Latest news with #pathology
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Faster, smarter, better: ASX innovators drive efficiency in healthcare and pharmaceutical manufacturing
Maximising efficiency in healthcare, pharmaceutical development and manufacturing has become a top priority Nanosonics' flagship Trophon system becomes standard of care for cleaning ultrasound probes in several countries Optiscan transforming pathology from slow multi-step manual process with its live, digital imaging at cellular level As in any industry, improving and maximising efficiency in healthcare – including in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing – has become a top priority and a key driver of progress. Efficiency enables organisations to maximise output while minimising wasted time, resources, and costs – in turn boosting competitiveness and profitability. In healthcare, efficiency isn't only about business performance but rather about improving patient outcomes. It can mean: Faster diagnosis and treatment – early intervention often leads to better health outcomes Lower operational costs – enabling healthcare providers to reinvest in staff, equipment, and patient care Improved accuracy – reducing the risk of errors, which can have significant outcomes In pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, efficiency can accelerate innovation and mean potentially-life saving drugs reach patients sooner, all while maintaining strict regulatory standards. On the ASX, companies such as Nanosonics (ASX:NAN), Optiscan (ASX:OIL) and Clever Culture Systems (ASX:CC5) are advancing efficiency through innovative devices and solutions that support healthcare, pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Leader in infection control Nanosonics is a leader in infection prevention with its flagship Trophon system becoming standard of care for high-level disinfection of ultrasound probes in several countries, including Australia. Trophon is an automated ultrasound probe cleaner that uses sonically-activated hydrogen peroxide mist and was first commercialised in 2009. Offering a groundbreaking approach to ultrasound probe disinfection, the Trophon system cleans ultrasound probes much more safely and reliably than traditional manual techniques. The company has a strong market share of more than 50% in its target market of the US as well as Australia. Nanosonics was recently granted US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its latest Trophon innovation, enabling the commercial launch of Trophon3 and Trophon2 Plus, a software upgrade package for existing Trophon2 users, in the US. The latest innovation is more than 40% faster than previous generations. It has expanded digital integration capabilities and includes new digital traceability through customer's DICOM imaging database systems, the international standard for medical imaging data. In March, Nanosonics also received FDA de novo clearance for its second device Coris – the world's first automated system specifically designed to clean the internal channels of flexible endoscopes. Speeding up diagnostics in pathology Melbourne-based Optiscan is transforming the field of pathology from a slow multi-step manual process with its live, digital, on-the-spot imaging at the cellular level. The company is a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and commercialising confocal endomicroscopic imaging technologies for medical, research, and pre-clinical applications. At the heart of Optiscan's product is a pen-sized digital microscope that uses confocal laser technology to capture detailed, high-resolution images of tissue directly during medical procedures. Unlike traditional pathology, which requires removing tissue samples to send to a lab and waiting for results, Optiscan's technology provides instant microscopic images of the tissue without delay in turn: Enabling pathologists to assess tissue health and detect abnormalities immediately, accelerating diagnosis Reducing need for repeat surgeries by allowing surgeons to confirm cancer margins in real time Minimising reliance on lengthy lab sample preparation and analysis Earlier this year Optiscan unveiled InForm, a digital pathology device, poised to challenge the status quo of traditional analogue workflows in the sector to speed up diagnosis. InForm is a first-in-class microscopic medical imaging device delivering real-time digital insights across the full workflow from the very point of contact with a tissue sample. Optiscan said its tech has potential to address a growing global shortage of pathologists. By enabling remote review, labs could distribute workload more efficiently across a wider pool of pathologists, regardless of location. Optiscan and its Canadian tech partner Prolucid Technologies have also developed a cloud-based telepathology application, which brings together a surgeon and pathologist remotely during an operation, in real time. The software has reached the minimum viable product (MVP) stage, meaning it meets essential functional requirements while allowing for further refinement. This platform enables pathologists to securely review high-resolution images, generate reports, and collaborate remotely, in real time. It is considered a potential