Pitt Medical Center and GE Form Partnership
The Healthcare division of General Electric and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are forming a partnership to focus on pathology research, bringing digitization to the diagnostic process. The collaboration will create a new company, Omnyx LLC. The goal is to advance the tools and techniques commonly used in pathology, bringing these up to date.
Many tasks completed in the pathology department still rely on manual techniques which utilize glass slides for specimen preparation and assessment by an individual under the microscope. This approach significantly slows the diagnostic process. The failure to incorporate new technologies is an inefficient work process. Integrating more technologic components can increase efficiency, as well as producing better and more reliable findings.
Each of the companies will put in $20 million to support development efforts of the new company. The group’s first effort will focus on the development of a virtual microscope. This system will allow clinicians to assess microscope slides with computer monitors. This allows interpretation of results and the sharing of information with this system to clinicians all over the world.
The digital pathology equipment under development will be commercialized shortly. The goal is to have such available within two years. The Pitt Medical Center will, of course, receive the first device created. Other companies that have been working to develop digital technologies include Aperio Technologies.
June 5, 2008 Related topics: Laboratory, Partnerships & Consortia