Digital Pathology Blog

Definiens has been selected to appear on 21st Century Health Television series

Press Release about Definiens:

 

Multi-Media Productions (USA), Inc. is pleased to announce that Definiens will be featured on 21st Century Health.

(EMAILWIRE.COM, February 26, 2010 ) Boca Raton, FL --- Definiens is the number one Enterprise Image Intelligence company for analyzing and interpreting images on every scale, from microscopic cell structures to satellite images. They help customers to extract intelligence from images, delivering deeper insights, faster results and better decisions.

Definiens’ key customers include pathologists and radiologists at top-tier biopharmaceutical companies, leading academic research centers, and clinical service organizations. Definiens' technology is being applied in the areas of translational and clinical research in order to learn more about the underlying causes of disease, as well as make more informed “go, no-go” decisions as to whether clinical development should proceed for a possible drug candidate; saving millions of dollars in effort and time. Further, work is underway in the area of personalized medicine to apply Definiens’ technology to develop more accurate tissue and radiology-based diagnostics for accurately determining the right drug for the right patient.

Definiens has recently launched two products which are specifically geared towards efforts in personalized health care. Definiens Tissue Studio™ is an application specifically designed for pathologists engaged in translational research for tissue-based biomarkers. Definiens Tissue Studio easily, accurately, and quickly quantifies histological attributes of biopsy tissue as well as the expression levels of biomarkers. This approach unveils the underlying causes of disease which cannot be determined by traditional approaches.

Definiens LymphExpert™ assists radiologists in the identification, analysis and evaluation of lymph nodes, which are key to evaluating cancer progression. In addition to quantifying the required one- and two-dimensional RECIST and WHO criteria, Definiens Lymph Expert also enables volumetric quantification. Since tumors are three-dimensional and do not grow uniformly, volume often provides a more accurate assessment of therapeutic response or disease progression.

Definiens’ image analysis approach is also being applied by organizations seeking to leverage geospatial intelligence and earth remote sensing to better understand and quantify the natural and man-made impact on the planet. The technology ensures consistent quality, extraordinary detail, high throughput and all at significantly lower cost.

The company’s unique Definiens Cognition Network Technology is fundamentally different from conventional image analysis methods. Developed by the 1986 Physics Nobel Laureate Gerd Binnig, it emulates human cognitive processes to extract intelligence from digitized images. The technology is context-based and identifies objects rather than simply examining individual pixels; enabling accurate analysis of complex images.

For more information visit www.definiens.com

JL Haber, Vice President of Programming at Multi Media Productions, added, “In our search for companies with innovative solutions that have the ability to change the way we live our lives, Definiens stood out as a unique company. We are excited to have them as a guest on our program.”
About 21st Century Health
21st Century Health airs on CNBC (as paid programming) and the Fox Business Network (as paid programming). 21st Century Health may also be viewed through video on demand via www.21chtv.com. The 21CHTV Series is also available at more than 90 prestigious college universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, Howard University, Dartmouth College and Georgetown University.

For specific market-by-market air dates and times, please e-mail Moniqueh@mmpusa.com. For more information, please visit www.21chtv.com.

True Quantification of Protein Expression in Tissue - Webinar Annoucement from Aperio

True Quantification of Protein Expression in Tissue:

Research and Clinical Applications
of AQUA® Technology

Thursday, March 18, 2010

8:00 am PST, 11:00 am EST, 3:00 pm GMT
 or
   4:00 pm PST, 7:00 pm EST       
(8:00 am JST /10:00 am Australia EDT March 19)  

Presenter:
Mark Gustavson, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist, HistoRx

AQUA^® technology is a standardized and quantitative measurement of protein expression in tissue using fluorescence-based immunohistochemistry, high-throughput digital imaging, and advanced image analysis algorithms. AQUA^®  technology enables the development of robust research and clinical diagnostic applications.

