Omnyx pathology solution receives Health Canada licence

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – GE Healthcare announced that the Omnyx Integrated Digital Pathology (IDP) solution with the new VL120 high volume scanner has obtained a Health Canada Class II Medical Device License for primary diagnostic use. The Omnyx IDP with VL4 scanner was licensed in 2013 and has been developed by Omnyx, LLC, a joint venture of GE Healthcare and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

The number of newly diagnosed cancer cases in Canada is increasing. About 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetimes, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. By bringing pathology into digital workflow, pathologists and their colleagues can collaborate more efficiently to reach timely diagnosis and potentially help improve outcomes for cancer patients in Canada.

Mamar Gelaye, CEO of Omnyx, said: “Pathologists play a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment across many care pathways, particularly cancer. Traditionally, pathologists use a microscope to examine tissue on glass slides. This often requires that glass slides be transported to remote pathologists, creating delays in diagnosis and risk of slides being damaged or lost. It can make getting second opinions and access to subspecialists difficult.

“The Omnyx IDP solution provides a powerful digital platform to pathologists to transform how they deliver services. With the ability for pathologists to collaborate across locations without the time needed to transport the glass slides, patients can have greater access to subspecialists regardless of where they live and receive care.”

Designed in cooperation with histologists and pathologists, the Omnyx VL120 scanner’s intuitive workflow enables histology labs to manage high case volumes with continuous loading capability, adapting to the labs’ slide production schedule. With this addition to the platform, the solution can enable more patients to have access to collaborative and subspecialty pathology services.

The University Health Network (UHN) Laboratory Medicine Program, one of the largest diagnostic labs in Canada, was a clinical test site for the Omnyx IDP and VL120. Dr. Sylvia Asa (pictured), Medical Director, Laboratory Medicine Program, UHN said: “We are committed to being a leader in the world of pathology with a vision to improve the way we deliver patient care. This means investing in technology and infrastructure for improved workflow. The collaboration with Omnyx to validate the Omnyx VL120 was important to demonstrate that digital platforms can be used for primary diagnosis at high volumes.”

“The distribution of population across vast areas of Canada creates significant challenges for our healthcare system in providing access to pathology services,” noted Mike Clarke, General Manager of GE Healthcare Canada IT. “GE Healthcare’s investment in Omnyx supports our commitment to cancer with technology that allows pathologists to share their expertise more efficiently with peers, clinicians, and patients across the regions they serve.”

About Omnyx

Omnyx, LLC is a joint venture of GE Healthcare and UPMC with locations in Pittsburgh, PA and Piscataway, NJ. The company has developed the Omnyx Integrated Digital Pathology solution allowing pathology departments worldwide to move to an all-digital workflow. Their products include image acquisition devices, workflow software, companion algorithms, and transformation consulting. Close collaboration with pathologists at UPMC and other institutions along with their relationship with GE Healthcare allows Omnyx to focus its innovation on the needs of anatomic pathologists worldwide. Omnyx products are for in vitro diagnostic use for specific clinical applications, and are intended for research use only on other applications. For more information, go to omnyx.com.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE works on things that matter – great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients.

About UPMC

A world-renowned health care provider and insurer, Pittsburgh-based UPMC is inventing new models of accountable, cost-effective, patient-centered care. It provides more than $887 million a year in benefits to its communities, including more care to the region’s most vulnerable citizens than any other health care institution. The largest nongovernmental employer in Pennsylvania, UPMC integrates more than 62,000 employees, 21 hospitals, 400 doctors’ offices and outpatient sites, a nearly 2.3-million-member health insurance division, and international and commercial operations. Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, UPMC ranks No. 10 in the prestigious U.S. News & World Report annual Honor Roll of America’s Best Hospitals – and No. 1 in Pennsylvania. For more information, go to UPMC.com.