An Overview
Salient Features of Digital Pathology
Progressive Insights AI in Pathology Market
An Overview
Salient Features of Digital Pathology
Progressive Insights AI in Pathology Market
Revolutionizing pathology through tech acceleration
Be er Health and a better way of life.
Digitalpathologyisanemergingfieldthatcombines
cutting-edgetechnologywithmedicalexpertiseto improvetheaccuracyandefficiencyofpathology diagnosis.Itreferstotheprocessofdigitizingglassslides oftissuesamplesthataretraditionallyviewedundera microscope.Thisdigitalinformationcanthenbeanalyzed usingpowerfulsoftwaretoolsthatcanenhancethe visualizationofthetissueandprovideadditional informationthatisnotvisibleunderamicroscope.The benefitsofdigitalpathologyincludeincreasedaccuracyand speedofdiagnosis,improvedcollaborationbetween pathologistsandtheabilitytoanalyzelargeamountsofdata toidentifypatternsandtrends.
Thepotentialapplicationsofdigitalpathologyare numerous,fromearlycancerdetectiontopersonalized medicine.Oneofthemostpromisingareasofdigital pathologyisinthefieldofoncology Withthehelpof digitalpathology,pathologistscanaccuratelyidentify cancerouscells,classifytumors,anddeterminethestageof cancer,whichiscriticalindevelopingeffectivetreatment plans.
Anotherareawheredigitalpathologyismakinga significantimpactisthefieldoftelepathology
Telepathologyallowspathologiststoremotelyviewand diagnosetissuesamples,whichisparticularlyusefulin areaswhereaccesstopathologyexpertiseislimited. Telepathologyalsoenablespathologiststocollaborateand shareexpertiseacrossgeographiclocations,whichcanlead tobetterpatientoutcomes.
Inconclusion,astechnologycontinuestoadvanceandthe demandforpersonalizedmedicinegrows,wecanexpectto seeevenmoregroundbreakingdevelopmentsinthedigital pathologyspace.
InsightsCare'slatesteditionof10BestCompaniesin DigitalPathologyMarket2023introducesyoualltothe companiesthatarerapidlyevolvinginthefieldhavingthe potentialtotransformthewaytodiagnoseandtreat diseases.
Hope you have an informative read!
-PoojaShah10 Best Companies in Digital Pathology Market 2023
AXON Diagnostics
Axondiagnostics.com
Bionovation Biotech Inc. Bionovationimc.com
CliniSys Sunquestinfo.com
Paul Cornell General Manager
Axon Diagnostics offer a suite of solutions to support the needs of modern day diagnostic imaging services, using nextgeneration technology and a purpose to disrupt the global teleradiology and pathology markets by doing things differently, to support happier lives for clinicians and help deliver better diagnostic care for all.
Yuefeng Yin CEO
Chad Meyers Vice President of Product Management & Strategy
Deciphex Deciphex.com
Donal O'Shea Founder and CEO
Bionovation Biotech Inc. is aimed for using a significant technological innovation to improve digital imaging in pathology
Clinisys is a global provider of informatics software and expertise to support diagnostic testing across healthcare, life sciences and public health.
Deciphex is focused on the development of software applications for preclinical/toxicologic pathology that improve productivity and help pathologists focus on the critical content
Imsight Technology Imsightmed.com
Huangjing Lin Chief Technology Officer
Imsight Technology is training AI to analyze medical images for faster and more consistent disease detection using award winning deep-learning techniques.
KUB Technologies Kubtec.com
Vikram Butani CEO KUB Technologies is a leader in specimen imaging systems and margin management technology.
Objective Imaging Limited
Objectiveimaging.com
Don Laferty President
Objective Imaging is the market-leading provider of automated digital microscopes for use in digital pathology and remote diagnostic applications.
OptiScan Optiscan.com
Ultivue, Inc. Ultivue.com
WSK Medical Wskmedical.org
Camile Farah CEO Optiscan is the global leader in real-time non-destructive digital microscopic imaging for medical applications.
Jacques Corriveau President
Ultivue develops innovative reagent-based solutions that maximize the biological information available from cells and tissue samples.
Marius Wellenstein Co-founder and COO
WSK Medical is passionate about assisting clinicians to transform the diagnosis and treatment of cancer through Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions.
Donal O’Shea Founder and CEO DeciphexIn2022,therearefewerpractisingpathologists,who Ihavetoperformmorefrequentandmorecomplex reviews.Anybusinessthatcanspeedupprocessesand simultaneouslyenhanceconfidenceinoutcomesmustbe includedinourlistofthe10BestCompaniesinDigital PathologyMarket2022.
Let’s Read More!
By building digital networks, Deciphex provides real-time access for international referring laboratories and organizations to the quality pathology services they need.
In2022,pathologyhassufferedaperfectstorm.Thereare fewerpractisingpathologists.Theyhavetoperformmore frequentandmorecomplexreviews.Delaysjeopardize drugdevelopmentprograms.Hastejeopardizespatient outcomes.
Anybusinessthatcanspeedupprocessesand simultaneouslyenhanceconfidenceinoutcomesmustbe includedinourlistofthe10BestCompaniesinDigital PathologyMarket2022
TounderstandwhatDeciphexhasbeenabletoachieve,and howitgothere,InsightsCaresatdownwithDonalO’Shea, FounderandCEOofDeciphex.
In20yearsinthefield,Donalhasdedicatedhisjourneyto harnessingtechnologytoempowerinnovationsinmodern healthcare.Afewyearsago,hesetouttoassembleateam thatshareshisvisionofmakingasignificantimpactonthe healthcaresector.