game changer for regional, rural and remote healthcare settings where access to pathology expertise is limited. CEO and managing director Dr Camile Farah said Optiscan saw efficiency as a form of care. "The faster and smarter we work, the sooner patients get the treatment they need," he said. "The real breakthrough isn't just in the device itself – it's in how efficiently we can get it from R&D to the patient's bedside. "If we can build smarter and deliver smarter, then we're not just making devices – we're making time, savings, and better outcomes for everyone in the healthcare chain." Improving efficiency in pharmaceutical manufacturing Pharmaceutical manufacturing is also not without its challenges including also a shortage of microbiologists, with the problem coming to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic. Time-consuming microbiology practices for environmental monitoring are also costly for pharmaceutical drug manufacturers with counting colonies on culture plates remaining a manual and repetitive task, open to human error. However, Adelaide-based Clever Culture Systems is developing a solution for these problems with its APAS (automated plate assessment system) Independence instruments. The only US FDA-cleared AI technology for automated culture plate reading, APAS automatically analyses culture plates, detects microbial contamination and classifies growth as significant or non-significant. CEO and managing director Brent Barnes told Stockhead pharmaceutical drugs were manufactured in clean rooms, which were aseptically clean environments meaning there's techniques and practices to prevent contamination by microorganisms. "In sterile drug manufacturing, culture plates are used inside cleanrooms to constantly monitor the environment for any contamination," he said. "These plates are manually read by two microbiologists after incubation, where those results are critical in releasing safe and effective drugs into the market. "The costs of mistakes are high, and mistakes do happen, which is why two microbiologists look at all of the plates (a second check), even though over 99% of plates have no growth." With their technology replacing manual reading of agar plates, Clever Culture has a strong value proposition, with its customers now including big pharma companies such as Astra Zeneca and Nova Nordisk. "Plates are bulk loaded into the instrument and are then automatically imaged, an algorithm interprets any growth, counts the colonies if they are present, then digitally reports the results to the laboratory information management system and physically sorts the plates," he said. Barnes said APAS improves quality by capturing permanent digital images of culture plates and ensures traceability by digitally transmitting data without manual transcription mistakes. He said the system boosts efficiency by automating reading and reporting, freeing microbiologists to focus on plates showing growth that require their expertise. At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While Optiscan and Clever Culture Systems are Stockhead advertisers, the companies did not sponsor this article.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
I've worked with AI in pathology for years. AI is the key to keeping up with a bigger workload — and it's a non-negotiable for doctors.
AI is used in pathology in Singapore to improve diagnostic confidence and efficiency. Dr. Cheng Chee Leong said AI could allow pathologists to do more with less. This is important as patient cases get more complex, said the anatomical pathologist. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Cheng Chee Leong, the head of the department of anatomical pathology at Singapore General Hospital. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. I'm drawn to pathology because accurate diagnosis is the critical starting point for proper treatment and management. In my field, we examine tissues under the microscope to determine a patient's disease or condition. Pathologists need to spend more time dealing with the increasing complexity of our practice. AI has the potential to improve our productivity. With the increasing aging population, we will be dealing with more complex patients. Our elderly population is living longer, and we will have patients with multiple conditions at the same time. We're always dealing with a relative shortage of manpower, and that is complicated by the fact that we are being asked to actually do more and more with the tissue. For example, in the past, prostate biopsies might require four parameters for an entire case. Now, we have to deal with more specific parameters for each individual specimen. Sometimes, the number of specimens can reach 20 to 30, which is at least 10 to 20 times the amount of work that we're actually used to. This is not very sustainable because you will never be able to increase the number of manpower needed to deal with things by 10 to 20 times. That's where AI will need to come in, allowing us to do more with less and deal with more parameters without increasing the amount of resources. AI could highlight areas of interest more quickly than we might examine under high magnification, improving both confidence and efficiency. AI has been part