue detection, enabling high-volume pathology labs to digitize glass slides efficiently and to implement digital and AI-driven workflows. The new scanner is the Agilent-branded version of the Hamamatsu NanoZoomer S540MD Slide Scanner System.
With the introduction of the Agilent S540MD scanner, Agilent enhances its capabilities in digital pathology, enriching its offering from staining to AI decision support and providing laboratories with increased flexibility to select solutions that align with their specific requirements.
Nina Green, vice president and general manager of the clinical diagnostics division at Agilent, said, “The introduction of the Agilent S540MD Slide Scanner System marks an important advancement in our commitment to equip pathology laboratories with advanced digital technologies. This initiative facilitates the acceleration of diagnostic workflows and supports improved patient outcomes.” She went on to say, “Our partnership with Hamamatsu demonstrates Agilent’s ongoing dedication to delivering integrated, fully interoperable solutions to address the evolving needs of clinical laboratories.”
This announcement underscores Agilent’s commitment to advancing digital pathology by enabling laboratories to streamline diagnostic processes, improve operational efficiency, and leverage AI-powered insights. The Agilent S540MD scanner will initially be available as IVD in Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Luxembourg, and Italy (IVDR), the UK (MDR2002) and Switzerland (IvDO) with plans to expand into additional European countries and further milestones are scheduled for 2026.
For more information about Agilent’s digital pathology solutions, visit https://www.agilent.com/en/product/digital-pathology.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global leader in analytical and clinical laboratory technologies, delivering insights and innovation that help our customers bring great science to life. Agilent’s full range of solutions includes instruments, software, services, and expertise that provide trusted answers to our customers' most challenging questions. The company generated revenue of $6.95 billion in fiscal year 2025 and employs approximately 18,000 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available atwww.agilent.com. To receive the latest Agilent news, subscribe to theAgilent Newsroom. Follow Agilent onLinkedInandFacebook.
Agilent S540MD Slide Scanner System
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed Friday to work together to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease global economic uncertainties caused by the war in the Middle East.
Their summit in Seoul came as U.S. President Donald Trump slammed allies for not supporting the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. Macron was making his first visit to South Korea since taking office in 2017, as part of an Asian tour that already has taken him to Japan.
Macron told Lee at the start of the meeting that the two countries can play a role in helping to stabilize the situation in the Middle East, including Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which has unleashed shock on global energy markets.
At a joint televised briefing afterward, Macron underscored the need for France and South Korea to cooperate to help reopen the strait and deescalate Middle East animosities, while Lee said the two affirmed “their resolves to cooperate to secure the safe shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The two leaders did not take questions and did not elaborate on how they would help reopen the strait — the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil usually passes.
“We need to clearly define, at the international level, the conditions for a process to ease the crisis and conflict in the Middle East,” Macron said. “We need to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.”
Lee said he and Macron agreed to expand cooperation in technology, energy and other areas. South Korean and French officials also signed agreements to cooperate on nuclear fuel supply chains, jointly invest in an offshore wind project in southern South Korea and to collaborate on critical minerals. South Korea has moved to increase output at its nuclear reactors to mitigate the energy crunch and Lee has also called for a faster transition to renewable energy, saying the war has exposed the country’s heavy reliance on fossil fuel imports.
Macron’s Asia trip comes as Trump has ramped up his frustration with allies. In a speech Wednesday, Trump said Americans “don’t need” the strait but the countries who do “must grab it and cherish it.”
In an earlier Easter event at the White House, Trump called for his allies in Asia and China to get involved in reopening the waterway.
“Let South Korea, you know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm’s way over there, right next to a nuclear force — let South Korea do it,” Trump said. “Let Japan do it. They get 90% of their oil from the strait. Let China do it.”
The United States stations about 28,000 troops in South Korea, not the 45,000 stated by Trump. The U.S. troops’ deployment in South Korea is meant to deter potential aggressions from North Korea.
Macron has said reopening the Strait of Hormuz through a military operation is unrealistic.
South Korean officials have said they are in contact with Washington on the issue and that Seoul isn’t considering paying Iran transit fees to secure fuel shipments through the strait.
French President Emmanuel Macron, front left, his wife Brigitte Macron, back center, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, front right, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung, right, attend the welcome ceremony at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je /Pool Photo via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron, center, his wife Brigitte Macron, left, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung, second left, attend the welcome ceremony at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je /Pool Photo via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron, second left, talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, second right, during their meeting at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during their meeting at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 3, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)