DonalO’SheaandMarkGregsonestablishedDeciphexin 2017afterrecognisingashortcominginthepathology sector.Itstruckthemthatthecommonone-size-fits-all approachtodigitalpathologywasinadequate.
DonalandMarkwereespeciallyconcernedthatworkflows standardizedacrossallsegmentsofthemarketplace.They believedthiswasunhelpful,whenneedsacrosssectors wereverydifferent.
Ingrainedpracticeswerefailingtomitigateshortagesof pathologyservices.Theyfeltthatenablingextraorganizationalcollaborationscouldalleviatetheissue,and beofmuchgreaterbenefitinsupportingorganizations.
“TheadventofAIandavisionofanAI-integrated workflowforpathologyserviceenhancementwasvery closetoourthinking,”statedDonal.
“Certaintyandreliabilityarevitalaspectsofpathology. Thishasbeenproventimeandagain.Morethan70percent ofalltheclinicaldecisionsmadearoundapatient’s diagnosisinvolvepathology,makingitanintegralpartof thehealthcaresystem.
able to connect dynamically with an external landscape of telehealth service providers such as Deciphex.
Evenwithgradualadvancements,thisapproachwas inadequatetomeetnumerousemergingchallenges.Chronic issuesinPathologysuchasburgeoningpatientwaittimes, recruitment,demandforexpertiseanddiagnostic complexitynecessitatedaninnovativesolutionforoptimal patientcare.”
Deciphexsawtheneedtoimprovepathologistproductivity –andrecognizedDigitalPathologyandAIasthesolution.
“Theuseofdigitalpathology(workloadbalancing)and artificialintelligence(processacceleration)willbeacritical tosolvingcurrentshortfallsinpathologyservices.”
Today,Deciphexisarevolutionarydigitalpathology companyattheforefrontofthisinnovativetechnology
Deciphexnetworkswithpathologistsfromallcornersofthe globetodrivehigh-qualityandefficientreporting,allwhile addressingthepathologyproductivitygapwithdigital pathologyandAI.
Donalstated,“TheDeciphexvisionistotransformorreplatformpathologyusingDigitalPathologyandAIwithan aimtodeliverAI-empoweredpathologyservices,where andwhentheyareneeded.”
Theuseofdigitalpathology(workloadbalancing)and ArtificialIntelligence(processacceleration)willbea
It is critical for healthcare providers to be
criticalpartofthesolutionforshortfallsinpathology services.
Deciphexisattheforefrontofthisrevolution,networking withpathologistsfromallcornersoftheglobetodrive high-quality,efficientreportingwhileaddressingthe pathologyproductivitygapwithdigitalpathologyandAI. TheresultofthisfocusisthePatholytixplatformand Diagnexiaonlinepathologyservice.
Patholytix
Integrate Workflows, Accelerate Research – The Single Go-ToPlatformforResearchPathologyProfessionals
Patholytixistheindustry-leadingdigitalpathology workflowandintegratedAIplatformforResearch Pathology TheleadingCROsandpharmaceutical companiestrustPatholytixforhandlinghigh-volumedrug safetypathologystudies,providingacompleteGLPcompliantworkflowwithintegratedAIscreening capabilities.
Diagnexia
RemoteExpertSubspecialtyPathologyonDemand
Diagnexiaisanonlineclinicalpathologydepartmentby Deciphex.Diagnexiaprovideson-demandaccesstoremote
subspecialtypathologistsforprimarydiagnosticsand secondaryconsultservices,supportingtheaccelerationof diagnosticturnaroundtimesanddeliveryofthehighest qualityofpatientcare.
FocusonDeliveringHigh-ValueServices
Ratherthansimplyservicingenterprisedigitalpathology needs,Deciphexisallaboutconnectingorganizations. Deciphexfocusesonbuildinghigh-valueextraorganizationalnetworksofserviceproviderswhocan delivervaluetostakeholdersindireneedofpathology serviceexpansion.
Donalasserts,“OurAI-empowerednetworksmeanour extra-organizationalnetworksaredeliveringgreater efficiencyandqualitythannon-AIempowered equivalents.”
Bybuildingdigitalnetworks,Deciphexprovidesreal-time accesstoqualitypathologyservicesforinternational referringlaboratoriesandorganizations.Client organizationscanexpandaparticularjurisdiction’s pathologycapacityby‘digitallyrepatriating’pathologists whoareregisteredtopracticeinthatregionbutwholivein adifferentcountry
Donal is an experienced corporate officer in the technology and diagnos cs sectors, having 20 years of business leadership experience from start-up through to large corporate enterprise. Donal has considerable M&A exper se. He has founded three companies and has senior management experience in Slidepath, Gene x, Leica Microsystems and Leica Biosystems.
“Inresearchpathology,weareenablingconnectivity betweenPharma,CROs,andanexternalConsultant networktosmoothoutthelogisticsofmovingphysical researchstudiesbetweenstakeholders,savingweeksinthe qualificationofdrugsafetyinPharmatrials,”addsDonal.
Itiscriticalforhealthcareproviderstobeabletoconnect dynamicallywithanexternallandscapeoftelehealth serviceproviderssuchasDeciphex.Theadventofhighqualitydigitalpathologyscanningequipmentallowsthese digital‘sockets’tobecreatedintheclinicallandscape.
TheDiagnexiasolutionempowerslabstoproduceadigital substratethatcanberapidlyandsecurelyoutsourced,with collaborationandinvolvementofClinicalISandITteams toadjudicatethequality,securityandintegrityofsuch telehealthsolutions.
