Hamamatsu Corporation announced a new collaboration with the Keck School of Medicine at USC to improve real-world digital pathology workflows. As part of the initiative, multiple Hamamatsu NanoZoomer slide scanning systems will be installed to support practice-based pathology workflow research led by W. Dean Wallace.
The collaboration is designed to address several key questions related to the adoption and implementation of digital pathology, including the efficiencies achievable in a high-functioning laboratory environment, how those efficiencies can translate into operational and patient-level improvements, and how those insights can be shared with other pathology laboratories.
Digital pathology uses high-resolution whole slide imaging to modernize pathology workflows, enabling more efficient case review and improved access to case information across pathology teams. As adoption increases, pathology image data is becoming more integrated into broader healthcare information systems and workflows.
The USC and Hamamatsu teams plan to evaluate how digital pathology systems function in a real-world laboratory environment to better understand how workflow improvements can contribute to healthcare system performance. The collaboration also aims to establish best practices for integrating pathology image data into broader healthcare infrastructure while helping guide the development of future pathology instruments and systems.
Hamamatsu said its NanoZoomer series of digital scanners has been used in whole slide imaging scanner technology for pathology research for more than two decades.
KEY QUOTES:
“For 70 years, Hamamatsu has applied photonics to real-world challenges in pursuit of its mission to improve life through photonics technologies. Hamamatsu’s experience and hardware are embedded in many instruments across many fields, especially medicine. Through this collaboration, we are bringing that dedication to innovation directly into the laboratory. We are proud to work with Dr. Wallace and the entire USC pathology team to help advance digital pathology in a way that is grounded in real-world experience and focused on improvements that matter both within the laboratory and at the patient level. This collaboration reflects the evolution of our role in medical research, and we are delighted to do this with such a strong collaborator as USC.”
Earl Hergert, President, Hamamatsu Corporation
“Our goal is to conduct rigorous analysis of digital pathology deployment. By evaluating these systems in a real-world setting, we hope to better understand how digital pathology can support workflow improvements, including faster turnaround times for pathology results.”
W. Dean Wallace, MD, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC
“Digital pathology represents an important opportunity to use imaging technology to improve pathology workflow and information integration. We are pleased to support USC’s efforts to evaluate these systems in a way that can inform the future of pathology operations and help the field better understand where digital pathology can make a measurable difference.”
Scott Blakely, Business Development Manager, Whole Slide Imaging and Digital Pathology, Hamamatsu Corporation