of pathology for years I've been involved in medical informatics for more than twenty years, starting when I was a medical officer in the Singapore Armed Forces. We were exposed to machine learning-based tools for digital pathology images about a decade ago. A project between Singapore General Hospital and AI Singapore from 2020 to 2021 focused on using AI to differentiate a tumor called fibroepithelial lesions. These aren't your traditional breast cancers, but rather two related conditions that can sometimes mimic each other: fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumors. We built AI algorithms to attempt to differentiate between these two lesions on biopsy materials. The goal was to improve our diagnostic confidence and better guide treatment decisions. AI isn't infallible — especially in complex cases Even the best-trained AI will have a margin of error, and its performance depends heavily on input data. AI still has some way to go in integrating complex data to guide us to the correct diagnosis alongside what we see under the microscope. For example, we examine other data, such as patients' electronic records and radiology reports, to better understand the whole clinical picture. Unlike trained professionals, AI still has issues with adaptability and generalization, including dealing with issues in less-than-optimal circumstances. AI is very dependent on its training data. When AI encounters tissue that's been processed differently — for example, samples from overseas labs that have different colors or appearances — it may perform suboptimally. Sometimes, AI will mistake folded tissue on the slide as a positive finding when it shouldn't be. A trained human professional will be able to find ways to approach novel findings and situations they have less experience with, rather than trying to force-fit into a category that AI may tend to do. For now, the human in the loop is inevitable. We always practice a margin of safety to ensure that we don't make mistakes. After all, many years of training helped us build the knowledge base that will allow us to make accurate interpretations and diagnoses. With time, AI, given enough training, data, and the right guidance, may actually be able to do better. While AI will not replace doctors or humans in the medium to long term, a human without AI ability will not be able to keep up with the rapidly evolving healthcare field. AI will eventually transform the way we work. It will require us to acquire a different skill set and demand that we practice at a higher standard. Do you have a story to share about AI in healthcare? Contact this reporter at cmlee@ Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
National Post
30-07-2025
- Health
- National Post
Canucks: B.C. cancer initiative hits home for Kirk and Genevieve McLean
Article content Funding addresses the following foundation goals: Article content • Renewed pathology laboratory at VGH to use the power of robotics and AI (Artificial Intelligence) to decrease diagnostic turnaround time and facilitate more accurate diagnosis. Article content • State-of-the-art operating rooms and surgical tools. In April, VGH became the first hospital in Canada to conduct a surgical procedure by using a spine robot. In May, VGH opened the province's first in-patient clinical trials unit. Article content Genevieve was diagnosed with leukemia as a child, and nine years later at the age of 24 there was a relapse. She received a life-saving blood transplant from her brother at VGH. However, in 2017, Genevieve faced another cancer battle. A six-by-five centimetre tumour was discovered in her adrenal gland and successfully removed. Article content She remains cancer free today and is beyond grateful. Article content 'It for sure changes you, because the little things now don't matter as much after going through that,' said Genevieve. 'It changes your perspective as the years go by because you realize how lucky you are. There's the cancer portion and the treatments and a lot of parts in your body are affected. Article content Article content 'Cancer doesn't just happen, it goes much further along and is always evolving. You get it and you think you're not going to graduate or get married and worry about the future. That's where it changed me. I was fortunate to meet Kirk's parents and it was very similar because faith is a big part of us. And so is being happy day by day because life isn't guaranteed.' Article content Cancer doesn't play favourites. Genevieve played sports in high school and was modelling when struck by the cancer relapse. There was no family history of cancer. She had been in New York and Italy and then returned home, and wham, it hit her again. And when it struck for a third time, her mettle was tested. Was this like baseball, three strikes and she's out? Article content 'I had lower-back pain, but I played sports growing up and thought it was just from working out, but Kirk told me it was ridiculous. Your back shouldn't be hurting all the time,' recalled Genevieve. 'I had such pain before, that this was nothing in the grand scheme of things, and I just put it (examination) off. Article content