“Thisisanamazingsectortoworkin,”statesDonal.“We aresomotivatedandexcitedbythequalityofmeaningful problemswearesolvingfortheclinicalandresearch communities.”
HebelievesthatthroughthemediumofDeciphex,theyare genuinelysavinglivesbyacceleratingdrugdiscoveryand byprovidinghigh-quality,timelydiagnosesforitsclinical partners.
DeciphexrecentlylauncheditsDiagnexiaclinicalconsult serviceintheUSlastfallofferingaccesstoafantastic rosterofworld-renownedpathologists,whichiscomparable ifnotexceedingthequalityofanysingleinstitution’steam.
Beyondthis,itwillberapidlydevelopingitspresenceinthe UKandCanadaandexpandingmarketcoverageinthe MiddleEast.
Withtheadventofdigitaltransformationin healthcare,visualinterpretationofcellular biologycapturedinimagesprovidesdatabackedanswersforpeoplewhoseekananswertothe question,"What is wrong with me?"beforetheydecideon thebeststepstotakeinattendingtotheirhealthconcerns. Combiningthepowerofhumanintelligenceanddigital technology,thereisanimprovedandcomprehensive understandingofbodilyfunctionsandsystems,topromote goodhealth,throughadequatecureandpreventionof relapse—thedemandforqualifieddiagnosticshasincreased withinthehealthcaresector,ofthosewhocanusedigitized diagnosticabilitiesasatoolforexcellenceinthisregard.
Cliniciansarereliantonaccuratediagnosticsthathelp reducehumanerroraswellasproduceprecisediagnostic resultsinashortturnaroundtime.Theaccuracyofdata,and speedofdeliveryhelpinimprovingthetreatmentmeasures fortheirpatients.Butwithconcernssuchasashortagein supplyoftechnicallyadvancedpathologies,accessto accuratediagnosticsisaconcernthatkeepsthehealthcare sectorfrommeetingthedoctor-patientobjectivesfor accuratedata,hencebelow-partreatmentbecomestheorder oftheday
AxonDiagnosticsisadigitizedsolutionthatamplifiesthe processofdeterminingwhichdiseaseorconditionexplains aperson'ssymptoms.Providingadequatesolutionsby enablingdoctorstoofferanexpertdiagnosis,regardlessof anygeographicalregionorlocationtherebyfacilitatingthe instantavailabilityoftrainedspecialists24hoursaday,365 daysayear Theyaresettodisrupttheglobalradiologyand pathologymarketsthroughtheirteleradiologytechnology advancementsandmodern-daydiagnosticimaging technologies.
Theircareprovidersaretrainedtoleveragetechnologyto attaintheconfidencethattheyrequireindiagnosingtheir patients.Thisinturnimprovesthequalityofpatients'lives andprovidesbetterdiagnosticcareforall.
InaninterviewwithInsightsCare,PaulCornell,General Manager,walksusthroughAxonDiagnostics'technology anditsroleinturningthedirectionofdiagnosticsaround.
Following are excerpts from the interview:
Kindlytellusthesourceofinspiration.Whatledyouto ventureintothefieldofdigitalpathology?
Asateam,wehaveextensiveexperienceinteleradiology andtheprocessofdigitizingradiologyacrossregions. Therearelotsofelementsthatcanbeappliedtotheworld ofpathologytomodernisehowpathologyishandledinthe UK.Ourcurrentbusinesslendsitselfverywelltobenefiting thepathologymarketanditsrapiddigitizationofit.
Briefusaboutthecompanyandshedsomelightonyour operationsthereincontributingtothecompany's growth.
ThecompanywasconceivedinNovember2020witha missiontodisrupttheUKandglobaltele-diagnostics (radiologyandpathology)marketbydoingthings differently Weprovideourcustomerswithasuiteof servicestosupportthedeliveryofcost-effectiveandhighly efficientdiagnosticservices.Weuseaproprietaryand globallyunique"Netflixstyle"technologywhichallowsus todeliverservicesatrapidspeedandhighlysecure.Weare nowjustovertwoyearsoldandourgrowthhasbeen unprecedentedinthismarket.
Canyouelaborateuponthecorevalues,mission andvisiononwhichthecompanyisbuilt?
OurmissionistosavetheNHSmoney,improvethe workinglivesofcliniciansandsupportbetter diagnosticcareforall.
Ÿ ClinicallyLed
Ÿ Collaborative
Ÿ PeopleFocused
Ÿ InnovativeandAgile
Ÿ FairandSociallyConscious
Whatdiagnostictoolsdoesthe organizationfindtobeessential inconductingitspathology operations?
AxonDiagnosticsisallaboutfirst disruptingthenormtofindbetter waysofdeliveringcareunder challengingconditions.Wehave
Paul Cornell General Manager AxonMedical Ltd trading as Axon DiagnosticsAI is a widely talked about area of innovation and development within healthcare and we believe that within diagnostics this will become a significant tool to improve outcomes. We are working closely with a number of partners in the AI and technology space to ensure that we can provide our customers with the best tools out there to improve efficiency and clinical outcomes.
comeupwithinnovativetechnologyandsolutionsto addressthesechallenges.Butasoneofourcorevalues suggests,westrivetocontinuetoinnovateandremainagile inouroperationsallowingustopivotquicklytoevolve withthechangingdemandsofthemarket.
AIisawidelytalkedaboutareaofinnovationand developmentwithinhealthcareandwebelievethatwithin diagnosticsthiswillbecomeasignificanttooltoimprove outcomes.Weareworkingcloselywithanumberof partnersintheAIandtechnologyspacetoensurethatwe canprovideourcustomerswiththebesttoolsoutthereto improveefficiencyandclinicaloutcomes.