To register for the March 18, 8am PST session, click here.
https://aperio.webex.com/aperio/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=485661415

To register for the March 18, 4pm PST session, click here.
https://aperio.webex.com/aperio/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=489227332


You may also register by visiting the Aperio Events page.

You will receive a confirmation email upon registration with a web link that will lead you to the online event. Simply visit the link at the assigned time. The session is secure and easy to access. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact the Aperio Events Team at events@aperio.com or 760.539.1192. 

TheDigitalPathologyWiki.com: A New Resource For Digital Pathology

Thanks to Amanda Lowe at Digital Pathology Consultants for creating TheDigitalPathologyWiki.

The press release from this morning is below:

TheDigitalPathologyWiki.com, created by Digital Pathology Consultants (DPC), is a resource for healthcare, laboratory, and pharmaceutical professionals. Digital Pathology is rapidly gaining strength as an essential technology for use in clinical healthcare, academic research, and drug development. Industry professionals can now easily find, research, and contribute information about digital pathology in a vendor neutral forum.

Broomfield, CO (PRWEB) February 22, 2010 -- TheDigitalPathologyWiki.com, created by Digital Pathology Consultants (DPC), is a resource for healthcare, laboratory, and pharmaceutical professionals. Amanda Lowe, founder of Digital Pathology Consultants, says "The Digital Pathology Wiki will empower education and collaboration, and I am thrilled that DPC can contribute this wonderful resource to our industry." Digital Pathology is rapidly gaining strength as an essential technology for use in clinical healthcare, academic research, and drug development. Industry professionals can now easily find, research, and contribute information about digital pathology in a vendor neutral forum.

The most popular wiki, Wikipedia, allows for collaborative editing of content by registered users and is recognized as an invaluable tool on the internet. TheDigitalPathologyWiki.com strives to be a similar resource for professionals interested in learning more about digital pathology with strong content that includes:

*Definition of digital pathology
*Over 100 references including publications, white papers, and news articles
*Organizations that support digital pathology and offer programs that use whole slide images
*A comprehensive listing of industry professionals and partners
*A calendar of industry seminars and events
*Digital Pathology social networking resources

Banner advertising opportunities are available to industry professionals on the Digital Pathology Wiki website. Advertising dollars will be used to support innovative methods that educate and advocate for the adoption of digital pathology within the healthcare and biopharmaceutical industries.

To register and start contributing to the Digital Pathology Wiki visit www.thedigitalpathlogywiki.com.

For information on advertising, email wiki@digpathconsultants.com

Contact:

Amanda Lowe
Digital Pathology Consultants, LLC
PO Box 486
Broomfield, CO 80038
phone: 877-843-5268
email: info(at)digpathconsultants(dot)com

What's New with Definiens Tissue Studio?

Join us for a Webinar on March 3

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/799569483

Definiens Tissue Studio™ is The Most Advanced Digital Pathology Image Analysis Solution for Biomarker Translational Research

Topics that will be discussed:

● The "Magnetic Snap" feature: Manual Selection of regions of interest with the outlining tool on native image resolution
● Preselection of regions of interest with Definiens Composer Technology
● Nucleus and Cell Qualification
● Easier access of results
● Selecting regions of interest in tissue microarray cores with Definiens Composer Technology
● Bulk import for tissue microarray core metadata
● Tissue Studio for enterprise environments

And finally, a sneak preview of Definiens Tissue Studio 2.0!!

Speakers:

Dr. Kai Hartmann, Product Manager
Peter Duncan, Director, Marketing and Business Development

Title: What's New with Definiens Tissue Studio?

Date:Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Time:11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer
 
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/799569483

Creation of a fully digital pathology slide archive by high-volume tissue slide scanning

Recent publication in Hum Pathol 2010 Feb 2. [Epub ahead of print]

Interesting read how digital pathology was implemented and being used at this institution.

Huisman A, Looijen A, van den Brink SM, van Diest PJ.

Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Digital slide scanners for scanning glass slides are becoming increasingly popular because current scanners are fast enough and produce good enough images for diagnostic purposes, education, and research. Also, the price for storing vast amounts of data has decreased over the last years, and this trend is expected to continue. Where most laboratories use their scanners mainly for education and research with limited financial and technical implications, we decided to face the huge challenges of prospectively setting up a fully digital pathology slide archive, primarily aiming to optimize the preparation and running of clinicopathological conferences. In this article, we describe the setup of our digital archiving solution and discuss the technical challenges we had to overcome. To give insight in the performance of our digital archive, we provide some statistics as well. We also present our thoughts on future developments in the area of digital slide scanning.

Associate Product Manager Needed for Omnyx - Job Posting

From GE:

Omnyx's vision is to transform the scope of pathology through leveraging medical imaging and developing a novel, ground-breaking digital pathology solution. At Omnyx you will make a difference in healthcare and apply every ounce of your experience to introduce solutions that break through the current limitations in pathology. Our products improve patient care by increasing pathologists' productivity, efficiency, as well as patient safety. We offer an entrepreneurial atmosphere with rich opportunities for self-directed people to thrive and grow professionally. At Omnyx, we embrace a highly collaborative culture where product managers operate in an Agile development process and also work very closely with customers and luminaries to fully understand and translate their needs into innovative products. Together, we will deliver the best digital pathology products available. We are a high-tech startup formed as a joint venture of GE Healthcare and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. We have solid financial backing and support from each of these leading healthcare companies.

Role Summary/Purpose

We are looking for a Associate Product Manager who understands the workflow of anatomic pathologists and the histology lab and can work closely with our software engineering team to make the use cases come to life in the product. Ideally, the candidate will understand Agile development processes and the role of a Product Owner.

Essential Responsibilities

• Collaborate with clinical user, IT professional, and engineering populations to ensure the use cases and requirements are developed to meet customer needs
• Work with user experience designers to translate solution design intent into requirements
• Analyze requirements to identify impacts to engineering, sales, implementation, and support teams
• Ensure requirements are actionable, inclusive of necessary detail, and clearly understood by the engineering team
• Manage a backlog of requirements based on the direction of the Senior Product Manager and customer feedback
• Perform iterative product planning (sprint planning) with the engineering team to prioritize the development cycle
• Negotiate trade-offs between functionality, usability, effort, and timeline within development cycle
• Assist in the beta-cycle of the product through developing user test scenarios and gathering customer feedback
• Work with clinical users, customers, and user experience designers to analyze, clarify, and prioritize product feedback
• Follow the Omnyx quality system guidelines for design input and change control of requirements

Qualifications/Requirements

• BS/MS in computer science, business or related fields
• Experience with anatomic pathology workflow and processes
• Minimum 1 yrs of product administration/management experience or APL-LIS implementation experience.
• Proven ability to communicate product requirements and direction with software engineering teams. Travel requirements – 25%

GE will only employ those who are legally authorized to work. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen.

Desired Characteristics

• Experience in an Agile development environment
• Experience as a “Product Owner” in the “Scrum” development process
• Experience with Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) and specifically Anatomic Pathology Laboratory Information Systems (AP-LIS)
• Understanding of AP-LIS implementation processes
• Familiarity with working in an FDA regulated environment
• Multiple beta test site implementations

Apply for this Job

 

The A-to-Z of Vitamin D: Why It’s Today’s Hottest Lab Test

How Labs can deliver maximum clinical and financial value with Vitamin D testing

YOUR PRESENTER: Dr. Bruce Hollis, PhD, Director, Pediatric Nutritional Sciences Medical University of South Carolina Justin Clark (Moderator), THE DARK REPORT, Spicewood, TX

Demand for Vitamin 25(OH) D testing is going through the roof! In recent years, it has been, hands-down, the fastest-growing test by volume. Your lab has an unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of this growth and add value to physicians and patients by increasing your clinical knowledge about Vitamin D. Get information on the latest developments in Vitamin D testing when you join THE DARK REPORT and DARK DAILY for this exceptional audio conference, "The A-to-Z of Vitamin D: Why It's Today's Hottest Lab Test," on Wednesday, February 24, 2010.

