Labco Diagnostics has implemented a new pathology system to aid in the diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. Developed through a joint venture by GE Healthcare and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Omnyx has designed a new system that makes it possible to view digitized images of human tissue in high resolution from any location with an Internet connection.
Previously, pathologists assessed physical slides under a microscope and posted them by mail for a second opinion, but digital pathology networks have opened the door for computer-assisted analysis. For example, computer algorithms can assist in many quantitative and qualitative tasks currently done by sight, such as tumor grading.
Labco's digital pathology network will have its central hub in Madrid. It will initially connect a network of approximately 50 pathologists in Spain and 15 in the U.K., with plans to extend to more laboratories across Europe. Doing so will connect pathologists from the company's pan-European network, which provides services to more than 25 million patients annually through 160 laboratories and 150 clinics in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the U.K.
