Through examination of patient tissue samples, pathology plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of a variety of diseases, including cancer. While healthcare costs and quality pressures continue to mount, digital pathology can help improve the efficiency and quality of cancer diagnostics by enhancing collaboration across care teams and improving time to diagnosis. The Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution helps healthcare organizations reinvent the traditional histopathology approach by implementing a fully digital workflow, enhancing efficiency and productivity, and improving confidence in making diagnosis.

"As pathologists seek more efficient means to support targeted, patient-specific therapy, the momentum continues of high-volume and networked pathology institutions across the world implementing fully digital pathology platforms," said Russ Granzow, General Manager of Philips Digital Pathology Solutions. "Our solution unifies patient data and helps hospital systems improve workflows to achieve first time right decision-making, leading to better patient care."

"Like other European countries, Austria has a dramatic lack of pathologists and a fully digital workflow solves this challenge by enhancing collaboration capabilities," said Dr. Afschin Soleiman, Medical Director of the Pathology Institute at Tirol Kliniken Innsbruck, Austria, and head of two additional pathology labs. "We have simplified the process of discussing difficult cases with experienced colleagues, even if they are not on site, because the digital presentation of the pathology cases is quick to review, and allows for quantitative measurements." A total of ten pathologists from Dr. Soleiman's team diagnose using the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution, from within the lab and from externally.

Global health systems adopt fully digital pathology labs with the help of Philips
The Pathology Institute in Hall and the Pathology Institute at the University Innsbruck join the ranks of other leading pathology sites across the globe that have made the transition to a fully digital workflow with Philips Digital Pathology Solutions, including:

• LabPON in the Netherlands: LabPON, one of the largest pathology laboratories in the Netherlands, was the first clinical laboratory in the world to digitize 100 percent of their histology slides for primary diagnosis. It has created a digital database of massive aggregated sets of annotated pathology images and big data utilizing Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution.
• Hospital Campus de la Salud in Granada, Spain: The team of 23 pathologists diagnose over 280,000 tissue slides each year (approximately 700 each day) from its hospitals in Granada and affiliated hospitals, using Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution.
• The AZ Sint Jan in Brugge, Belgium: The AZ Sint Jan completed a full-scale installation that is designed to accommodate holistic, digital histopathology diagnosis and save a great deal in efficiency and costs.

Primary diagnostics use
While several pathology laboratories in Europe and beyond already benefit from a fully digital histopathology clinical workflow, laboratories in the United States (U.S.) can now benefit using a digital system as well. The Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution is the first digital pathology solution marketed for primary diagnostic use in the U.S. The Philips' technology can aid pathologists to view and diagnose digital images of surgical pathology slides. This signals a significant leap forward for the pathology services industry, as the adoption of digital pathology continues to rise.

Recognizing the need for further education on the topic of digital pathology, Philips is holding free roadshows at major cities across the U.S. in 2017.

In the European Union, the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution is CE Marked under the European Union's 'In Vitro Diagnostics Directive' for in vitro diagnostic use. In Canada, the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution is licensed by Health Canada for in vitro diagnostic use. In the United States, the Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution can be used for in vitro diagnostic purposes. The Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution is registered for in vitro diagnostic use in Singapore and Middle East.

About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 71,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.