Partnership Provides Free Digital Archive Showcasing the Contribution of Surgical Pathology to Patient Care Dating Back to 1945

Augusta, GA and Vista, CA – February 22, 2011 - The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), the global leader in the transmission of knowledge in the field of pathology for more than a century, and Aperio, the global leader in providing digital pathology solutions that improve patient care, will be showcasing the digital launch of the Dr. Juan Rosai Collection of Surgical Pathology Seminars at the 100th USCAP Annual Meeting, to be held February 26 – March 4, 2011, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX. (Booth 114 has been reserved for viewing of the collection.) 

Dr. Juan Rosai, a world-renowned expert and consultant in surgical pathology, has donated his extensive glass slide seminar series collection inherited from the late Lauren V. Ackerman, MD for the world to view. The complete collection consists of almost 20,000 cases originally presented at more than 1,400 pathology seminars, and comprises digital slide images of the original slides, clinical history, and diagnostic summaries, along with present day commentary by Rosai and other experts. At this time, seminars are continuously being added to the site, with the full collection to be accessible within the coming months. 

“I am honored that the USCAP and Aperio have collaborated to provide the pathology community with a digital archive and interactive learning environment for this one-of-a-kind, historical collection,” said Rosai. “Now, pathologists around the world will be able to access and learn about the evolution of patient care from a pathology perspective. I am very appreciative that the collection will be preserved for eternity for the future of pathologists around the world.” 

USCAP and Aperio announced their partnership in 2010 to develop the infrastructure for a digital archive. The collection has been digitized using Aperio’s ScanScope® scanners to ensure high-resolution image quality, and is accessible to the global pathology community, free of charge, through the USCAP website (http://www.USCAP.org). The USCAP has developed a custom-built website to dynamically interact and interface with the digital slide collection to provide diagnostic and historical context, as well as interactive learning tools. The whole-slide images are hosted by SecondSlide®, Aperio’s free, secure, digital slide sharing service for pathology. 

Victor Reuter, former president of the USCAP and vice chair of the Department of Pathology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, commented, “Dr. Rosai has served as an inspiration to thousands of pathologists throughout the world for many decades. He epitomizes everything that morphology has contributed to the understanding of disease across many disciplines. A masterful teacher, it should not surprise us that he has maintained this collection over the years and has now chosen to share it with the global pathology community. I congratulate Aperio and USCAP for supporting this project that is sure to have profound educational and historical importance.” 

“Aperio’s ongoing advancements in digital pathology systems, including our patented, high-resolution slide creation, image visualization techniques and innovative slide sharing systems are completely transforming the pathology landscape,” stated Jared N. Schwartz, MD, PhD, chief medical officer at Aperio. “Digital pathology provides the means to significantly advance scientific knowledge, whether it be through the preservation of valuable slide archives like the Juan Rosai collection, identifying biomarkers to advance personalized medicine, or connecting two pathologists in different parts of the world for pathology consultation.”

About USCAP

The United States & Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP/IAP) has been the global leader in the transmission of knowledge in the field of pathology for more than 100 years. The Academy has had a rich heritage of leading the provision of highest standards of pathology education for pathologist members like no other organization and attracts to its ranks the leaders in key areas of pathology. 

The phrase "Leading Pathology Educational Excellence," used in conjunction with the USCAP graphic identity, provides an accurate and appropriate description of the Academy's activities on two levels: 1) providing "leading pathology educational excellence" via its faculty and programs; 2) leading "pathology educational excellence" with ongoing innovation and scientific breakthroughs for the field of pathology. 

Through the efforts of its outstanding membership, the USCAP is able to extend educational excellence to Pathologists around the world.  

About Aperio

Aperio is the leading provider of digital pathology solutions in hospitals, reference labs, and pharmaceutical and research institutions across the world. Today, our affordable and complete product portfolio improves patient care by enhancing quality assurance, delivering more efficient workflows, facilitating access to new and more targeted therapies, and improving pathologists’ skills via lifelong education. Our comprehensive product line features our ScanScope® scanners, Spectrum™ image management (PACS) software, SecondSlide® slide sharing service for pathology, and image analysis tools and services. Aperio’s products are FDA cleared for specific clinical applications, and are intended for research and education use for other applications. For clearance updates and more information please visit http://www.aperio.com.