Whatadvicewouldyouliketogivetobudding entrepreneursandenthusiastswhodesiretoventure intothefieldofdigitalpathology?
Iwouldsaythatthethreemostimportantthingstokeepat theforefrontofyourmindare:
Ÿ Regardlessofthedecisionthatyoumakefromdesignto commercialization,alwaysreverttothinkingaboutthe patientbenefit.
Ÿ Beforward-thinking.Thinkaboutdevelopingthe servicefortomorrowonaplatformthatisagileand allowsyoutokeepupwiththerapidaccelerationseenin thetechnologyspace.
Ÿ Workcloselywithyourendusersfromanembryonic stage.Manyinthepasthada'builditandtheywill come'attitudeandhavefailedtodelivereffective solutionstothereal-lifeproblemfacinghealthcare.
Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourorganization's servicesandoperationsin2023andbeyond?
Wehaveambitiousgrowthplansandareengagingwith teamsinternationallytoutiliseourtechnologyandsolutions tohelpwiththechallengesfacingotherhealthcaremarkets acrosstheworld.
Whataresomeofthetestimonialsorrecognitionthat accuratelyhighlightyourorganization'spositioninthe market?
NHSGreaterGlasgow&Clydeisdelightedtohave engagedAxonDiagnosticsasanoutsourcedreporting house.Frominitialengagementtoimplementation,the
processhasbeenseamlessandmanagedinavery professionalmanner Thequalityofserviceisexcellent.
Digitalpathologyisaconceptthathasexistedfor
morethanacentury,butonlyinthelastdecade haveadvancesintechnologyallowedforits widespreadadoption.Thedigitalpathologymarketis growingallthetime.TheglobalmarketwasvaluedatUSD 767.6millionin2019andisexpectedtogrowatarapid rateof11.8CAGRbetweennowand2027.
The continued growth of this market is strongly linked to the many features that benefit the scientific community. The following are the specific features:
Thankstohighperformance,fastfull-slidescanners,and supportingsoftware,thetimefromcaseregistrationtothe finalreportissignificantlyshorter
Digitaltoolsaccelerateworkflowthroughautomation, fasterandeasieraccesstopatientandcaseinformation,and improvedcollaborationbetweenpathologists,evenin physicallydistantlocations.Thisshortensthedeliverytime.
High-resolutiondigitalslidesprovidethepathologistwith betterimagequalityandmoredetailthroughmultiple viewingoptions,grouplabelingandZ-stackor3Dimaging. Itisalsoeasiertousedigitalslidesofpreviouscasesfor comparativeanalysis.Thenumberoferrorsisreduced thankstothebarcode-basedidentificationofslides.In addition,digitalimageanalyzershelptoautomateand quantifyfindings,reducingoreliminatingmanualwork (suchasmanualcellcounting)andprovidingamore objectiveandfastercontributiontofinaldiagnosis comparedtotraditionalmicroscopy
Inadditiontopatientbenefits,ahospitalhasseveralbenefits thatcanbemeasuredrelativelyeasytobuildabusiness modelandjustifyinvestmentindigitalpathology The study,conductedinalargeUSpathologylaboratory processingmorethan200,000casesayear,showedsavings ofabout$18millionoverfiveyears.Anotherstudyinalab intheUKthatprocessed80,000samplesayearfoundthat evenifproductivityimprovedbyjust10%,theproject couldfailinthesecondyear.
Pathologistscanworkfasterandmoreefficientlywith digitalpathologytools.Bothslidereviewandimage analysisbecomefasterandmoreaccurate,andtreatment errorsaresignificantlyreduced.Thankstothescreen sharingandchatfunction,internalconsultationsarealso easierandfaster.Thesebenefitsensureafasterandmore efficientpathologyworkflow
Theintroductionofdigitalpathologysignificantlyreduces theadministrationandmanagementoftheadministrative staff.Noonehastomanuallysortthroughslides,handthem offtoapathologistandretrievepastcasesfromtheslide archive.Thissignificantlyreducestheadministrative burdenonsupportstaff.
Digitizationhasshapedemploymentandprofessions,and facilitatedglobalization.IfDigitalPathologydoeschange,
itwouldbenaivenottoassumethatitwillshapethejob marketforpathologists.TowhatextentAIcanreplacethe humanpathologistremainstobeseen.
Forinstance,astudybyMcKinseyassessedthecurrent potentialforautomationinAmericanoccupationsand foundthatthelowestpotentialisinoccupationsthat "manageothers"at9%ofworkingtimeandexpertiseat 18%,thelatterbeingapathology.Attheotherendofthe scale,theauthorspredicteda78percentautomation potentialinvolvingmanuallabor Thestudyalso emphasizedthatthepotentialforautomationwasonlyone factoraffectinghumanreplacementbyautomation.Other factorsincluded:thecostofautomation,therelative scarcityandcostofskilledreplacementworkers,the benefitsoflaborreplacement(increasedquality),andfinally regulatoryandsocialacceptabilityconsiderations.
Therefore,technologicaldevelopment,personnelshortage inpathologyandqualityimprovementthroughDPshould beconsideredthemaindriversofautomationpressureson theprofession.Atthesametime,low-riskprofessionsthat applymedicalexpertisehavebeenevaluatedfromthepoint ofviewofautomation.