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Summit Partners Announces Growth Investment in Dreampath Diagnostics to Accelerate Digital Transformation in Anatomical Pathology
LONDON & BOSTON & STRASBOURG, France, July 14, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Summit Partners today announced a growth investment in Dreampath Diagnostics, a leading healthcare technology company focused on digitizing workflows in anatomical pathology laboratories. The investment will support the company's plans to accelerate global growth, scale operations and expand its commercial reach and product portfolio. Founded in 2012, Dreampath offers a patented suite of traceability solutions and consumables designed to automate and digitally transform the archiving and retrieval of tissue samples in pathology labs. Today, the company manages more than 250 million samples across over 500 labs in nearly 40 countries, serving a broad range of healthcare organizations, from hospitals and research institutions to commercial laboratories and cancer centers. "Pathology labs are a critical part of the global healthcare ecosystem, yet many still rely on manual, error-prone processes for sample archiving and retrieval," said Pablo Jordan, CEO and co-founder of Dreampath Diagnostics. "Our mission is to improve the efficiency and accuracy of these workflows through automation and digital traceability, allowing labs to provide patients with faster and safer diagnostics. We're proud to partner with Summit to help us scale our impact and reach more patients around the world." Dreampath's integrated platform is protected by more than 80 patents worldwide and is designed to automate, simplify and streamline lab workflows to help eliminate the risk of patient sample loss. The company's technology is tailored to specific stages of the pathology process and works with Dreampath's proprietary software and consumables. This closed-loop system helps labs archive and retrieve tissue samples with speed and precision, with a focus on improving sample traceability while reducing manual errors, retrieval times and operational burden. Customers using the system have reported meaningful positive results, noting an 83% reduction in time spent archiving tissue samples. Dreampath has grown profitably and rapidly at a CAGR of more than 50% in recent years, driven by strong demand for its platform across the U.S., EMEA and other global markets. Dreampath's customers include many of the world's foremost cancer centers, as well as some of the largest and most sophisticated commercial laboratories in operation today. "Pathology labs are navigating growing volumes, staffing shortages and increasing demands for precision, all while working with systems that haven't meaningfully evolved in decades," said Thomas Tarnowski, Managing Director at Summit Partners. "Dreampath's platform is designed to address a key bottleneck in the pathology workflow. By enabling fast and traceable access to tissue samples, the company is supporting more consistent lab operations and helping improve the quality of patient care. We believe Dreampath is well-positioned to lead the modernization of pathology infrastructure on a global scale." "We were drawn to Dreampath because of their clear leadership in a fast-growing and increasingly essential segment of lab diagnostics," added Jono Pagden, Principal at Summit Partners. "In our view, the company's first-mover advantage, consistent focus on quality and strong customer adoption have helped Dreampath establish a strong reputation as a trusted provider in digital archiving. We're proud to be their first institutional partner and excited to support the team in scaling their impact globally." Both Thomas Tarnowski and Jono Pagden have joined the Dreampath Board of Directors. Dreampath is headquartered in Strasbourg, France with a U.S. commercial office in New York. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About Dreampath Diagnostics Dreampath Diagnostics is a global leader of digital sample management systems for anatomical pathology laboratories. The company's patented solutions combine purpose-built scanners, software and consumables to enable automated and error-free archiving and rapid retrieval of tissue samples, helping labs accelerate diagnostics, improve accuracy, and compliance. Dreampath's systems are used in leading labs and institutions across nearly 40 countries. For more information, please visit About Summit Partners Summit Partners is a leading growth-focused investment firm. Summit invests across growth sectors of the economy and, since the firm's founding in 1984, has invested in more than 550 companies in technology, healthcare and other growth industries. These companies have completed more than 175 public equity offerings, and more than 250 have been acquired through strategic mergers and sales. Notable investments in healthcare and life sciences include Advance Medical, CluePoints, Healthline Media, LifeStance Health, VaxCare and Viroclinics. Summit maintains offices in North America and Europe and seeks to invest in category-leading, profitable growth companies worldwide. For more information, please visit or follow on LinkedIn. View source version on Contacts Media Contact:Susan Barrsbarr@
