U.S. Patent No.10,346,980 addresses techniques critical to the advancement of digital pathology
PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES - Sep 24, 2019 -
Proscia
, a leading provider of digital pathology software, has been granted U.S. Patent No. 10,346,980 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The patent applies to techniques for processing and analyzing medical images.
For more than 150 years, the standard of care for diagnosing tissue biopsies has been based on a pathologists interpretation of patterns using a microscope. This interpretation determines the presence of cancer as well as the aggressiveness of malignancies. Unfortunately, because this human assessment is inherently subjective, it can compromise the accuracy of diagnosis and ultimately, the success of patient outcomes.
Today, specialized scanners capture images of tissue samples prepared on glass slides, giving rise to digital pathology. These whole slide images offer resolution and clarity equivalent to that provided by a microscope and can be viewed on a computer workstation. Significantly, computational models leveraging artificial intelligence can also analyze this image data, generating new insights into how we understand cancer; however, technical limitations pose a barrier to performing this analysis in practice. Specifically, the sizes of whole slide image files, ranging from hundreds of megabytes to dozens of gigabytes, present difficulties for computer systems attempting to manipulate, read, and analyze them.
The computer processing of whole slide images, as well as the retrieval and visualization of image analysis results, in acceptable time frames remains a long-standing problem. U.S. Patent No. 10,346,980 covers broad techniques for delivering much-needed efficiencies for overcoming these challenges and making whole slide imaging a viable component of the traditional pathology workflow.
These techniques allow for the efficient parallelized analysis of whole slide images, as well as the rapid delivery of rich quantitative and spatial information, in a digital pathology viewing environment. Integrating image viewing and analysis visualization supports high-throughput tissue research, helping to drive breakthrough advancements in the fight against cancer. It also enables computational pathology workflows for diagnosis, allowing pathologists to read and analyze cases more rapidly and with higher levels of accuracy.
The newly granted patent reflects Proscias commitment to transforming the practice of pathology with intelligent software. Concentriq, the companys flagship digital pathology platform, incorporates the proprietary techniques covered in the patent to improve laboratory speed and quality, support personalized medicine, and address the growing demand for pathology services.*
More information on Concentriq by Proscia can be found
here
.
About Proscia
Proscia is a software company that is changing the way the world practices pathology to transform cancer research and diagnosis. With the companys Concentriq digital pathology platform and pipeline of AI algorithms, laboratories are leveraging new kinds of data to improve patient outcomes and accelerate discoveries. Proscias team of technologists, scientists, and pathologists is bringing a fresh approach to an outdated industry, helping the world to keep pace with the increasing demand for pathology services and fulfill the promise of precision care. For more information, visit proscia.com.
*Proscias products are for research use only.