Willartificialintelligencemakeapathologist'sdayless stressful?CombinedwithAI,DigitalPathologycanhelp withtasksthataredifficultforahumantoevaluate(suchas quantification).Incontrast,AImaygenerallybegoodat evaluatinghumansinarelativelysimpledomain,suchas detectinglymphnodemetastases,andmayfailwhenthings becomedifficultforbothhumansandAI,i.e.,complexand challengingassessmentsthatrequiregeneraljudgment.This situationcanleadtopathologistshavingtoperformvarious complextaskswhileartificialintelligenceperformssimple tasks.
WeexpectthatthefutureworkingdayofaPathologistwill beevenmoredemanding,butalsomoreinteresting. Althoughautomationhasadvanced,ensuringoverall reliability,qualitycontrolandmedicalaccountability remainstheresponsibilityofthehumanprofessional,asis alreadydoneinhighlyautomatedspecializedmedicalfields suchaslaboratorymedicine.
-SaloniAgrawalOur AI-based products can help to significantly increase the sensitivity of screening, as well as reduce 70% workload via negative sample elimination.
Pathologists can focus on the suspicious positive cases that our system detects and make the most of their expertise.
For patients, they can access better and more accurate clinical service with a shorter diagnosis cycle.
Themainapplicationscenariosincludeoncology,obstetrics andgynaecology,ophthalmology,pathology,medical imaging,andradiotherapy.Wehavebuiltupscientific researchandclinicalcooperationwithhundredsoftop-tier hospitalsinChinaandabroad,suchasPekingUnion MedicalCollegeHospital,PLA309Hospital,WestChina HospitalofSichuanUniversity,HongKongPrinceofWales Hospital,ShanghaiTongjiHospital,ShenzhenPeople's Hospital,SunYat-senUniversityAffiliatedCancerHospital, etc.
IwasleadingtheR&DdepartmentofImsightandmanaged tolandaseriesofAIproducts,suchasCervical-Sight® (cytology),Breast-Sight®(pathology),DR-Sight® (radiology),Lung-Sight®(radiology),etc.Ihavealsoled R&Dteams,publishedmorethan20+papersinthefieldof digitalpathology,applied26US/Chinapatternsandwon 20+internationalAIchallengesinthefieldofmedicine.
Canyouelaborateuponthecorevalues,missionand visiononwhichthecompanyisbuilt?
ThecorevaluesofImsightarehigheraccuracy,less misdiagnosis,alleviatingtheworkloadandmakingthe diagnosiseasier WearestrivingtobecomeAIempowers theHealthcareIndustryleaderandprovidehigh-qualityAI solutionstoassistdoctorseverywhereintheworld.
Inwhatwaysdothecompanyserviceshelpthepatient populationinresolvingtheirhealthneeds?Howare thesedifferentfromotherformsofcarethattheyreceive ordonotreceiveingeneral?
Forstarters,taketheexampleofcervicalsmearscreening. Cervicalsmearscreeningisaverytedious,laboriousand experience-dependenttask,whichrequiresanexperienced cytologisttospendfivetotenminutesforacarefulreview undermicroscopy.Atypicalsmearcontains20,000-50,000 cellsanditisunrealisticforacytologisttothoroughly reviewallofthecellswithsubtlechanges.
Anotherdilemmaistheshortageofpathologists,which mightresultintheoverburdenedworkloadintheir diagnosticroutineandamisdiagnosisrateisinevitable(2030%inasinglescreeningoccasion).
Cervical-Sight®systemcanhelptosignificantlyincrease thesensitivityofscreening,aswellasreduce70% workloadvianegativesampleelimination.Pathologistscan focusonthesuspiciouspositivecasesthatoursystem detectsandmakethemostoftheirexpertise.Patientscan accessbetterandmoreaccurateclinicalserviceswitha shorterdiagnosiscycle.
Whatdiagnostictoolsdoestheorganizationfindstobe essentialinconductingitspathologyoperations?
Inbreastcanceroperation,lymphnodemetastasisdetection (Breast-Sight®)isveryessential.Surgeonsneedtomake theirsurgicaldecisionbasedonthediagnosticconclusionof thestagingofthemetastasis.Ourcompanyensuresto providethesetoolstoeasetheirconcernswhenconducting pathologyoperations.Otherdiagnostictoolslike immunohistochemistry,alsoplayanimportantrolein pathologyoperations,andwecanprovidethesame.
Whatendeavorsistheorganizationcurrentlypursuing toimproveitspathologymeasuresforpatients?
WeaimtodevelopAIsystemsbasedonclinicalandpatient requirements.Webuiltupacloud-basedplatformfor pathologyecologywithsmarterAIempoweredtoresolve thedilemmaofthemisallocationofclinicalresourcesinthe world.Atpresent,wearetryingtoimprovethepathology ecology,ensuringthepatientsinthebasic-levelhospital stillcanaccessthetop-tierdiagnosticservice.
Whatadvicewouldyouliketogivetobudding entrepreneursandenthusiastswhodesiretoventure intothefieldofdigitalpathology?
Digitalpathologyisapromisingindustrywithabright future.Thisisaninterdisciplinarysubjectandrequires cross-sectionknowledgefromcomputerscienceand pathology Thefieldisalsohighlyrelatedtohumanlife. Practitionersshouldhaveaweoflifebeforetheirventure intothisfield.Besides,researchandunderstandingdepthis essentialforapersontoventureintothisfield.
Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourorganization's servicesandoperationsin2023andbeyond?
Ataproductlevel,wearecontinuingtopolishourAI models,andexpandingourproductpipeline.Atthe marketinglevel,weareseekingopportunitiestoexplore overseasmarketing.
