New Digital Pathology Devices Aims To Accelerate Diagnoses

A new digital pathology device could increase collaboration between clinicians while reducing turnaround times for patients waiting to hear the results of a biopsy, InformationWeek reports.

Launch of Omnyx

In 2008, GE Healthcare and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center launched a joint venture called Omnyx (Kolbasuk McGee, InformationWeek, 10/28). The project stems from GE’s Healthymagination initiative aimed at improving health care access and quality while reducing cost (Miliard, Healthcare IT News, 10/28).

The group recently began shipping its digital pathology device to medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada for testing. The institutions tasked with testing the Omnyx device include:

• Montefiore Medical Center in New York;
• Stanford University Medical Center in California;
• University Health Network in Toronto; and
• UPMC.

Speeding Up Pathology

Traditional pathology methods involve waiting for the shipment of glass slides, which must be stacked and inventoried. As a result, patients often wait days or weeks to receive a diagnosis.

In comparison, Omnyx’s digital device works by using dual-camera scanning technology (InformationWeek, 10/28).

The tool uses two cameras simultaneously to digitize pathology slides. It also includes new imaging software and an IT framework to digitize a pathology department’s workflow (CMIO, 10/28).

Tony Melason, vice president of strategy at Omnyx, said the digital system allows pathologists to remotely collaborate on patient cases and accelerate diagnoses.

In addition, digital pathology enables biopsy results and clinical images to be integrated with a patient’s electronic health record (InformationWeek, 10/28).

Source: iHealthBeat