BC invests $2.83M to expand digital pathology

VANCOUVER – Through British Columbia’s Integrated Marketplace program, delivered by Innovate BC, $2.83 million in funding has been awarded to four projects to continue testing digital pathology tools and expanding a provincial digital pathology cloud solution to support improved access to timely diagnostic services for British Columbians living with diseases like cancer.

“These four digital pathology projects highlight B.C.’s commitment to tackling healthcare challenges with made-in-B.C. solutions that create good jobs and grow our economy,” said Diana Gibson (pictured), minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.

The Integrated Marketplace Provincial Health testbed, hosted by the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), was launched last year with an initial three projects focused on supporting the adoption of digital pathology technology and systems.

Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services (PLMS) – in coordination with the Northern Health Authority, Vancouver Coastal Health, BC Cancer/Vancouver Centre, and Providence Health Care/St. Paul’s Hospital – has focused on utilizing scanners to digitize tissue sample slides to deploy digital pathology workflows in the diagnosis of cancer and renal diseases.

The latest projects support solution providers Quartech Systems, Affinity, Novatone Consulting and Daric Clouding Solutions to work with PLMS and the above-mentioned healthcare centres to:

• Test AI’s impact on workflows for anatomical pathology for prostate cancer and deploy locally developed AI algorithms for endometrial cancer pathology at Vancouver Coastal Health, integrating these use-cases to enhance the architecture of the provincial digital pathology cloud solution.
• Integrate all involved local laboratories into a shared cloud infrastructure, requiring an assessment of network connectivity, secure data transmission, and an alignment of infrastructure.
• Analyze the performance and cost comparisons of utilizing a digital pathology system and workflow and create a playbook of lessons learned with analysis informing further scaling of the provincial digital pathology cloud solution.
• Deploy and test the playbook to onboard a Fraser Health Authority laboratory to the provincial digital pathology cloud solution, demonstrating how the solution can be scaled to include new adopters throughout the province. These projects enable digital tools to be tested within a broader system, reducing the barriers for individual health organizations to adopt new technologies. The resulting data and insights will guide future investments to enhance and expand the provincial digital pathology cloud solution – supporting continued improvements in health service delivery, particularly in rural and remote areas.

“This initiative is a made-in-B.C. success story – uniting health organizations and local companies to build innovative, AI-enabled solutions that will modernize pathology across the province,” said Craig Ivany, chief provincial diagnostic officer, Provincial Health Services Authority. “By investing in digital tools and local talent, PHSA is not only advancing faster, more connected care for patients today, but also shaping the future of diagnostics in B.C.”

“Innovation in healthcare isn’t just about advancing technology, it’s about improving outcomes for patients, empowering providers, and building more resilient systems that can have impact across communities, and that’s what we’re working towards through this partnership with PHSA,” said Peter Cowan, president + CEO, Innovate BC. “Through the Integrated Marketplace, local innovators are helping transform pathology services across the province and, at the same time, working to earn a valuable reference customer that can help their businesses grow – that’s good for our health sector, our economy, and for all British Columbians.”

This announcement follows the recent news from the government of Canada, through PacifiCan, of an investment of over $1.8 million, to support the integration of AI innovation into two Integrated Marketplace projects, including $800,000 towards advancing a project at the Health testbed evaluating the integration of AI into the digital pathology workflow to more effectively analyze digital images of tissue sample slides.

Created to help drive innovation in the province, the Integrated Marketplace program supports projects that connect strategic partners operating at one of four testbeds to B.C.-based solution providers to implement, scale, and export B.C. technology solutions.

The Integrated Marketplace’s unique framework allows B.C. industries to receive assistance and reduce the risks in adopting innovation and new technologies, boosting their productivity and competitiveness, while connecting these solution providers with valuable Canadian reference customers that support their growth.

This announcement is part of the government of B.C.’s investment in the Integrated Marketplace, which includes an initial commitment of $11.5 million and the government of Canada’s investment, through PacifiCan, of $9.9 million, with an additional $30 million from the government of B.C. announced for investment over the next three years.