Cancer diagnostics services provider Leica Biosystems has achieved a major digital pathology milestone in its multiyear collaboration with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the UK.
Image: Leica Biosystems officials. Photo: Courtesy of Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH.
In alignment with the company’s VISION24 initiative, this heralds a revolution in the way that cancer and other diseases can be diagnosed.
Pairing technology, systems and support from Leica Biosystems with medical and scientific expertise from Leeds, the collaboration has resulted in 100 percent digital conversion of the hospital’s glass slides workflow. Looking ahead, it promises to enable a large-scale transition from glass slides to digital images for clinical diagnoses across all subspecialties.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Digital Pathology Project lead and consultant pathologist Darren Treanor said: “This positions Leeds as a leader in digital pathology for clinical use. In partnership with Leica Biosystems, we have created a template and supporting information for other major medical centers around the world to consider as they make the journey to the digital future of cancer diagnostics.”
Leeds is now scanning its glass slides ramping up to approximately 1,000 per day. Digital slides have the advantage of enabling high resolution enlarged views. They also allow secure sharing with other clinicians even in remote locations for additional consultation.
The ultimate goal of this collaboration is greater lab efficiency and diagnostic confidence in less time for patients. The specific actions taken at Leeds include:
[1] 100% digitization of the slides workflow of the Leeds histopathology lab.
[2] Comprehensive and practical validation process to promote pathologists’ acceptance of digital pathology
[3] Knowledge-sharing through digital pathology workshops attended by more than 55 institutions over the last 18 months and multiple industry publications.
[4] Publishing the “The Leeds Guide to Digital Pathology”, a comprehensive overview which outlines the benefits of transitioning to digital pathology:
Improvements in Patient Safety
Advances in Workflow
Positive Impact on Laboratory Staff
Higher Service Quality
These objectives align with Leica Biosystems’ VISION24 initiative.
Leica Biosystems president Melissa Aquino said: “VISION24 reflects Leica Biosystems’ focus on innovation—a future in which clinicians from various specialties work seamlessly together to provide patients with a highly accurate diagnosis, consistently and efficiently, within 24 hours of biopsy.
“As experts in the workflow from biopsy to diagnosis, we continually innovate to provide the tools and technology, the systems and processes, that will deliver pathology’s great promise to transform cancer diagnostics for the benefit of patients.”
The clinical use claims described in the information provided have not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, nor are the products available in the United States.
Source: Company Press Release