Pathology tech developed by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is set to be deployed internationally to support the adoption of AI-enabled pathology for cancer diagnostics, following a commercial agreement with Epredia.
TANGO, the tool developed by LTH’s National Pathology Imaging Co-operative, is said to support digital pathology and AI in cancer diagnostics by promoting consistency and efficiency in laboratory slide staining, overcoming challenges whereby slight variations can affect interpretation of results and limit the effectiveness of AI tools. It will now be incorporated into Epredia’s new pathology slide products, to be brought to market for pathology labs looking to adopt digital pathology workflows.
“This is a proud moment for Leeds and for the NHS,” LTH chief scientific officer David Brettle said. “TANGO was developed to offer a powerful solution in digital pathology to support clinical practice and this shows how ideas developed on the frontline in the NHS can grow into innovations with global impact.”
Steven Lynum, president and CEO of Epredia, spoke of the potential of digital pathology and AI in helping accelerate cancer diagnostics speed and quality, improving patient care. “By adding this powerful innovation to our world-class portfolio of precision cancer diagnostics products, we are investing in technologies that can help make that future a reality,” he added.
Earlier this year, LTH was awarded funding of £1.5 million by NIHR as part of national funding to increase the ability to deliver high-quality commercial research, to be used toward four initiatives including the development and validation of AI imaging algorithms to improve diagnostic accuracy.
As part of this, LTH reported that investment will be made to evaluate an AI-enabled handheld cardiac ultrasound device, aimed to help speed up heart failure diagnosis in GP practices, and to work toward the development and validation of AI imaging algorithms to improve diagnostic accuracy and support clinical decision-making.
Wider trend: Digital pathology
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has shared plans to procure a “next-generation digital pathology solution”, publishing a prior information notice and subsequent market engagement. A contract notice is expected to be published around the 6 April 2027, with suppliers invited to register interest via the Public Contracts Scotland.
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust has procured an end-to-end digital histopathology pathway service with integrated AI diagnostic support and NHS reporting services. The contract, worth £275k, has been awarded to Inify Laboratories Ltd following completion of the Most Suitable Provider Process, for its fully integrated diagnostic service enabling information sharing and multidisciplinary collaboration. According to University Hospitals Plymouth, the digitally enabled model is hoped to support long-term service continuity and robust governance.
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust has introduced digital histopathology reporting following an 18-month programme of investment, innovation, and workforce development. According to the trust, the move to a full digital pathology service supports improved reviews of cases and collaboration. Using the system, specialists can examine tissue samples using high-definition digital images, replacing traditional glass slides, UHNM explains. Glass slides are loaded into specialist scanners which use high-definition digital cameras attached to a microscope to capture hundreds of images that are then “digitally stitched” together to form a complete image of the tissue sample. These images can then be uploaded to the trust’s PACS system to be quality checked and released to pathologists.
