Limburg hospitals adopt artificial intelligence to speed up cancer detection

Hospitals in the province of Limburg are preparing to integrate artificial intelligence into cancer detection protocols, with the aim of improving their speed and efficiency. The University of Hasselt (UHasselt), Jessa Hospital Center and Oost-Limburg Hospital (ZOL) have spent the last two years exploring the possibilities offered by digitalization and artificial intelligence as part of oncology research.

These three entities have just launched Digipath, a Limburg platform dedicated to digital anatomical pathology. From now on, tissue samples intended for microscopic examination using scanners will be digitized, allowing not only faster and more efficient analysis, but also easier storage and sharing with other healthcare professionals.

“Pathologists will no longer have to manually handle each tissue slide under the microscope for analysis,” explains Piet Stensen, Director of the Limburg Clinical Research Center (LCRC). “These samples are digitized by a scanner, which greatly simplifies their preservation and sharing, including with other hospitals, for example, for a second opinion or scientific research. This makes it possible to improve the care process while being essential for biomedical research. “

Digitization of samples also paves the way for the use of artificial intelligence. “These AI applications do not completely replace the pathologist, but they provide valuable assistance,” Stensen continues. “AI examines numerous samples and identifies any suspicious anomalies, making analyzes faster and more efficient.”

To develop and launch Digipath, UHasselt, Jessa and ZOL received support worth €770,000 from the Province of Limburg. Over the next few years, this digital pathology technology will be rolled out to all hospitals across the province and beyond. The project, led by UHasselt, Jessa and ZOL, is also receiving European funding worth €900,000 as part of the Interreg Maas-Rhine programme. This support aims to expand the network beyond national borders and establish cooperation in digital pathology with hospitals in Maastricht and Cologne.

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