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Summit Partners Announces Growth Investment in Dreampath Diagnostics to Accelerate Digital Transformation in Anatomical Pathology
LONDON & BOSTON & STRASBOURG, France, July 14, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Summit Partners today announced a growth investment in Dreampath Diagnostics, a leading healthcare technology company focused on digitizing workflows in anatomical pathology laboratories. The investment will support the company's plans to accelerate global growth, scale operations and expand its commercial reach and product portfolio. Founded in 2012, Dreampath offers a patented suite of traceability solutions and consumables designed to automate and digitally transform the archiving and retrieval of tissue samples in pathology labs. Today, the company manages more than 250 million samples across over 500 labs in nearly 40 countries, serving a broad range of healthcare organizations, from hospitals and research institutions to commercial laboratories and cancer centers. "Pathology labs are a critical part of the global healthcare ecosystem, yet many still rely on manual, error-prone processes for sample archiving and retrieval," said Pablo Jordan, CEO and co-founder of Dreampath Diagnostics. "Our mission is to improve the efficiency and accuracy of these workflows through automation and digital traceability, allowing labs to provide patients with faster and safer diagnostics. We're proud to partner with Summit to help us scale our impact and reach more patients around the world." Dreampath's integrated platform is protected by more than 80 patents worldwide and is designed to automate, simplify and streamline lab workflows to help eliminate the risk of patient sample loss. The company's technology is tailored to specific stages of the pathology process and works with Dreampath's proprietary software and consumables. This closed-loop system helps labs archive and retrieve tissue samples with speed and precision, with a focus on improving sample traceability while reducing manual errors, retrieval times and operational burden. Customers using the system have reported meaningful positive results, noting an 83% reduction in time spent archiving tissue samples. Dreampath has grown profitably and rapidly at a CAGR of more than 50% in recent years, driven by strong demand for its platform across the U.S., EMEA and other global markets. Dreampath's customers include many of the world's foremost cancer centers, as well as some of the largest and most sophisticated commercial laboratories in operation today. "Pathology labs are navigating growing volumes, staffing shortages and increasing demands for precision, all while working with systems that haven't meaningfully evolved in decades," said Thomas Tarnowski, Managing Director at Summit Partners. "Dreampath's platform is designed to address a key bottleneck in the pathology workflow. By enabling fast and traceable access to tissue samples, the company is supporting more consistent lab operations and helping improve the quality of patient care. We believe Dreampath is well-positioned to lead the modernization of pathology infrastructure on a global scale." "We were drawn to Dreampath because of their clear leadership in a fast-growing and increasingly essential segment of lab diagnostics," added Jono Pagden, Principal at Summit Partners. "In our view, the company's first-mover advantage, consistent focus on quality and strong customer adoption have helped Dreampath establish a strong reputation as a trusted provider in digital archiving. We're proud to be their first institutional partner and excited to support the team in scaling their impact globally." Both Thomas Tarnowski and Jono Pagden have joined the Dreampath Board of Directors. Dreampath is headquartered in Strasbourg, France with a U.S. commercial office in New York. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About Dreampath Diagnostics Dreampath Diagnostics is a global leader of digital sample management systems for anatomical pathology laboratories. The company's patented solutions combine purpose-built scanners, software and consumables to enable automated and error-free archiving and rapid retrieval of tissue samples, helping labs accelerate diagnostics, improve accuracy, and compliance. Dreampath's systems are used in leading labs and institutions across nearly 40 countries. For more information, please visit About Summit Partners Summit Partners is a leading growth-focused investment firm. Summit invests across growth sectors of the economy and, since the firm's founding in 1984, has invested in more than 550 companies in technology, healthcare and other growth industries. These companies have completed more than 175 public equity offerings, and more than 250 have been acquired through strategic mergers and sales. Notable investments in healthcare and life sciences include Advance Medical, CluePoints, Healthline Media, LifeStance Health, VaxCare and Viroclinics. Summit maintains offices in North America and Europe and seeks to invest in category-leading, profitable growth companies worldwide. For more information, please visit or follow on LinkedIn. View source version on Contacts Media Contact:Susan Barrsbarr@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