Theroleofartificialintelligence(AI)inthemedical
fieldisconstantlygrowing.Artificialintelligence promisestorevolutionizepatientcareinthecoming years,withtheaimofoptimizingindividualizedmedicine andadaptingittospecificpatients.Medicinehasbeenslow toadoptartificialintelligence.Somedepartments,suchas radiology,havebeenquicktoadoptAI.Others,suchas pathology,areonlynowbeginningtouseAIinclinicaluse.
Pathologyisoneofthemostimportantareasofhealthcare. Itstudiestheeffectsandcausesofdiseaseandinjury. Pathologistscombinescienceandmedicinetostudyand diagnosevariousdiseasesandinjuries.Forexample,a pathologistexaminesalumponsomeone'sarmtocheck whetherthepatienthascancerornot.
Inaddition,thepathologysectoriscurrentlyfacingvarious challengessuchasincreasingdemandandalackof manpower.However,digitalsolutionssuchasAIandML arehelpingtoovercomethesechallenges,enabling improvementsinmanyareasoftheindustry
Let’s dive in to understand how AI is improving pathology.
Humanshavelimitedaccuracyandtheabilitytoanalyze andprocessthings.AI/MLcanallowthepathologistto overcometheselimitations.Someofthekeytasksofa pathologistarediseasedetection,classification, segmentationandquantification,andAI/MLmodelscan helpimprovetheaccuracyofthesetasks.
Forexample,anAI/MLmodelcombinedwithcomputer visioncanhelpstudycellstakenfromacoreneedlebiopsy oftheprostatewithhighaccuracy.AI/MLmodelsensure thatalllayersandpixelsofthesampleimageareanalyzed todetecteventhesmallesttumorsorabnormalities.
ThefirstthingthatAIshouldchangeinpathologyisto makethediagnosticprocessfasterandmoreaccurate.This isbecauseAIprogramsrelyheavilyondeeplearningto understandcompleximagesandpatternsandimitate humans.
Therefore,thediagnosticprocessofartificialintelligencein pathologyisfasterandprovidesbetterqualityinformation aboutbio-specimens.Thetimesavedcanbeinvestedin savingthepatient'slifebyplanningbettertreatmentand doingmoreresearchrelatedtothedisease.
Inadditiontomoreaccurateanalysisofmedicalimages, artificialintelligencehelpspathologistsincrease productivity.Withthehelpofartificialintelligence,the pathologysectorcanmeettheincreaseddemandofthe currentworkforceandsolvetheproblemofthelackof pathologists.AIcanprovidethefollowingbenefits:
Ÿ Fewerhumanerrorsinsamplehandlingandprocessing
Ÿ Betterworkloadmanagementforpathologists
Ÿ Fasterturnoverofpatients
Ÿ Qualityassurance
Ÿ Automaticquerysubmissionandautomaticreportingof certaintests
AnotherapplicationofAIinpathologyispatientcare.Ina digitallab,AIsystemscananalyzepatient-relateddataand medicalimagesandforwardthemtoapathologistfor furtherconsultationbasedondefinedcriteria.
Theautomatedsystemcan:
Ÿ Checkthedigitalmedicalimagesattachedtothecase
Ÿ Identifycaseshighlightedinstatistics
Ÿ Confirmtheorderedtestsandmakesuretheymatchthe sampletype
Ÿ Thiscansignificantlyincreaseworkefficiencyandwork timeinthelaboratory
Oneoftheproblemsofpathologicalimageanalysisis subjectivity.Analysisandresultscanbeseendifferentlyby differentpeopleorbythesamepersonondifferentdays. However,whenitcomestoartificialintelligence,itdoesnot havebaddaysandtheanalysisresultsremainconsistent. Thisprovidesanopportunitytoreducehumanerrorsin diagnosisandensuretheaccuracyandconsistencyof results.
SoevenifwegivetheAI100,000samplesadayto analyze,itwillproduceconsistentresultsandtherewillbe nodeviationfrombasiccommandsoron-the-ground learning.
WhilediseasediagnosisisatthecoreofAIinpathology, anotherimportantbenefitofusingAIindiagnosisisrelated tounderstandingdiseasebiology.AIcananalyzedigital pathologysamplesatthemacro-andmicro-levelsand identifypatterns,groupsofcells,orothercharacteristics thataresometimesnotvisibletothehumaneye.
Asaresult,itcanhelpunderstandthebiologyofvarious diseasesandfindtreatmentsandcures.Inaddition,artificial intelligencecanhelpdetectchangesintissuesampleseven atthesmallestlevel.
Asthehealthcareindustrycontinuestoevolve,medical professionalsmuststayabreastofnewtechnologiesand toolsthatcanimprovepatientcare.AIhasalreadybeen adoptedinseveralhealthcarefields,includingradiologyand manyothers.Becauseitcansavelivesandmakediagnoses faster,itwillbeanimportantpartofhealthcareforyearsto come.Also,itmaynotcompletelyreplacethedoctorinthe shortterm,asitcancertainlyaddvalue.
-SaloniAgrawalThankstotechnology,thehealthcaresectoris progressingatarevolutionarypace.Theadvanced technologyandmedicalgadgetsbeing manufacturedareenablinghealthcareprofessionalsto increasetheirsuccessratesinoperationrooms,research, andthetimelydevelopmentofvaccines,drugsand medicines.
Nowthathealthcarehassubstantiallymodernized,thereis optimistichopeforsurgeonsintakingeverymeasureto achievedesiredresultsinonesurgery,reducingor eliminatingtheneedforanothersurgery,especiallyfor removingcancerouscells.
Oneofthemostconcerningissuesamongstwomen worldwideisBreastcancer.Inordertoremovethetumor cellscompletely,womenhavetogothroughvarious procedures,surgeriesandmultipleroundsoftreatment.As thenumberofre-excisionsurgeriesincreasesalongwiththe impairedtissue,thehealthytissuetoogetsaffected.