Here's just some of what you’ll learn during this insightful 90-minute conference:

• The basics of Vitamin D2 and D3.

• The different testing methodologies, from immunoassay to mass spectrometry.

• Insights into the sources of Vitamin D and how the body metabolizes it.

• The most recent clinical studies linking Vitamin D insufficiency to a surprising number of diseases.

• Why new research findings are changing the way many physicians manage Vitamin D in their patients.

• The politics of Vitamin D in the scientific and payer communities.
• The debate on what are sufficient/insufficient levels of Vitamin D.

• How the choice of reference ranges for different Vitamin D test methodologies affects physician and patient response.

• Why your own Vitamin D level may be under what's necessary for optimal health.

• The future demand curve for Vitamin D testing: Why more testing is likely.

…and much more!

---

This audio conference features expert Bruce Hollis, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Neonatology at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is recognized as the inventor of the first successful Vitamin A immunoassay in the 1980s and is a well-known international authority on Vitamin D. In fact, the depth and breadth of his insights about Vitamin D and its essential role in optimum health motivated a number of experienced pathologists and laboratory scientists to leave last year's Executive War College to purchase Vitamin D supplements!

Listen as Dr. Hollis provides details of recent clinical studies that will help explain how new knowledge about Vitamin D is changing the role it plays in a growing number of conditions and diseases. You'll also learn which methodologies are being used to conduct Vitamin D testing and what the advantages and limitations are for each type of Vitamin 25(OH)D assay. And find out why the Vitamin 25(OH)D levels and reference ranges used to report the results generated by different Vitamin 25(OH)D test methodologies can confuse patients and physicians. You'll get the latest information on the vigorous debate going on about what level of Vitamin D should be used by clinicians to determine a patient's sufficiency.

Find out how the healthcare establishment picked an RDA number that-as clinical knowledge advances-is much too low to support optimum health. And how new clinical studies are providing persuasive evidence that the daily intake of Vitamin D should be closer to 5,000 units per day. Understanding the changing science behind Vitamin D and why it is the fast-growing assay, by volume, on your lab's test menu is critical to the future success of your lab. At the end of this session, you'll come away with steps you can take that will help position your laboratory as a valuable resource on all aspects of Vitamin D testing. The surging demand for Vitamin D testing has great clinical and financial importance for your laboratory.

Register today

for "The A-to-Z of Vitamin D: Why It's Today's Hottest Lab Test" on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

And don't forget the question-and-answer session that allows you to pose your specific questions to this world-renowned expert in vitamin D testing. This direct access will help you get advice and insight that's tailored to the unique needs of your laboratory. So don't wait! Reserve your "seat" today for this very special program.

THE DARK REPORT AUDIO CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE DATE: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 TIME: 1 p.m. EDT; 12 p.m. CDT; 11 a.m. MDT; 10 a.m. PDT PLACE: Your telephone or speakerphone COST: $195 per dial-in site (unlimited attendance per site) through 2/12/10; $245 thereafter TO REGISTER: Click here or call 1-800-560-6363 toll-free

For one low price—just $195 (through 2/12/10; $245 thereafter)

—you and your entire team can take part in this fast-paced, insightful audio conference. Best of all, you’ll be able to connect personally with either of the panelists when we open up the phone lines for live Q&A.

How to Register Now:

1. Online
2. Call toll free: 800-560-6363.


Your audio conference registration includes:

• A site license to attend the conference (invite as many people as you can fit around your speakerphone at no extra charge)
• Downloadable PowerPoint presentations from our speakers
• A full transcript emailed to you soon after the conference
• The opportunity to connect directly with our speaker during the audience Q&A session

Register Now! Or for more information, call us toll-free at 800-560-6363.

