International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) announces a new distribution agreement with Opta-Tech.

Under the agreement, Opta-Tech will provide Sectra’s digital pathology solution to the Polish market. Digitizing pathology images increases reviewing efficiency due to fast image access and digital measurement tools. Since Sectra’s solutions for handling medical images are built on the same technical platform, medical images can easily be shared across disciplines. This enhanced ability of collaboration allows clinicians to benefit from integrated diagnostics.

Opta-Tech supplies and integrates IT solutions for research and diagnostic laboratories in Poland. The company has approximately 80 cancer centers and hospitals as customers, making it one of the country’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of medical equipment for digital pathology and molecular diagnostics.

“Poland is a large market where healthcare reforms have been made in order to modernize hospitals. These conditions make Poland an interesting market for us. Opta-Tech’s experience and stable market position makes it an important business partner,” says Dr. Torbjörn Kronander, President and CEO of Sectra.

The distribution agreement comprises Sectra’s digital pathology solution, including VNA for storage of various medical images in a single archive. The solution allows pathologists to make diagnoses and carry out reporting with higher precision and less time spent per case.

Why digital pathology?

Pathology departments analyze tissue samples and bodily fluids to identify the reasons for a patient’s symptoms. The results provide guidance for the diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment of various diseases. There is an acute shortage of pathologists, while at the same time, an aging population and more specialized diagnostics are leading to increasing volumes and demands for more-detailed reports. Digitizing tissue samples allows for shorter wait times, more-accurate diagnoses, and a more-efficient use of resources.

Sectra’s digital pathology solution

Sectra’s digital pathology solution is built on the same platform as Sectra’s solution for handling radiology images (Sectra PACS). This enables in-depth collaboration between radiologists and pathologists, two of the key players in effective cancer care. It also facilitates multi-disciplinary team meetings, which are part of integrated diagnostics. In addition, using a common platform will lead to reduced maintenance and operating costs. Sectra offers a complete solution for primary diagnostics that includes storage solutions and an advanced review workstation. In the US, digital pathology for primary diagnostics is still pending FDA approval.

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