Philips Brings the Digital Revolution to the Pathology Laboratory

Royal Philips ElectronicsAlready a world leader in radiology information systems (RIS) and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) for medical images generated, for example, in radiology and cardiology departments, Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) has now designed sophisticated digital pathology solutions to ease the workload and support decision making in central and hospital-based pathology departments.

One way that pathologists diagnose and characterize disease is by examining tissue samples removed from patients. The vast majority of cancer diagnoses are made or confirmed by a pathologist. By digitizing the images that pathologists normally view through a microscope, Philips' goal is to bring the digital switchover benefits currently enjoyed by radiology departments to this second very important area of disease diagnosis.

Key to the successful implementation of digital pathology solutions are systems that are designed around the needs of the user, that are easy to use, and that seamlessly fit into existing workflows. Philips is addressing these critical requirements by working closely with leading pathologists in the USA and Europe. The Philips system comprises a high-throughput pathology slide scanner and high-capacity image storage and viewing system, plus advanced software for feature recognition and analysis.

"With a much higher proportion of people living to old age, there will be many more sick people in the world," commented Bob van Gemen, General Manager of Philips Digital Pathology. "Coupled with a world-wide shortage of skilled pathologists and the trend towards more pathology tests per patient, there is a real need to improve the efficiency of pathology departments by speeding up procedures and helping pathologists in their decision making and reporting."

As is already happening with digital radiology, digitization in the pathology workflow also opens up new ways of working. It could enable pathology labs to organize themselves more efficiently by concentrating activities where they are most appropriate. For example, it would no longer be essential to locate lab technicians and pathologists alongside one another in the same facility. By making themselves more efficient, pathology labs could perform more diagnoses with the same number of pathologists. Moreover, seeking the expert opinion of external specialists could no longer involve physically sending slides to them.

Philips is already working with leading pathology departments to evaluate the benefits of the system in clinical environments. Nevertheless, it still welcomes new partners to develop the system further - particularly in areas such as the development of industry standards for image capture and compression. It is also actively seeking collaborations with companies that specialize in histological stains and staining techniques in order to develop additional image analysis and interpretation software suites.

Related news articles:

About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of "sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 116,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 26 billion in 2008, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Most Popular Now

AI Distinguishes Glioblastoma from Look-…

A Harvard Medical School–led research team has developed an AI tool that can reliably tell apart two look-alike cancers found in the brain but with different origins, behaviors, and treatments. The...

AI Body Composition Measurements can Pre…

Adiposity - or the accumulation of excess fat in the body - is a known driver of cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease...

AI can Strengthen Pandemic Preparedness

How to identify the next dangerous virus before it spreads among people is the central question in a new Comment in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. In it, researchers discuss how...

'Future-Guided' AI Improves Se…

In the world around us, many things exist in the context of time: a bird’s path through the sky is understood as different positions over a period of time, and...

New AI Tool Scans Social Media for Hidde…

A new artificial intelligence tool can scan social media data to discover adverse events associated with consumer health products, according to a study published September 30th in the open-access journal...

Study Finds One-Year Change on CT Scans …

Researchers at National Jewish Health have shown that subtle increases in lung scarring, detected by an artificial intelligence-based tool on CT scans taken one year apart, are associated with disease...

New AI Tools Help Scientists Track How D…

Artificial intelligence (AI) can solve problems at remarkable speed, but it’s the people developing the algorithms who are truly driving discovery. At The University of Texas at Arlington, data scientists...

Yousif's Story with Sectra and The …

Embarking on healthcare technology career after leaving his home as a refugee during his teenage years, Yousif is passionate about making a difference. He reflects on an apprenticeship in which...

AI Tool Offers Deep Insight into the Imm…

Researchers explore the human immune system by looking at the active components, namely the various genes and cells involved. But there is a broad range of these, and observations necessarily...

New Antibiotic Targets IBD - and AI Pred…

Researchers at McMaster University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made two scientific breakthroughs at once: they not only discovered a brand-new antibiotic that targets inflammatory bowel diseases...

Highland to Help Companies Seize 'N…

Health tech growth partner Highland has today revealed its new identity - reflecting a sharper focus as it helps health tech companies to find market opportunities, convince target audiences, and...