Distinguished Presenter:
Bruce Hollis has studied vitamin D metabolism, molecular function and assay techniques for the past 35 years. He is a trained nutritional biochemist who has studied maternal and infant nutrition related to vitamin D for his entire tenure. He earned his Ph.D. in 1979 from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Hollis currently has active National Institutes of Health (NIH) projects investigating vitamin D requirements during pregnancy and lactation as well as its role in the development of childhood asthma and infection prevention.

ACCENT® Continuing Education Credit The American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) designates this program for a maximum of 1.5 ACCENT® credit hours towards the AACC Clinical Chemist’s Recognition Award. AACC is an approved provider of continuing education for clinical laboratory scientists in the states of California, Florida, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.

Medical tourism seen as a growing field

Mention digitizing slides and pathologists will voice concern about outsourcing.  While the technology would allow for this the business models in my mind are not there and will not occur on any scale for a number of reasons.  Pathologists can also prevent this from occurring with sound business practices and client service.  Other specialties may face similar challenges.  A recent article covers the growth of medical tourism touted as being more cost effective with comparable or better clinical outcomes.  I predict the number of 1.6 million patients is a conservative figure and may be greater.  So while your slides may be read in the United States, your definitive surgery may be done elsewhere...Interesting.

The Houston Chronicle (2/14, Simons, Lochhead) reported on the growing trend of medical tourism, where Americans head "overseas to escape the high cost of US care." According to Deloitte Consulting, "560,000 U.S. residents went abroad for care last year -- and the number likely will rise to 1.6 million by 2012." In addition, the medical tourism industry "may be on the cusp of major expansion as governments from India to Singapore invest in state-of-the-art hospitals, vying for a global market." The Chronicle explained that "overseas providers...have lower costs because doctors often get free medical education, and don't have huge debts to pay off. Wages and living standards are often lower, and U.S.-style malpractice lawsuits are rare."

Residents, fellows and junior attendings needed for SlideTutor study at USCAP

Courtesy of UPMC School of Medicine - Biomedical Informatics:

During the USCAP this year between March 22-24, we need 1st & 2nd Year Residents, Fellows, and 1st & 2nd Year Attendings to participate in a 4 hour study classifying 40 virtual slide pathology cases. Participants will receive $200 and help further develop SlideTutor, an intelligent tutoring system for pathologists. Participants must be studying/have obtained AP or AP/CP; CP-only are not eligible at this time.  For an appointment, email legowskie@upmc.edu

 

 

UCI opens $40 million doctor training center

Physicians and scientists this week will begin moving into a new $40.5 million medical education center at UC Irvine that features a 60-seat “televideo” auditorium where students can watch doctors use teleconferencing to provide care to patients in rural and remote areas of the state. Medical students also will be able to watch real-time medical procedures that doctors perform at UCI Douglas Hospital in Orange.

The auditorium is part of a  growing effort by the University of California system to expand in “telemedicine,” a type of care that’s considered especially important to patients who currently have limited access to specialists. UC San Diego and UC Davis are currently building similar centers, and UCLA has been expanding its well-established telemedicine system.

The initiative is largely being funded by the public, following the 2006 passage of Proposition 1D, which, among other things, provided the UC with $200 million to expand medical schools and telemedicine. The UC lobbied hard for the proposition, saying that the state faces a major shortage of doctors in the next decade.

UCI’s new 65,000 square-foot Medical Education Building also is meant to broaden and improve teaching at the UCI School of Medicine, which has about 400 medical students. UCI says the building also includes “a clinical simulation lab and clinical skills center. Students will utilize digitally controlled, full-body simulators in operating-room and trauma-room settings, and the televideo room will allow students to see medicine practiced at distant locations with real-time ability to communicate with clinical instructors.

http://sciencedude.freedomblogging.com/2010/02/08/uci-opens-40-million-doctor-training-center/86909/