Thankfully,thereismedicalimagingtechnologytodaythat canhelpsurgeonseffectivelyvisualizesurgerymarginsin theoperatingtheatreitself,significantlyreducingthe excessivenumberofre-excisionsurgeries.Theleading manufacturerandproviderofthisground-breakingimaging technologyisKUBTechnologies,Inc.
BasedinStratford,Connecticut,KUBTECischallenging thestatusquoofbreastcancersurgeryandiscommittedto reducingtheexcessivenumberofre-excisionsurgeries. Leadingthecompanyinitsinnovationandgrowthisthe company'svisionaryFounderandCEO VikramButani.
In the following excerpts, we will get to know more about KUBTEC's journey in bringing empowering medical technology solutions to the market and their specialties.
WhenVikramfoundedKUBTECin2005,itwaswitha missiontoprovidebest-in-classspecimenimagingfor pathologybecausehefoundoutthatmostfacilitieswere usingoldX-rayfilm-basedequipmentorlow-resolution general-purposecabinetsystems;astheir“standardof care.”Hethoughttheremustbeabetterway,soheandhis teamdesignedasuperiorsolutionwithproprietaryfeatures thataddedvalueandreducedturnaroundtime,enabling themtoprovideresultsfaster.
“Today, KUBTEC is an acknowledged leader in the field of breast cancer margin management, and our systems can be found in pathology, radiology and ORs around the world. So, our affinity for the pathology imaging space runs through the entire fabric of Kubtec,”Vikramtoldus.
Today, KUBTEC is an acknowledged leader in the field of breast cancer margin management, and our systems can be found in pathology, radiology, and ORs around the world.
VikramButani,theFounderandCEOofKUBTEC,comes fromafamilyofdoctors.Notpursuingacareerinmedicine, Vikramwaslookingforanopportunitythatcouldmakea differenceinhealthcare.Reminiscingabouttheinitialidea forthecompany,Vikramsays, “When I came across the need for superior imaging of excised tissue in pathology, I decided to pursue the challenge. My wife and I started the company out of our spare bedroom.”
Further,heemphasizesthat“Our commitment was and has always been to provide more personalized and attentive service and support to our customers and their patients.”
Vikramandhisteambuiltcustomerloyaltyfromasmall installbaseandthendevelopedaportfoliotoleveragethe company’stechnologicalsuperiorityintotheORand biopsysuites,whichwereandstillarethedomainsof radiology.“While doing our research, we learned breast cancer surgery has a very high re-excision rate. Studies show that close to 30% of patients need to come back for a second surgery as the surgeon was unable to clearly visualize their margins at the time of surgery, and it's not until they receive the final pathology report that they would know if the operation was a success.”
ThatconfirmedtoVikramandhisteamthattherewasa verycloserelationshipbetweenthebreastsurgeonsandthe pathologygrossroom,givingtheteamawholenew directiontoexplore.Thecompanysetouttosolvethis problemandlaunchedtheMOZARTSpecimen Tomosynthesis(3D)system,whichbringsanelementof real-timepathologyrightintotheOR,enablingsurgeons andradiologiststoaccuratelyidentifypositiveorclose marginsintraoperatively.“KUBTEC’s journey has been part evolution, part revolution, with everything based upon a constant stream of proprietary innovation created by the company,”Vikramadded.
Informingusmoreaboutthevisionandmissionstatement forthecompany,Vikramsays,“Well, within the digital pathology community, our mission is simple and practical. We’re on a mission to improve patient turnaround time in pathology.”
Pathologyprofessionalsplayanimportantroleinthe deliveryoftimelyandeffectivepatientcare,soKUBTEC
createsproprietaryproductsandservicesthatenablethem tobemoreefficientbyreducingspecimenhandlingtime. Withinawiderframework,thecompanyisfocusedon diseasestateswhereitstechnologycanmakeareal differenceinthedeliveryofcareforpatientsandproviders.
KUBTECisaprivatelyheldorganizationthatdoesnot answertoWallStreetoranonymousinstitutional shareholders.Vikramtellsus,“Whenever we see an opportunity to improve the delivery of care, we move quickly.”Infact,thecompany'smanifestostatesthat “Impatience is our virtue.”
ThegoalofKUBTEC'smanagementistoalwaysbefirstto marketwithnewinnovations.Assuch,itstrivestomakea life-changingdifferenceforbreastcancerpatientsand regardseverysurgeryasanopportunitytoimprove someone’slife.
Inaddition,thecompanyvaluessimply“doingtheright thing,”behavingethicallyandthoughtfully,being accountableand“creatingsocialchange.”Vikram underlinesthat“We champion our role as good corporate citizens and are driven to make a difference by supporting
Vikram Butani Founder and CEOinitiatives that reduce inequality and improve the health and well-being of those everywhere.”
Whenaskedaboutwhatkeepsthecompanyapartfromthe competitorsintheindustry,Vikramrespondedwith, “Innovation, Innovation, Innovation.”
He adds, “Not just in product technology but also in the way we support our customers. We live in a totally connected world where customer expectations for support are more than just a 24-hour 1-800 number.”
Hecontinues,“From the very first system we installed in 2005, all KUBTEC systems feature remote support where we can troubleshoot any of our systems and automatically perform software updates right from our Technical Center.”
KUBTECXPERTandMOZARTsystemsfeature KUBALERT,whichconductson-boarddiagnosticsand sendsoutareporttopreemptasystemfailure.The companyrecentlyintroducedtheKUBTECApp,which willhelptheuserreachafactorysupportengineer instantaneouslythroughtheapptoeliminateanydowntime.
