Zooming In -- Keck School of Medicine of USC and Hamamatsu Photonics Launch Digital Pathology Collaboration Focused on Real-World Workflow Improvement

New collaboration brings together USC pathology clinical excellence and Hamamatsu imaging expertise to explore innovative approaches to pathology workflows, advancing systems and data integration while helping define the future of connected pathology.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hamamatsu Corporation announced a new collaboration with the Keck School of Medicine of USC focused on real-world digital pathology workflow improvement. As part of the project, multiple Hamamatsu NanoZoomer slide scanning systems will be installed to support practice-based pathology workflow research led by W. Dean Wallace, MD, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

This collaboration is intended to address three important questions around the adoption and implementation of digital pathology: What efficiencies can be achieved when a digital pathology workflow is designed in a high-functioning real-world laboratory environment? How can those efficiencies translate into operational improvements that matter both within the laboratory and at the patient level? And how can that knowledge be shared so other facilities can benefit from those insights?

"For 70 years, Hamamatsu has applied photonics to real-world challenges in pursuit of its mission to improve life through photonics technologies," said Earl Hergert, President, Hamamatsu Corporation. "Hamamatsu's experience and hardware are embedded in many instruments across many fields, especially medicine. Through this collaboration, we are bringing that dedication to innovation directly into the laboratory. We are proud to work with Dr. Wallace and the entire USC pathology team to help advance digital pathology in a way that is grounded in real-world experience and focused on improvements that matter both within the laboratory and at the patient level. This collaboration reflects the evolution of our role in medical research, and we are delighted to do this with such a strong collaborator as USC."

Digital pathology offers an important opportunity to modernize pathology workflows through high-resolution whole slide imaging, more efficient case review, and improved access to case information across pathology teams. As adoption expands, pathology image data is becoming part of a broader healthcare information environment, making integration with other modalities a more standard part of modern workflow design.

"Our goal is to conduct rigorous analysis of digital pathology deployment," said W. Dean Wallace, MD, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC. "By evaluating these systems in a real-world setting, we hope to better understand how digital pathology can support workflow improvements, including faster turnaround times for pathology results."

A central aim of this research is to generate practical insight from one institution's experience that can help inform broader adoption across pathology laboratories. By evaluating how digital workflows function in a real laboratory environment, the USC and Hamamatsu teams aim to better understand how operational gains can translate into meaningful improvements in healthcare system performance.

"Digital pathology represents an important opportunity to use imaging technology to improve pathology workflow and information integration," said Scott Blakely, Business Development Manager, Whole Slide Imaging and Digital Pathology, Hamamatsu Corporation. "We are pleased to support USC's efforts to evaluate these systems in a way that can inform the future of pathology operations and help the field better understand where digital pathology can make a measurable difference."

By combining USC's pathology clinical excellence with Hamamatsu's imaging expertise, this study is intended to generate practical knowledge that can help shape the future of pathology workflows. By better understanding how digital pathology can help shorten the time to case information availability, and by establishing best practices for integrating pathology image data into the broader spectrum of healthcare, the collaboration aims to inform development of the next generation of pathology instruments and systems in a field where efficiency and accuracy are foundational to diagnostic and prognostic evaluation.

About Hamamatsu Corporation

Hamamatsu Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. in Japan. Hamamatsu is a global leader in the design and manufacture of photonics devices, including advanced imaging detectors. Our optical sensors, light sources, cameras, imaging systems, and measurement and analysis systems deliver critical photonics components for a broad range of demanding applications and markets. For more than two decades, our NanoZoomer series of digital scanners has been a pioneering solution in whole slide imaging scanner technology for pathology research.

For more information, visit www.nanozoomer.com.

About Keck School of Medicine of USC

Founded in 1885, the Keck School of Medicine of USC is one of the nation's leading medical institutions, known for igniting discovery in research, patient care and education. Our 2,400 plus faculty have more than doubled research funding since 2015, pushing the boundaries of what is possible from brain health and cancer science to regenerative medicine. Learning in one of the nation's most diverse cities, our more than 3500 students and trainees emerge ready to lead in the health care of tomorrow. Over 150 institutions transfer their toughest clinical cases to the Keck School of Medicine and through 42 community partnerships, we create measurable health improvements in greater Los Angeles and beyond.

SOURCE Hamamatsu Corporation