Digital Pathology

Digital Pathology is the software for morphological diagnostics constructed on cloud computing. A key problem which is solved by a product – increase in efficiency of a morphological stage of oncological diagnostics, decrease in an error probability, decrease in terms of diagnostics.

At diagnosis of cancer doctors-pathologists make the decision on the basis of own experience and knowledge. In the world the indicator of wrong diagnostics based on morphological researches for detection of tumors is about 30%, and in Russia it reaches 40% (data for 2017).

A number of the products designed to solve various problems enters a line of Digital Pathology. Each of products allows to solve specific diagnostic objectives and is for the pathologist the same tool in work as, for example, a microscope.

To Digiatal Pathology service specialists pathologists from Russia, Germany, the USA have access, Great Britain and other countries of the world which have an opportunity to study the data obtained from the patient from any place in the world in high resolution and within the same cloud platform if necessary to carry out a consultation with colleagues for diagnosis.

In 2016 the number of the specialists using Digital Pathology grew up more than twice and reached 1400. Only in Russia the remote onkodiagnostika on the system developed by UNIM is carried out by 10 federal and regional oncological centers.

For 2018 monthly more than 200 patients use the Digital Pathology platform. The next stage of development of the Russian development — implementation of machine learning technology in order that the computer could analyze information obtained from pictures that will also help doctors to make the right diagnosis. Implementation of innovations to the area of radiological diagnostics became one more area of work of UNIM.

Use of service allows to increase many times the speed and accuracy of setting of oncological diagnoses that is crucial for the choice of the correct strategy of treatment and, eventually, – for increase in survival of patients.

The Internet the Digital Pathology service is a work with the digitized histologic medicines in several directions at once:

• Consultation of the digitized histologic medicines with pathologists worldwide. To the Internet to Digiatal Pathology service dozens of specialists of pathologists in Russia, Germany, the USA, Great Britain already have access;
• Opportunity for work with reference base of the digitized histologic medicines together with clinical data;
• Possibility of creation of own base of cases for the scientific and practical purposes;
• Uses of the full-fledged digitized histologic medicines for performances at conferences;
• Deleted konsiliumny work within one laboratory.

2020: Opening of free access to COVID-19 pandemic period

The YuNIM company, the resident of Skolkovo Foundation and the portfolio project of IIDF, provided to all medical institutions of Russia in the period of COVID-19 pandemic an opportunity free of charge to use the online platform for diagnosis of cancer. On April 30, 2020 the Skolkovo Foundation reported about it.

The software for patomorfologichesky laboratories Digital Pathology includes elements of artificial intelligence and allows doctors in the conditions of a quarantine far off to diagnose oncological diseases. This system is used more than 2.5 years by YuNIM laboratory, a number of the regional and federal centers of Russia and also in the CIS countries and the Middle East. In the conditions of a pandemic, for risk minimization of infection of doctors, some more medical institutions joined them.

Digital Pathology technologies allow not to stop process of diagnosis of oncological diseases even if in medical institution the quarantine is announced. We are ready to cooperate with all medical institutions for whom the help in the translation of the onkodiagnostiki in an online format is necessary, told Alexey Remez, the CEO of YuNIM company

The pandemic of COVID-19 led to conversion of a part of medical institutions of Russia into a format of infectious diseases hospitals. Some laboratories which were earlier performing histologic researches are closed on a quarantine and have no opportunity to render services to patients. This problem is especially relevant for Moscow where nearly a half of all patients with a coronavirus is registered. Therefore for medical institutions of the capital "YuNIM" will give an opportunity of free transfer to a digital format (scannings) of all histologic and IGH of glasses.

Free access to the Digital Pathology system is provided to medical institutions till June 1, 2020. It can be prolonged if epidemiological country situation will remain difficult.

The service of telepathology started by YuNIM company, thanks to attraction to each case experienced narrow specialists in a convenient format, already helped to reduce time and to increase the accuracy of setting of oncological diagnoses. The company, with grant support of Skolkovo Fund, works on further process optimization of diagnostics, including develops digital solutions for automation of processing of pictures, noted Larisa Kravchenko, the project manager Klastera of biomedical technologies of Skolkovo Foundation

2019: Start of an online internship for onkodiagnost based on Digital Pathology

On March 21, 2019 the Skolkovo Foundation reported that YuNIM company, the resident Klastera of biomedical technologies of Skolkovo Foundation, opened an online internship for the doctors who are engaged in onkodiagnostiky. Read more here.

2018: Russia suggested to create a uniform digital diagnostic system of cancer

The uniform digital diagnostic system of oncological diseases can be created century Russia. For development of mechanisms of its implementation the working group will be created at Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. In February, 2018 at opening of the country's first digital laboratory "" in YUNIM the innovation center "Skolkovo" the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation reported about it Arkady Dvorkovich.

"The contact working group into which necessary specialists will enter will be created. According to the results of its work specific solutions because the issue of standardization is extremely important should be received", – Arkady Dvorkovich noted. A system should reduce the period of diagnostics received from sick tests, increase quality of data analysis and make process more transparent.

As the creator and the company executive [Remez Alexey] noted], at development of the principles of work of a single system the working group can rely on the experience available at YuNIM company. "The essence of an initiative is in giving to the oncological centers in Russia access to the digital Digital Pathology platform which is already created by us. Within this system doctors-pathologists can get advice of the colleagues on diagnosis and also monitor all process of the movement of histologic medicines and work of specialists at each stage. "YuNIM" is not only diagnostic laboratory, but also the technology project. Standardization of processes due to control of IT-systems allows to develop optimal model for scaling of technology on regions of Russia", – Alexey Remez told.

According to the vice president, the chief executive Klaster of biological and medical technologies of Ruslan Kamalov, the Skolkovo Foundation can take part in training of specialists in work within a single digital system.

The YuNIM laboratory in Technopark became the third similar organization in the world. Two others are in the USA and the Netherlands. On the area of 200 square meters the most modern equipment for the analysis of the results of a biopsy received from patients of medical institutions from all Russia is located. Implementation of the laboratory information system (LIS) which controls all process became important feature of the project. The PIM monitors the movement of material and work of specialists at each stage to exclude a possibility of errors, to control operating time over cases and also to keep account and to optimize an expense of antibodies and other reagents.

All diagnostics takes place in a cloud platform of Digital Pathology. The platform allows to carry out consultations irrespective of the location of doctors, to advise the digitized histologic medicines, results computer tomography (KT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MPT). The size of one picture is more than 3 GB, thanks to high resolution consultation of materials of the patient is performed with the same degree of freedom, as under a microscope.

In addition to the main developments of "YuNIM" – the Digital Pathology platform and a laboratory information system, in laboratory the set of the technological solutions directed to increase in transparency of processes is applied. So, for example, the monoclonal humanized antibodies – the supply for oncological diagnostics, requires strict observance of a temperature corridor. Wireless sensors which online transfer information on temperature to a PIM are installed in laboratory refrigerators and, in case of violation of temperature condition, send notifications. It is an example of IoT in operation.

Oncological IT systems (world market)

Main article: Oncological IT systems (world market)