3Dtomosynthesistechnologyisoneofthemajorsolutions offeredbyKUBTEC.Revealingmoreaboutthistechnology solution,Vikramtellsus, "3D tomosynthesis, embodied in the KUBTEC MOZART system, enables surgeons to make better intraoperative decisions based upon an image that accurately reflects the true anatomy of the specimen."
Headds, “Clinical studies have shown that use of the MOZART system reduces re-excisions by 50%, preserves healthy tissue for better cosmesis, improves surgical efficiency and lowers costs. That’s good news for the patient, the hospital, and the payer.”
OnlyKUBTECusestomosynthesistoprovideclinicians andpathologyprofessionalswiththree-dimensionalimages ofsurgicalspecimens.Thisenablesthemtoidentifythe exactlocationofthetumoranditsproximitytoalledgesof thespecimen.Ifadditionaltissueexcisionisrequired,they candoitrightthereaspartoftheindexprocedure.
What’smore,thedata-rich3Dimageenablestheuseof artificialintelligencetoautomaticallyflagwhenthebiopsy clipistooclosetotheedgeofthespecimen;aKUBTEC patentedtechnologythatthecompanyisfurtherdeveloping toidentifyotherfeatures.
KUBTEC’steamisstronglyfocusedonprovidingaquality customerexperienceallthetime.Itconstantlylooksto improvethecustomerexperiencebymakingtheprocess moreefficient.
Explainingwhathelpedthecompanygainsignificant leadershipinthemarket,Vikramsays,“We were the first to introduce a larger imaging area of 8“x8” in 2005 and 16“x16” in 2007, when all that was available was 4“x4” . ”
Moreover,KUBTECwasthefirstcompanytointegratean opticalcameraandintroduceitsproprietaryblender technologyandthefirsttoofferadensityprofilefeaturethat isusefulforthebonedecalcificationprocess.
Innovativetechnologysolutionsarerapidlybecomingan integralpartofeverysector.Givinghistakeontheimpact oftechnologyadaptationinthehealthcaresector,Vikram says, “In my experience, a lot of healthcare providers are cautious about adopting new technologies, mainly because of their facility’s documented protocols and strict regulatory requirements.”
However,Vikramadds,“Our job is to seek out innovators or 'early-adopters' of new digital technology solutions and partner with them to acquire detailed insights into their pain points and ever-evolving demands to ensure our systems consistently meet their requirements now and in the future.”
ThispartnershiphelpsKUBTECtoestablishearly technologyadoptionatCentersofExcellencearoundthe worldthatcaninfluencea“new”standardizationofcare.
Vikramhasbeeninthehealthcareindustryforyears, focusedoncreatingadvancedpathologysolutions.With him,thereisvastwisdominresearchinganddeveloping
medicaldevices.Fromhisexpertise,heoffersthenew aspirantsinthepathologyspacethefollowingwordsof guidance:
Hesays, “I am a great believer in being laser-focused on patient outcomes, and with that, you uncover customer pain points or their unmet needs. Technology has come so far, and there is a lot of room to make the pathology process more efficient and more effective.”
"You have a much better view with specimen tomosynthesis of exactly what needs to be removed. I avoid excessive tissue being taken from the patient, and the patient likes it, because the cosmetic result is better."
"Specimen tomosynthesis is a nobrainer. If you're a breast surgeon and you want to provide the best care, this is it. To identify whether you've done the right operation, you need this."
Cary Kaufman, MD, FACS Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery, Bellingham Regional Breast Center"For my practice, and many breast cancer centers of excellence around the world. Using 3D specimen tomosynthesis during surgery has helped the best surgeons reduce their re-excision rates even more."
Sheldon M. Feldman, MD, FACS Chief of Breast Surgery and Breast Surgical Oncology and Director of Breast Cancer Services at Montefiore“Few people focus on pathology as it is not as glamorous as some of the other departments. If you have something that you believe can make a difference and help improve workflow, then speak to the pathologists, speak to the PAs, and speak to the laboratory professionals before you take off on a business venture,” marks Vikram.
Expandingontheplansforthecompanyfortheremaining partof2022andonwards,Vikramsays,“We’ve just launched a new product, the GammaPRO system, which is a highly advanced Wireless Sentinel Lymph Node Localization Technology, and we have other new platforms in the pipeline for this year and next.”
TheofficesofKUBTECweremovedintotheircurrent buildingin2021,andalreadytheteamhasoutgrownit.The companyhasacquiredsomelandadjacenttoitsHQin Stratford,CT,andwillbebreakinggroundonanew manufacturingfacilitylaterthisyear.“Weareconstantly hiringforengineers,salesandmanufacturing,whichisa greatchallengetohaveintoday'seconomicenvironment,” Vikramstated.
Marcum Tech Top 40: 2019, 2020, 2021
Health
System, New York, NY"3D tomography has radically streamlined breast cancer surgery by allowing surgeons to better visualize the breast and affected area, even through dense breast tissue, in the operating room."
Kornfeld H, Mulder L, Spivey T, Cortina C, Madrigrano A, Kopkash K. Breast J. 2019;25:766-768. 3. Park KU, Kuerer HM, Rauch GM, Leung JWT, Sahin AA, Wei W, Li Y, Black DM. Digital Breast
MD, FACS Chief ofRoshni Rao,
Breast Surgery Program at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Tomosynthesis for Intraoperative Margin Assessment during BreastConserving Surgery. Ann Surg Oncol 2019:26:1720-28.